Depression can be debilitating. When it’s difficult to even get up in the morning, take a shower, and do the normal activities of a functioning member of society, it might have become problematic. So how can we overcome this problem?
The first thing that needs to happen is a consultation with your family doctor, who can then potentially treat the problem with the proper medication or refer you to a psychiatrist whose expertise is diagnosing and treating depression. Simple, but even before this you will need a certain level of acceptance that there is something wrong. As stated in the DSM-5 “the common feature of [all depressive disorders] is the presence of sad, empty, or irritable mood, accompanied by somatic and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual’s capacity to function”. If this sounds like something that may be occurring in your life, it might be time to consult with your doctor.
Let’s say you already have a diagnosis and are well medicated or have at least started the process of balancing a medicinal treatment. Or if you think things might be going down a dark path and you want to put something in place as a preventative measure. What can I, as a Special Care Counsellor, do for you?
My road map is to first discuss with you where you want to be in life. This is done through a series of reflection questions that work upon the information you give to me. These reflection questions are not predetermined for the most part but are rather improvised and adapted to your specific case. Next, we look at how you can get where you want to go. This is often done by breaking down what it is you can implement to help you regain some semblance of pleasure and fulfillment in your life. Objectives are broken down into the adapted, smallest steps possible for you to experience small victories in your life. The final step is to review your progress on a regular basis and adjust when needed. With this road map in place, I am confident that progress can be made if you’re invested in the process. If there is no progress, no worries! That’s what the adjustments are for, and the point is not to weigh you down any more than you already are. That being said, it may take all of your energy and effort to get those small wins, but trust me, it is so, so worth it!
The goal truly is a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. There is literally no pressure for success and it’s important to get any miraculous expectations out of your head right now to avoid devastating disappointment on the off chance it doesn’t work. I cannot guarantee our success, in fact, no approach can ever be guaranteed to work. But I am confident it can work, and I can guarantee that you will, at the very least, maintain an accountability partner and have someone in your corner so you don’t have to go it alone.
Alexandre G. McGovern 