At Overcomers Counseling Aurora, we believe everyone should be able to experience life's simple pleasures and establish significant relationships with loved ones. When someone is depressed, the thought of doing anything can feel too challenging.

Depression will constantly demotivate you and prevent you from pursuing your goals. However, you don't have to live the rest of your life struggling with depression.

Our depression counseling in Aurora focuses on offering support to those seeking to overcome depression and regain a fulfilling life.

Depression is more than feelings of hopelessness, sadness, or melancholy. Depression isn't just a feeling that anyone can quickly shake off; it is much more severe than that. It is a mental illness that negatively impacts the mood of a person. Those who have this mood disorder tend to dwell on negative thoughts and consistent feelings of sadness or emptiness. Sometimes, this mood disorder can get so intense that those affected may turn to harmful coping mechanisms to alleviate their depression. Some of these harmful coping mechanisms include substance or drug abuse, excessive shopping, or adopting unhealthy eating habits.

Studies reveal that depressive disorder is a common mental health illness in the US. This means that people will experience depression at some point in their lifetime. Also, one thing to note about depression is that it can look and feel different in different people. Some can bounce back from depression, while others find it difficult. Nonetheless, if you have persistent feelings of depression, you most likely suffer from depression disorder, and it is vital that you get care from a medical professional to talk about symptoms and the next steps. Overcomers Counseling Aurora has depression therapists who know exactly how to help you.

As stated earlier, the signs and symptoms of depression can manifest differently in people because there are different types of depression, which can also change over time. Examples of common clinical depression symptoms include:

• Continuing emotions of sadness, anxiety, or emptiness.
• Trouble sleeping or poor sleeping habits.
• Restlessness.
• Weight gain or loss.
• Lack of appetite
• Headaches.
• Absence of motivation or drive.
• Difficulty focusing and recalling information.
• A decline in sexual desire.
• Suicidal thoughts.
• Fatigue.
• Feeling worthless.
• Muscle and joint discomfort.
• No interest or pleasure in activities.

Remember that having only one of these symptoms above does not mean you have depression. Factors like other health issues, medications, or even lifestyle choices can cause some of these symptoms.

Although researchers don't know what exactly causes depression, they believe that some of these factors vary greatly and contribute to its development, including:

A Chemical Imbalance

The human brain is extremely intricate and complicated. Some people purport that changes in the brain chemistry caused by antidepressants can lead to depression in a person, which is then 'corrected' by the drugs.

Physical Health Problems

Suffering from poor physical health is another factor that can increase one's risk of experiencing depression. In addition, living and dealing with health problems can get overwhelming and challenging to manage, affecting one's mood.

Childhood Experiences

Studies have revealed that traumatic experiences in your childhood can leave you more vulnerable to experiencing depression later in your life. These types of experiences in your childhood can also significantly affect your self-esteem. They can also affect how you learn to cope with difficult emotions and stressful situations.

Styles Of Thinking

People who have a particular type or pattern of thinking have the potential to develop depression. If you notice that you consistently experience negative thinking patterns, there are ways to get help.

Other Mental Health Problems

If you are coping with other mental health issues, it's common to experience depression. This might be because it could be difficult to deal with another mental health problem that can trigger depression.

Recreational Drugs And Alcohol

Many people tend to turn to different methods or things to deal with the challenges they face in life. One of these coping techniques sometimes is drug and alcohol use which can gradually become an addiction. Over time, this addiction can take over every aspect of a person's life and make them feel worse in the long run.

Prescription Drugs

One of the side effects of some prescription drugs is depression. This information is usually written on the patient information leaflet of any medication packet. Doctors and pharmacists too also always share information about side effects.

Therapists at Overcomers Counseling Aurora collaborate with clients to discover the underlying causes and origins of their depression, increasing understanding and facilitating personalized treatment plans. 

You can use different coping strategies and treatment options to help manage depression symptoms.

Practicing Self-Care

One of the hardest aspects of depression is practicing basic self–care activities. Try your best to pick one self-care activity every day.

Journal Your Thoughts

Negative thoughts can impact depression symptoms. Whenever you feel negative thoughts are taking over, try writing down your thoughts.

Other coping strategies include practicing mindfulness or meditation, changing your diet, taking up a hobby, and learning about your triggers. What if you find that these coping strategies aren't working? Then there are different types of therapy:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is centered on modifying negative thought patterns and belief systems.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an evidence-based strategy for treating numerous mental health issues.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy is also a type of psychotherapy that focuses on reducing symptoms through improved interpersonal functioning.

Overcomers Counseling Aurora provides a variety of evidence-based treatments that are individualized to people seeking depression counseling in Aurora.