Therapy in Edmonton for Depression and Major Depressive Disorder
The need for therapy is often underestimated when it comes to depression or major depressive disorders, with patients being reminded by others around them to “cheer up”. At Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D. and Associates Ltd., our experienced professionals understand the depth of the problem, and we offer depression counselling as well as therapy for major depressive disorder.
Depression affects people worldwide. It changes one’s perspective and often leads to suicidal thoughts. If you find yourself constantly feeling dejected, you might be suffering from clinical depression. Rest assured compassion and thorough knowledge when our therapists work with you.
Since comprehending the concepts of depression and major depressive disorder can be difficult, we have listed out a few symptoms of the two to help you know them better.
Immediate Depression Resources and Centres
For suicidal thoughts and crises, Alberta offers many support lines and websites. For immediate help and counselling in Edmonton, call:
Crisis Support Centre
Toll-Free: 1-800-232-7288
24 Hours: 780-482-HELP (4357)
Salvation Army Community & Family Centres
Hope Line: 780-424-9223
Do you need depression counselling in Edmonton? The caring, compassionate counsellors at Gary J. Meiers, Ph.D., Jo Ann Hammond-Meiers, Ph.D. and Associates Ltd. are here to help you. Depression is a mood disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, including one out of every eight Canadians. Also known as clinical or major depression, the disorder affects how you feel and relate to the world around you.
Depression can leave you with mental and physical symptoms for extended periods of time and rarely goes away on its own. Each person is affected differently, and everyone’s depression is caused by something different. It could be triggered by a situation such as loss, actions such as poor self-care, and physical states such as lack of sleep, emotions such as anxiety and thoughts such as harsh self-criticism.
Common Symptoms of Depression
Depression is not something to hide or be embarrassed about. If you're struggling with depression in Edmonton, please contact a professional. Many people, however, may not even realize what their changing emotions mean. Everyone gets the blues, but if you're feeling down for an extended period of time or are having trouble living your life like you once were, you may be experiencing depression.
Common symptoms of depression include:
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Feeling increasingly sad or anxious
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Becoming more pessimistic
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Feeling very restless or irritable
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Having less interest in activities that you used to enjoy
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Having less energy
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Finding it difficult to concentrate
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Changes in your eating and/or sleeping patterns
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Body aches and pains
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Thoughts about suicide/ self-harm
Please keep in mind that every person is affected by depression differently and may only display some of these symptoms or others that aren't mentioned.
Treatments for Depression
Depression counselling can be set up and organized in many different ways. Some of the most common depression treatment methods are listed below:
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Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) The EMDR model looks to a client's past for significant developmental traumas that continue to evoke or trigger feelings of distress, depressive symptoms and negative self-talk, which contribute to isolation and disrupted sleep and dysregulated moods.
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Narrative Therapy With narrative therapy, the patient tells a story from their past, and the therapist then reflects upon or analyzes this story to determine its impact on the patient’s current depression and life. Depending on the determined meaning or effect, the therapist will help the patient find ways to get separated from the problem and encourage them to rely on inner strength to minimize current problems.
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Interpersonal Therapy In many cases of depression, a person is upset about relationships with various people, from coworkers to family members. Interpersonal depression therapy involves targeting these relationships, finding ways to improve them and creating a healthier social life.
Based on a patient's symptoms, triggers and current problems, a therapist will determine what method of depression counselling is best.
The best way to treat depression is to get help from a therapist that specializes in depression counselling. If you need depression counselling here in Edmonton, call our office at 780-433-2269 to schedule an appointment.
When Should I Get Help?
Getting therapy for depression is not easy for most people since it is hard for them to take action. If you feel demotivated, sad, or hopeless and avoid talking to your loved ones, it is time to ask for help. If you have any symptoms such as suicidal thoughts, turn to us for professional help and support against depression in Edmonton.
Major Depressive Disorder Treatment in Edmonton
In layman's terms, depression can be considered synonymous with consistent and persistent sadness that may be caused due to various reasons. When we speak about clinical depression, it is termed as Major Depressive Disorder and may prove to be acute in nature.
What Is the Difference Between Depression and Major Depressive Disorder?
Depression can be divided into two types. The first one is regular in nature. A person battling depression can surpass the phase sooner and with much ease, maybe even without any treatment. The second one is clinical and requires strong medical treatment to get over it. Depression has many types, and we can say Major Depressive Disorder is one such type. In short, depression is broader in nature, and Major Depressive Disorder is a part of it.
Symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder
Major Depression Disorder talks more about chronic sadness. When such sadness prolongs for more than a week, it leads to behavioural abnormalities. It affects a person's mental health and influences thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Symptoms include:
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Consistent sad feeling If a person keeps feeling unhappy for most of the day and remains feeling so, day in and day out, it is one of the symptoms of depression and needs immediate attention.
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Lack of interest If a person loses interest in daily activities, it is one of the symptoms of chronic MDD. Lack of such interest actually makes them fall more into the traps of depression.
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Weight Loss/ Weight Gain A sudden fluctuation in weight is one of the symptoms of MDD. A disturbed mind leads to deteriorated health, and it affects an individual’s health in a physical way.
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Irregular sleeping patterns Sound sleep is very much necessary for a stable mind. Similarly, a stable mind brings in sound sleep. A person going through MDD may not get a peaceful sleep at night or may oversleep even during the daytime.
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Persistent tiredness An individual who is a victim of MDD may remain tired throughout the day irrespective of the work done.
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Guilt and worthlessness A person going through MDD may have some sort of guilt in their mind and hence would keep feeling worthless all the while.
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Thoughts of death and suicide A constant suicidal feeling showcases a critical condition of MDD, which shows a person needs proper medical treatment to cope. If these symptoms persist for more than two weeks, they will often be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder.
Benefits of Depression Counselling in Edmonton
We understand that we can never feel what you feel, but if you seek professional help, there are many benefits that could help you fight your depression better, including:
Discovering the root cause for your depression
Encouragement to pursue the things you love
Practical methods to manage your depression
Building self-confidence
Finding a new purpose and joy in life
Reconnecting with your goals and values
Feeling the motivation to move forward
Connecting closely with your loved ones
We Can Help!
Therapy and, in many cases, medicinal prescriptions can be used to treat depression. This condition, if left untreated, can be quite distressing. If you are experiencing any of the signs of depression, you should immediately make an appointment with our psychologists in Edmonton. It's challenging to fight this battle on your own; you may need help from a professional to deal with your condition, but once you do, you will realize that life is not as challenging as it seems. Moreover, you will have the resources to deal with obstacles. You will feel better, both mentally and physically. We are highly qualified and experienced psychologists who help people suffering from depression. We provide proper counselling and therapy depending upon the patient's conditions.
Contact us at 780-433-2269 to know more about the treatment methods that we implement.
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