Depression Counseling | Atlanta Suwanee Gwinnett

What's the difference between sad and depressed?

Sadness is one of the normal human emotions -- everyone feels sadness at times. It's completely normal to feel sad or unhappy when bad things happen. Of course your mood bottoms out when you lose someone you love, get divorced, lose a job, or have financial trouble. Even less major disappointments trigger sadness and feelings of depression.

When crying or venting doesn't bring relief from the sadness... when you're not able to function in your day-to-day roles... if the sadness lasts more than two weeks... it's time to get some help.

Do these thoughts often enter your mind?

• "I am worthless and can’t do anything about it."
• "No one understands how painful this is."
• "I feel guilty for just wanting to eat, sleep, and be alone."
• "I hate who I am these days."
• "All I can do is sleep and cry."
• "I just don't want to be around anyone."
• "I'm stuck and things aren't going to change."

These kinds of thoughts are a sign that you may be suffering from depression. The sadness, hopelessness, lack of motivation, and loss of interest in things you normally like are all symptoms.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

Everyone experiences depression differently. The line between the sadness felt during normal lows of life and depression can be hard to define. However, when you're having a lot of symptoms, they're more intense, and they're lasting for a longer period of time, it's more likely that you are dealing with depression.

Common Symptoms of Depression

• Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.
• Loss of interest in daily activities. You don’t care anymore about former hobbies, pastimes, social activities, or sex. You’ve lost your ability to feel joy and pleasure.
• Appetite or weight changes. Significant weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month.
• Sleep changes. Either insomnia, especially waking in the early hours of the morning, or oversleeping.
• Anger or irritability. Feeling agitated, restless, or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your temper short, and everything and everyone gets on your nerves.
• Loss of energy. Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and physically drained. Your whole body may feel heavy, and even small tasks are exhausting or take longer to complete.
• Self-loathing. Strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt. You harshly criticize yourself for perceived faults and mistakes.
• Reckless behavior. You engage in escapist behavior such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports.
• Concentration problems. Trouble focusing, making decisions, or remembering things.
• Unexplained aches and pains. An increase in physical complaints such as headaches, back pain, aching muscles, and stomach pain.

Treating Depression

Depression is very treatable. Many people who feel depressed find relief in realizing that they are not alone. Talking to a trained therapist is a great starting point for treatment. Your therapist can assess what's going on and help you decide how to move forward with treatment.

You don't have to be having full blown depression to benefit from depression counseling. You may be experiencing fewer or less intense symptoms, but still not feeling like yourself. We get that these things start to feel so jumbled up and that you just want to feel better.

If you are in crisis and at risk of of suicide or lack of ability to care for yourself, you may need immediate treatment with ongoing followup. Depending on your symptoms, you may need to talk to your doctor about the possibility of medications (ideally in addition to depression counseling).

No matter how your journey starts, talk therapy can help. Your therapist can help you figure out what's triggering your depression, explore your history to help you understand why you feel depressed, and help you learn some strategies to manage symptoms. We will help you look at the parts of your life -- like your work, relationships, family, friends, or medical issues -- to help figure out how to keep you functioning at your healthy and happiest.

Often, we find that depression is only part of the problem. Clients come to us who are dealing with the complexity of overlapping issues -- depression plus anxiety plus relationship problems plus a history of difficult or traumatic life experiences. The more complex the problems, the more you can benefit from having a trained counselor help you through them.