Do I need Depression Counseling with Empower Counseling in Birmingham, Alabama?: 5 Signs
Have you been wondering whether depression counseling could help you? Here are 5 signs that you could benefit from depression counseling.
You are no longer enjoying the things you used to enjoy.
Even if you are not clinically depressed, if you are not enjoying the things you used to enjoy, it is time to seek counseling. The loss or decrease in your ability to feel pleasure from the things you used to enjoy is called anhedonia. Anhedonia usually shows up in conjunction with a lack of motivation. I would describe the thought associated most with anhedonia is “What is the point?”.
Anhedonia can be a symptom of depression, anxiety, and even PTSD. Since the onset of the pandemic there has been an increase in anhedonia. Many things we used to enjoy were not an option due to the pandemic. If you did not replace the things you used to enjoy before the pandemic with new options, you are probably left feeling this lack of joy and pleasure.
If you are struggling to find things you enjoy doing or if you no longer enjoy doing what you used to enjoy, call Empower Counseling for depression or anxiety counseling in Birmingham, Alabama.
You are irritable all of the time (or way more often than you used to be).
When some part of you is at a loss inside, feeling hopeless, or feeling helpless, it is easy to lash out at others. So if you are not treating the ones around you the way you want to treat them and you just can not figure out why, you might be depressed. Not only is irritability a sign of depression, but it often signals a more severe level of depression.
You might need depression counseling with empower counseling if Are you a perfectionist.
If so, you could be suffering from anxiety and/or depression. Perfectionists tend to engage in all-or-nothing thinking and have unrealistic expectations for themselves and others. With all or nothing thinking it is easy for perfectionists to decide that making one small mistake means total failure. When you have thoughts that you are a failure, depression is not far behind. Acceptance Commitment Therapy for Depression and Anxiety is the remedy for perfectionism. We see many perfectionists at Empower Counseling.
You spend a good deal of time ruminating.
Ruminating is thinking about the same thing over and over again. You might ruminate over a mistake you made a long time ago. Even though it has been sometime since you made that mistake, you can not seem to let it go or forgive yourself for it. Rumination, staying in your head with the same unhelpful, unproductive thoughts can signal depression.
Toggling.
You have been down for a while but one happy event occurs and you seem fine again for a little while. But it is not long before you are back where you were, struggling with negative thoughts, feeling sad, and unmotivated to do anything. When this happens, the depression is real and does not go away due to the happy event. The happy event just alleviates the pain for a short time.
If you are experiencing any of the above 5 signs, depression counseling from Empower Counseling could help you. All of our counselors are trained in Acceptance Commitment Therapy, scientifically proven effective for depression and anxiety. Reach out to Kathryn, Adam, or Kristine for in-person counseling in the Birmingham area or online counseling from anywhere in Alabama.
We help teens, college students, young adults, and professionals move away from depression and anxiety and toward a more fulfilling and satisfying life.
Reach out to Empower Counseling today and begin to feel better. Call 205-730-6570