Seeking Professional Help For Depression

A large number of people suffer from common mental disorders, but treatment seeking is typically low. Anxiety and depression are common mental health issues in people, yet only few access professional help. 

Lack of clarity when to exactly seek treatment adversely impact professional help-seeking behavior. Moreover, people with disturb mental health find themselves in a difficult situation with respect where and to whom to consult.

Living with depression is quite challenging. Globally depression is responsible for more ‘years lost’ to disability than any other medical condition.

Seeking professional help is important if someone is noticing deterioration in mental health. In fact, it is the first and crucial step to save a precious life.

Also Check : Getting Through Depression

Benefits of professional help-seeking

Professional help-seeking for emotional and psychological difficulties is considered as a viable option in case of management of mental health disorders including depression.

Depression is a clinical condition and differs from mood fluctuations. 

Therefore, it is good to see a mental health expert as early as possible. 

Many symptoms of depression respond well to medications and psychotherapies. The earlier the treatment begins; the more effective is the response.

Depression is something that looks differently for everyone. Therefore, course of therapy and medications varies between sufferers. 

Treatment with anti-depressant medications is well-tolerated by a patient. Medical management requires patience, as some medications take longer to take full effect. Some anti-depressants are associated with side-effects and therefore, your body needs time to get to adjust with them.

Additionally, counseling from a therapist is useful to learn skills to cope with negative thoughts. It helps to identify negative self-beliefs and replacing them with positive ones. It helps to find better ways to cope with the problem and improve the situation. Psychotherapy is effective to encourage healthy lifestyle and enhances social skills to promote long-term wellbeing. 

Group or family therapy sessions are beneficial to keep depressive symptoms in control. 

Most patients with mild to moderate depression can be effectively managed with medications and counseling therapy or combination of both.

When to see expert

It is better to consult mental health expert and seek out therapy if you are experiencing something mentioned below.

You are unable to handle your emotions and feel extremely sad, irritable, restless, hopelessness, excessive worry, and fear. You have lost interest in life and everything is appearing boring and meaningless to you. 

You are unable to complete daily activities of living. Performing simple activities like brushing your teeth and showering is becoming difficult for you. You experience significant lack of energy.

You prefer to stay in isolation and have reduced your interaction with people around you. You are noticing a negative impact on school, work and relationship. Your productivity is getting hampered day by day due to lack of concentration.

In recent days, your sleep pattern has changed considerably. You are experiencing problems with initiating sleep, maintaining sleep or early-morning awaking.

Your eating pattern has changed considerably. You either undereat or overeat and subsequently, you have noticed problems of weight loss or weight gain.

You constantly have negative thought pattern and breaking this cycle seems to be difficult for you. Even you are experiencing self-harm thoughts and you are using drug or alcohol as a way to get rid of them.

You are going though significant life changes such as a career shift, divorce or moving to a new place or recent traumatic incident.

Many people suffering from depression recover well, especially if they start treatment early and take an active role in the recovery.

Depression is like other forms of medical illness. Living with it is challenging and frustrating. This disorder have a truly distressing and debilitating impact on your physical health too.

But with proper diagnosis and treatment, you can overcome these problems and resume your daily routine.

Disclaimer : The purpose of this blog is to create emotional health awareness. This information is not a replacement for medical treatment or counseling therapy.