Looking for Hope

The Truth About Depression

Millions of people in this country suffer with depression, and most do so undiagnosed.  Every individual's experience is different - from the signs and symptoms of depression to its cause. It follows then that the recovery process must be equally unique to each person seeking depression treatment, which is the basis of The Center's whole-person approach.

As different as depression may feel from one person to the next, there is one way of describing the condition that most people have in common. In the 24 years we've been treating depression here at The Center, that common experience is a feeling of darkness - a heavy, hopeless oppression that blocks the light of the future.

Face the future in Hope of the truth

"Cheer up" ... "snap out of it" ... "what's wrong now?" These are common responses from family, friends and colleagues who simply do not understand that clinical depression is not a bad mood or a bad attitude. As with any other illness, it is a condition separate from who you are - a disease that requires treatment from medical professionals.

Depression is, in fact, anger turned inward. This anger drains optimism, allowing fear to set in and stealing all hope for the future. Any bright spots that bring joy are instantly crushed by feelings of guilt that make you feel as though don't deserve to feel such pleasure.

Embrace the joy in your life again. Get information on depression so that you can better identify the signs and symptoms of depression in you and get help in the form of depression counseling from those who care.

In Moving Beyond Depression, Dr. Gregg Jantz identifies the signs and symptoms of depression that he and other counselors have witnessed in those seeking treatment at The Center.

30 Conditions that May Signify Depression

If you have experienced one or more of the following over an extended period of time - be it weeks, months or even years, you may be suffering with depression:

1. Loss of enjoyment in established activities
2. Restlessness, fatigue or a lack of motivation at work
3. Increase in irritability or impatience
4. Feeling either wound up or weighed down
5. Feeling overburdened with life and its activities
6. Lack of spiritual peace or well-being
7. Relief fueled by controlling aspects of your personal behavior, including consuming liquids or food
8. Fear of expressing strong emotions
9. Constant anxiety or a vague fear about the future
10. Feeling unappreciated by others
11. Feelings of martyrdom, as is you are constantly asked to do others' work
12. Pattern of impulsive thinking or rash judgments
13. Sexual difficulties or a loss of interest in sexual activities
14. Enjoyment in seeing others' discomfort
15. Anger at God for how you feel
16. Recurrent pattern of headaches, muscle aches, body pains
17. Social isolation and distance from family and friends
18. Feeling trapped by the day's activities
19. Pattern of pessimistic or critical comments and/or behaviors
20. Belief that your best days are behind you and the future holds little promise
21. Feeling left out of life
22. Binging on high-calorie foods to feel better
23. Upon waking, apathy about how the day will turn out
24. Preference just to do things yourself instead of working with others
25. Recurring gastrointestinal difficulties
26. Feeling trapped inside your body
27. Dread of family get-togethers or social gatherings
28. Self-perception of being overweight, unattractive or unlovable
29. Sense of being old, discarded, without value
30. No motivation to try new activities, contemplate new ideas or enter into new relationships

8 Signs of Clinical Depression

Though the conditions listed above are serious and are cause for concern, the established criteria for clinical depression are more severe and often life-threatening. While you may have experienced the following over an extended period of time, the presence of these signs and symptoms of depression for just a couple of weeks may qualify as clinical depression:

1. Significant change in appetite resulting in either marked weight loss (if not dieting) or weight gain
2. Recurring disturbances in sleep patterns resulting in difficulty falling and staying asleep or sleeping too much
3. Increased agitation or inability to relax for an extended period of time
4. Fatigue, lethargy or loss of energy for an extended period of time
5. Sadness, despondency, despair, loneliness or feelings of worthlessness for an extended period of time
6. Inability to concentrate, focus or make decisions, recurring for a period of time
7. Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
8. Plans for a suicide or an attempt at suicide

Complete this confidential Depression Survey to find out more about the scope of your depression and how The Center can help.

"I was afraid at first, but now I look forward to seeing the smiling faces at The Center." Read more testimonials of those who found Hope at The Center.