CBT For Depression
Depression Therapy in Canary Wharf
- Is your mood low?
- Have you been tearful lately?
- Are you struggling to concentrate on important tasks?
- Have you lost interest in people and activities you used to enjoy?
- Do you feel worthless or like a failure?
Depression can cloud your outlook on life. It can feel like a heavy weight is holding you down, as if you are stepping on the petrol pedal but going nowhere.
You may feel lethargic, lacking in energy, lose interest in activities or people, and you just don’t feel like you.
You lack the energy to get started on even the simplest of tasks.
Negative thoughts like “I can’t cope” and “will things get better” consume you, and you can’t seem to quiet them down. Over time, the negative thoughts leave you feeling emotionally drained, isolated and lost.
CBT for Depression is an evidence-based psychological talking therapy. Together, you and your therapist will figure out what is contributing to your low mood, and help you to make the necessary changes that will help you see an improvement in your mood.
What Is Depression?
Depression is a mental health condition that affects a person in five ways.
- Physically: you feel tired, low in energy, your sleep is disturbed, to name a few
- Mentally: your thinking has become negative and very “doom and gloom”
- Behaviourally: you have given up activities you used to enjoy
- Chemically/Biologically: you may have lower serotonin levels
- Socially: you have withdrawn from relationships/friendships
A note on serotonin: low serotonin levels do not necessarily cause depression, but can be a symptom of depression; there is increasing evidence that tackling negative thoughts and improving mood via psychotherapy, can increase serotonin levels.
We all have days where our mood has been low, either in response to being criticized at work or because we’ve had an argument with a loved one. However, we normally recover from this relatively quickly (within a few hours or a day). With depression, however, the symptoms tend to linger longer.
How Common Is Depression and What Causes It?
According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, depression affects one in five people. The Mental Health Foundation remind us that one in four people in England will experience a mental health problem in any given year.
There are many reasons a person may become depressed. We are constantly learning more about what causes and contributes to feelings and symptoms of depression.
We know that depression runs in families, so you have a greater chance of developing depression if one or both of your parents suffered with depression.
Depression can also develop in response to external factors, i.e., the loss of a job, break-up of a relationship, or death of a loved one. Anxiety can also trigger depression, i.e., the worry that you might lose someone or something important to you, can leave you feeling sad, scared and helpless. Constantly worrying about the future can also trigger depression.
Perhaps you have too much on your plate, and the constant sense of feeling overwhelmed is taking its toll on you mentally, emotionally and physically.
For some people, feelings and symptoms of depression come and go over a longer period of time. You may have had a handful of depressive episodes in the past, which involved a pervasive and constant feeling of gloom, even in the absence of any obvious environmental triggers. You go through short bouts of feeling OK, but it isn’t long before a low mood comes back and you feel depressed again.
Anybody can become depressed; it doesn’t matter how much money you have, how old you are, what you do for work, or what religious or cultural background you come from. Depression can affect anyone.
It is not a sign of weakness or madness. In fact, some would say that it is a natural response to a culmination of stressful events. Most of us can cope when we have one stressor on our plate, but as the number of stressors increases, it can feel increasingly difficult to cope.
Can Therapy Help Me?
Have you been putting off getting in touch with a therapist in the hopes that your depression will lift on its own?
I understand how frustrating it feels to want to feel well and be productive, but all the while your mind and body seem to be battling against you. You may be at the point where you just can’t afford to let your depression interfere with your work and home life any longer.
You may feel like you don’t have the energy to do what it takes to get yourself well. I get that! And, I have seen that it is possible to recover.
It may be that you don’t feel like your “normal” self, but you don’t know where to even begin to make a change.
What if I told you that there is a place in Canary Wharf, away from your workplace, where you could talk, in confidence, to someone who is experienced in treating depression? Someone who will understand you, listen to you without judging you, and then help you take steps to alleviate your depression?
At CBT Canary Wharf, we will work together to make sense of your challenges, symptoms and goals and get to the bottom of what’s contributing to how you’ve been feeling. Our sessions will focus on identifying the negative thoughts that keep you stuck, and we’ll help you find new ways of behaving if your current strategies no longer work for you.
