Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi! My name is Rachel Blackston and I am here on behalf of Expert Village and I am a private
practice mental health counselor in Orlando, Florida and I work at a private practice called
Twelve Stones Counseling Center and it is located in Ovieda, Florida. I am here to talk
about how to deal with depression over the holidays. Many people may have the misconception
that depression is simply triggered by side events in your life. That's not true. It is
conclusive that there is a biological aspect of depression. There is an element that involves
the brain chemistry that affects the neuro-transmitters in the brain. This is a lot of reasons why
your doctor or psychiatrist may prescribe an anti-depressant. The brain chemistry does
control things like appetites, sleep patterns, mood, energy, thinking and decision making
skills. I think that I mentioned earlier that biology circumstances and psychology all play
into depression. I just want to make it clear that there is a biological aspect of depression.
I mentioned earlier that if you think that you may be clinically depressed, that you
need to contact your doctor, a psychiatrist or a professional counselor. But I did want
to mention that if you are already in treatment for depression, that there are a number of
things that may be helpful. The first is to join a support group. It is wonderful to be
able to talk to people that have a similar experience, that can talk about the underlying
sadness how it affects your life and your family. The second is to do activities that
you enjoy. A lot of times when you are depressed, you feel like you are in a cave, in a place
of darkness, try to make choices to get out of that, to take a walk. Also, talk to your
nutritionist on your diet. There is definitely some coalition between food and mood and so
it is important to see if any dietary aspects of depression are occurring in you. And finally,
I really recommend this workbook. It is called the Depression Workbook by Mary Ann Copeland
and it has this full and wonderful information that looks at the three main aspects of biology.
Is there something that has gone through your family tree. Did you have a mother or father
that struggled with depression. It looks at circumstantial evidence of depression. What
is going on in your life? Some of my clients have gone through a major move, a divorce,
a new job and they think why am I depressed and they have a lot of life stressors and
then finally a lot of psychological aspects; unresolved emotions, areas of loss and life
that haven't really been grieved so this is a great resource if you are undergoing treatment
for depression.