Understanding Depression Counselling in Singapore
Depression, scientifically referred to as major depressive disorder, stands as one of the prevailing mental health conditions.
Depression is an unwanted experience that can derail people from natural state of satisfaction in life. Often, in the face of numerous challenges, we may endure a sense of sadness or hopelessness that extends beyond a short timeframe. The good news is that depression can be effectively addressed and managed.
Symptoms of Depression
The impact of depression varies across individuals, though a significant majority have poorer quality of life as a result. Clinical Depression can be life threatening when no proper treatment is received in time. It's crucial to spot the various symptoms and seek depression treatment in Singapore promptly. Some of the symptoms encompass:
- Prolonged feelings of sadness or emptiness
- Experiencing sensations of helplessness or despondency
- Dealing with sentiments of guilt or inadequacy
- Fluctuating between irritability and anger
- Struggling with concentration difficulties
- Changes in appetite patterns
- Coping with persistent physical pain or stomach discomfort
- Engaging in social withdrawal from friends and family
- Battling thoughts of suicide or harm to others
Those with a family history of depression are predisposed to the condition, as are individuals grappling with severe chronic illnesses like heart disease or cancer.
How Will Depression Counseling Help You?
Depression should not be misconstrued as a reflection of immaturity. It cannot be simply shaken off but rather is a medical condition requiring professional intervention. With appropriate care, individuals can experience improvement in their well-being.
Certain individuals, particularly those with severe depression, can find relief from depression symptoms through the use of antidepressant medications. Psychotherapy, whether utilized on its own or in conjunction with medications, has proven to be a successful form of treatment.
Tailored Therapy Approaches for Depression
The choice of therapy often hinges on the duration and intensity of depression symptoms and episodes. If you have been experiencing prolonged and severe depression, collaborating with a psychiatrist or psychologist is essential.
On the other hand, if your depression symptoms are relatively recent or less severe, engaging in therapy with a counsellor will prove advantageous. Within the context of depression counselling in Singapore, a therapist will employ talk therapy to aid you in comprehending and addressing issues that are exerting negative influences on your life.
If you believe your depression is related to trauma episodes, it would be advantageous to look into treatment modalities such as EMDR, MEMI, Neurofeedback, and somatic based psychotherapy. Therapists trained in these modalities are adept at helping you in rewiring your nervous regulatory system so that you can process “what happened?” without being retraumatized. Please complete our triage so that our highly trained triage officer can assist you in identifying a suitable therapist for you.
Self-Care Practices for Managing Depression
Discuss It
Talking about depression is one of the most difficult things to do when you're depressed. Even with loved ones, it can be extremely difficult to open up and talk about how you're feeling. Penning down your thoughts can be a good start. Share it with someone whom you know would not judge you negatively for having negative thoughts. Even talking it out with your pet can help.
At TheTherapy.Co, we know it is not easy to open up about personal feelings. Therefore, we create messaging services for clients to text and leave voice messages to therapists. Connection forged via this means is a great start to your therapy journey.
Mindful Meditation
Mindful meditation is one way to be kind to yourself while also managing your symptoms. Mindful meditation teaches you to recognize the validity of your thoughts and feelings and to pay attention to them without harsh inner criticism.
Establish a Routine
Establishing a morning routine holds significance as a self-care ritual. For those not inclined towards mornings, consider adopting a nighttime routine, which can be beneficial as part of your depression treatment in Singapore.
When Should You Seek Help?
If a state of depression persists for over a span of two weeks, significantly impacting your performance at work, interactions with your family, and social engagements, it's crucial to address this.
If thoughts of suicide are on your mind, we urge you to promptly arrange a session with a depression specialist.
Conclusion
Coping with depression can be draining. You don’t have to suffer alone. Engaging in a therapeutic partnership with a mental health professional will significantly reduce the time lost to depression. You will feel a lot better with proper treatment. Step forward courageously to be in a secure space with us.
Reach out to us for effective counselling, which can also equip you with coping strategies to enhance your symptom management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Counsellors can support individuals dealing with depression through the following avenues: pinpointing life events that contribute to their depression and guiding them in altering, embracing, or adjusting to those circumstances, as well as establishing achievable goals for their future.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This approach focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to depression. It aims to replace them with healthier thought patterns and coping strategies.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT helps individuals accept their emotions and thoughts while committing to actions aligned with their values. It encourages mindfulness and psychological flexibility to manage difficult emotions.
- Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): IPT concentrates on improving interpersonal relationships and communication skills. It helps individuals address conflicts, role transitions, and other social challenges that can contribute to depression.
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT): MBCT combines mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy techniques. It aims to prevent relapses of depression by enhancing self-awareness and reducing rumination.
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Psychodynamic psychotherapy utilizes a wide range of theories and approaches in uncovering the psychological conflict that lies below individual’s consciousness. By making the unconscious conscious, you can then be free to make new choices about how you understand your past, your present and your future. Psychodynamic therapists are particularly good with relationship dynamic within counselling context. With strong therapeutic alliance, clients typically experience a change in how they feel about themselves and their relationships.
As depression is a complex mental health condition, what works best for you depends on a number of factors, including:
- Your preferred therapy style. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is more directive. Where else psychodynamic is more free flowing.
- Your confidence in the therapist. The more confident and comfortable you feel towards your therapist, the higher propensity towards faster positive outcome.
- Effective treatment can only come after a thorough assessment of brain functioning, psychological functioning, and physical functioning. For brain functioning, we recommend qEEG brain scanning. It reveals brain wave patterns and connectivity within our brain to accurately identify the parts of our brain that need training and support. For some, chemical support in the form of medication may be necessary. As far as possible, we encourage a well-maintained healthy lifestyle including good nutrition, and a supportive social system as they play a vital role in the recovery of depression too. Last but not least, find an experienced psychotherapist. Experienced psychotherapists are likely to be more skilled and resourceful. They can catapult your recovery.
