Low Mood & Depression
As we go through our day to day lives it is normal for us to respond to other people and experiences with a full range of human emotions.
We all feel down in the dumps from time to time, especially in response to loss and difficult experiences that we go through but this does not necessarily mean that we have depression.
Depression is when we have a consistent low mood which is accompanied by persistent sadness and lethargy for a prolonged period or more than 2 weeks. It is characterised by feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, loss of confidence and worthlessness throughout the day.
If you have felt like this or are contemplating, planning, or attempting to commit suicide as a way of escaping from your feelings, you need to get the right kind of support and help.
The "Black Hole" of Depression
People who have suffered with depression often describe it as being in a 'black hole".
It is common to struggle with disturbed sleep patterns, lethargy and difficulty concentrating and making decisions. Physically we can suffer digestive problems, aches and pains, loss of libido, and a compromised immune system making us susceptible to becoming unwell.
Persistent low mood and depression can make us feel like withdrawing from others and hiding the extent of how bad we are feeling so that we appear outwardly OK.
Depression in Men
Men are not invincible. Life causes them the same emotional pain that it does to women, and they are capable of feeling the wide range of feelings that is part of being a human being. Problems and life experiences such as losing their jobs, financial worries, workplace stress, broken relationships and the death of someone close can cause unfamiliar and frightening emotions. This can leave men unable to find solutions, become overwhelmed and struggle with feelings of failure.
Thousands of years of not wanting to be seen as a failure or weak is still wired into the brains of modern man. By nature a man is a competitive, controlled, defensive, problem solver who hides his emotional state to stay in control and to protect loved ones.
Social conditioning reinforces that men should be strong, brave, successful and independent and that crying is seen as a sign of weakness. This means that aggression and anger become a more 'acceptable' way for a man to express his emotions rather than showing his vulnerability and seeing himself as out of control and weak.
I am an accredited and registered Counsellor & Psychotherapist with the BACP with over 14 years experience of working with individuals, couples and therapeutic groups in a variety of settings.
Counselling is always at the heart of what I do, but by incorporating other treatments and techniques I can offer my own unique combination of therapies to effectively help clients to feel better on all levels.
Tina Deas
A Time For You, Counselling & Reiki Swindon
How I can help you
I can offer you something more than traditional counselling and psychotherapy. I believe my holistic approach to tackling low mood and depression, with my own combination of therapy, treatments and techniques, underpinned with counselling and psychotherapy, offers a more effective route to healing.
There are often a myriad of reasons which cause low mood and depression and therefore it can be really helpful to just to feel safe and enabled to talk about how you are feeling. I can help you to identify some of the difficulties, past and present, that are contributing to your low mood or depression and possible anxiety.
Reiki is a brilliant healing tool for sufferers of Depression
Because of the low energy levels characterised by low mood and depression, having Reiki whilst we explore what you have been, or are experiencing, feels like a calm, relaxed space to talk as well as boosting your energy system.
Reiki, works by helping to release negative thinking and suppressed feelings which may be stored at an energy level and are clogging up the flow of your vital life force or "Ki" energy . You will therefore feel more energised and feel an improved sense of wellbeing on all levels.
I see many clients, who without realising it, are still being affected by one or more unresolved losses which is largely due to them being unable to go through the necessary grieving process. This often happens when we want to be "strong" or we are defended against the emotional pain associated with grief. Together we will be able to identify any loss that you may have suffered and not fully resolved and I can help you to understand your responses to your situation.
As the feelings we experience in response to loss are similar to that of depression, people may confuse the two and need help to understand what is happening to them. By helping you to understand the grieving process and express your feelings associated with any losses you may have experienced, you will be enabled you come to terms with them and move on.
Combining therapies can be hugely effective too
If it is appropriate, I may offer hypnotherapy in conjunction with Reiki to work at a deeper level to help you to feel better. Or perhaps some EFT may be used help to release underlying uncomfortable emotions from unhappy memories and difficulties which can be at the route of Depression.
With some CBT, I can help you to understand and challenge some of the negative automatic thinking patterns and beliefs which may be compounding your negative feelings and downward spiral of low mood, loss of confidence and pain. This can help to gain a new perspective of your situation.
I can also help you to work out lifestyle changes that you may need to make in order to reduce your stress levels and improve your mood and physical wellbeing. By learning to value your feelings and yourself, understanding your needs and learning how to communicate them will all help to combat low mood and depression. Looking at your lifestyle, nutrition, natural supplements, and achieving a healthy work/life balance will also help you to feel better.
