Depression & Anxiety
Depression and Anxiety are two common diagnoses we treat at Sage Mind Wellness, and neither one is easy to manage alone. If you’re dealing with feelings of depression or anxiety, therapy can provide you with hope and practical ways to manage them.
Here are some answers to questions we frequently hear about depression:
What does depression feel like?
We often think about depression in a drastic way. A person is considered depressed if they can’t get out of bed, are despondent, or engage in self-harming behaviors. Depression can indeed show itself in those ways, but it also can be much more subtle.
It can take the form of losing interest in things you love, like family, friends, or activities. It can feel like you’re wading through water or trudging through thick brush. You may wake up in the morning only to find yourself counting down the hours until bedtime.
What is depression?
Depression is the clinical term for persistent sadness. The Diagnostic Manual for clinicians has a list of criteria for when a person is depressed. But the diagnosis is the beginning– not the end– of therapy.
What causes depression?
Depression can be the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain. Normally, these chemicals help our neurons fire off at appropriate times. When we experience the feeling of happiness, it’s because the brain is releasing serotonin that causes the feeling of happiness. But occasionally, our brain produces less serotonin than usual. When that happens, our brain isn’t able to release enough, leading to fewer feelings of joy, and increased feelings of sadness or depression.
Depression may also result from a traumatic life experience: we lose a loved one, get divorced, move to a new place, or suffer a fractured relationship. We experience setbacks in our jobs, our health, or our finances. Life is impermanent and unpredictable, and these events can lead to disillusionment and depression.
Regardless of what causes the depression, understanding it and being kind to ourselves can increase our happiness and decrease our suffering. That’s what we work on at Sage Mind Wellness: accepting and processing. We work to help you through life’s ups and downs, developing perspective and holding space for whatever is happening in your life.
How do we treat depression?
We use a variety of approaches that are tailored to each client. We use mindfulness, taking one moment at a time. We ground in our bodies, using the wisdom in us to find peace and healing. We are also skilled in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy that will help with skill development. We also integrate trauma-informed therapies and Emotionally Focused Therapy for individuals.
Here are some answers to questions we frequently hear about anxiety:
How does anxiety feel?
Anxiety is our mind and body reacting in patterns. Our mind cycles through questions, thoughts, answers, and fears, over and over: “Will I be fired?” “I know I didn’t do that right.” “Maybe they don’t like me.” Often, our clients describe anxiety as “racing thoughts” or say that their minds “won’t stop.” Our body likewise exhibits physical symptoms: a rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, tightness in the chest, or energy in the body.
Why do I feel anxious?
Anxiety is caused by our body’s “fight, flight, or freeze” reaction. This instinct is left over from the days when humans needed to be much more concerned for their physical wellbeing– it was normal to worry whether each rustle in the bush was a dangerous predator. In many ways, humans still need some anxiety to operate at a healthy level. A reasonable dose protects you from crossing the street without looking and gives you energy to complete a stressful work project. But too much anxiety can be harmful.
How do I ease my anxiety?
At Sage Mind Wellness, we teach real, practical life skills to reduce anxiety. There are tools you can use in anxious moments to calm your body and your mind. We will help you recognize cognitive distortions (thoughts that feel real but aren’t fully accurate), and provide you with practices that connect you to your body’s natural ability to calm down. This includes body and breathing exercises, mindfulness and meditation. This work will help you reduce anxiety in times when you don’t need it.
How do you treat anxiety?
We are trained in how to treat anxiety at a clinical level (in addition to giving you the practical skills mentioned above), and the interventions are similar to that with depression. We start from a trauma-informed perspective, and encourage your body and mind to slow down in order to get in touch with your emotional experience. The skills of mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy help us challenge and navigate the worrisome thoughts.
Through an integrated approach, we teach body and breathing practices to help you stay in the present moment. We will also use the power of the mind to work with unhelpful thoughts.
Anxiety is difficult to control, but you hold within yourself the power to manage it.