Therapy in Kansas City – Liberty MO Area

Depression is a mood disorder that takes all the vibrancy out of life and leaves you feeling stuck, emotionally down and unable to move forward.

The mood disorder has many symptoms, including a general feeling of worthlessness and difficulty experiencing a variety of emotions. People experiencing depression have a general sense of feeling down as well as feelings of sadness and fear.

It’s important to remember when you’re experiencing depression that you are more than your thoughts. Talking with a therapist helps you recognize negative thinking patterns and find ways to overcome the thoughts going on in your mind.

There are life events that happen that can make a person sad and being sad because of those events doesn’t necessarily mean you’re depressed. However, traumatic and life-changing events can trigger depression. When sadness lingers too long or obsessive thoughts take over your mind, it could help to talk with a therapist.

Through talking with a therapist, you can distinguish yourself from your thoughts and regain control of your internal conversation. In the event of life-changing or traumatic experiences, talking with a therapist can help put perspective on the experience and process related emotions. When prolonged and obsessive sadness develops into depression, talking with a therapist can give you mastery over your thoughts and over your life again.

Symptoms of depression:

• Loss of interest in hobbies
• Self-isolation
• Irritability
• Tiredness
• Changes in eating patterns
• Thoughts of suicide or self-harm

An underlying purpose of talking with a therapist is to teach yourself to remember that your identity does not lie in the things you think. Just because you have a thought, doesn’t mean you have to act on it. A couple of negative thoughts don’t have to develop into a negative thought cycle. Talking with a therapist helps you separate yourself from your thoughts and remember that your actions are what define your identity in the world.

Talking with a therapist helps train your brain to intervene in negative thought cycles and return your mind to pursue more constructive and peaceful thoughts. Therapists help with depression by providing an unbiased and non-judgmental perspective on managing your thoughts and symptoms.

Depression is more complicated than having a chemical imbalance and it can be caused by many things. Biology does play a part in depression, but other causes can include stressful life events, illness, genetics and substance abuse. Some early signs of depression can include losing interest in things you usually enjoy and having trouble sleeping. Changes in eating patterns and wanting to self-isolate are also symptoms of depression.

It can be helpful to check in with a therapist, even if you aren’t sure that you are experiencing depression. If negative thought patterns are impacting your ability to work or enjoy life, talking with a therapist can give you a place to find freedom from those negative patterns and get back to living your fullest life.