With the right guidance and support, you can make sense of why you are struggling and break it all down so that it doesn’t feel so unmanageable.
What is CBT for Depression and How Can It Help Me?
Cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression (or CBT for depression) is an evidence-based, highly effective therapy. This therapy has been proven effective in helping individuals like you manage, alleviate and overcome depression. CBT for depression can help you improve your mood so you can feel empowered and productive. CBT is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as the first choice for high-intensity psychological interventions for depression.
In CBT for Depression you will learn how to:
- identify environmental factors that have triggered your depression, such as job change/job loss, relationship breakdown or anxiety about the future.
- become aware of your negative thoughts, learn how to stand back from them, and evaluate their validity.
- make the necessary behavioural changes so that you can achieve your goals.
Treatment Tailored to Your Unique Goals and Needs
Every individual brings a different set of values, thoughts, behaviours and experiences into sessions, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach in CBT.
In our CBT sessions, we will work collaboratively to understand where change needs to happen for you. We will build on your strengths and evaluate your existing strategies to see which ones are working for you and which might need modifying.
You can gain perspective on your current situation and identify new, healthy solutions to personal, professional and relationship problems.
Instead of feeling stuck behind a wall of negative thoughts, you can learn to take a step back and evaluate your thoughts more objectively and with a greater sense of hope.
I will help you develop practical tools to help you manage your stress levels and reduce your worries about the future, so that you can experience relief and gain a sense of confidence and control in your life.
CBT Canary Wharf – Putting Your Mental Wellbeing First
For 30 years, I have been providing CBT for Depression, helping individuals recognize the warning signs of depression and develop tailored tools and strategies to improve their mood.
I have seen how valuable an active, solution-focused approach like CBT can be in achieving meaningful and lasting change. With the help of a compassionate cognitive behavioural therapist and practical coping techniques, you too, can experience relief and begin living the life you want to live.
Suicidal Thoughts
Suicidal thoughts are common in depression, and you don’t need to feel ashamed if you are having these thoughts. However, if you are having suicidal thoughts it is important that you seek help. You can either talk to your GP about how you’ve been feeling, or seek the help of a therapist. If you don’t have a therapist, and you don’t feel comfortable speaking to your GP, then do phone the Samaritans on their free phone number (116 123).
If you have been making plans to act on your suicidal thoughts in the next few hours, then it is important that you receive help immediately; you can either take yourself to your local A&E (Accident and Emergency) department, or phone a good friend or family member and explain to them how you are feeling. It is important that you reach out to someone to talk to so that you can get the help that you need.
Do you still have questions or concerns about depression therapy?
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How do I know I am depressed, and not just having a bad day?
- Your energy levels have been low and small tasks require a lot of effort
- Your sleep has been disrupted
- Low mood/depressed mood
- You have lost interest in previously pleasurable activities
- You’ve lost a significant amount of weight when not dieting (a loss of 5% of normal body weight)
- You’ve experienced a significant change in appetite
- You are more agitated than usual (inability to sit still) or you have feelings of being slowed down
- You experience feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt
- You have difficulty concentrating or indecisiveness
- Recurrent thoughts of death (not a fear of dying) but an actual wish to not be here anymore or the thought that loved ones would be better off without you
If you have experienced at least five of the symptoms above, over a two week period, you may have clinical depression. If you have experienced fewer than five of the above, but the symptoms have been present nearly every day for most of the day, you may have a more milder form of depression called dysthymia. CBT can help with both types of depression, so if you are concerned about yourself, or a loved one, please do get in touch.
What if I don't want anyone to know I'm seeing a therapist for depression?
Will I need anti-depressants?
What does CBT for Depression cost?
If I attend for CBT during the day, won’t I feel worse when I go back to work? I’ll need to be able to concentrate back at the office.
Do you have more general questions about CBT?
Are you ready to take the first step? I’d love to hear from you!
If you are ready to address your depression and learn how to help yourself feel better and more confident, or if you still have questions about cognitive behavioural therapy for depression at CBT Canary Wharf, please email me or phone me (020) 7531-1220 for a preliminary phone consultation.
I look forward to hearing from you!