Life brings occasions of discouragement, disappointment and sadness. It is human to feel this way when we are handed an experience we did not ask for. Sometimes, however, difficult experiences or other circumstantial or biological factors come together to create depression.

With depression we experience a diminishment of energy, our perspective may shift toward the negative. We may feel we want to retreat from our usual activities because we aren’t feeling like ourselves. If depression is prolonged and interfering with work, leisure, or relationships, you may need the support of counselling to bring you back to yourself. 

Depression tells everyone a similar story: you are a failure, a disappointment to yourself or your family. When you are experiencing depression that story may feel uniquely yours, and you may find that you can come up with many regrettable choices or actions that brought you to where you are. But though it may be hard to believe in the moment, that is depression’s story, and not yours. 

It becomes especially hard to think critically about that story when depression is affecting your sleep, appetite and energy level. In counselling, we work together to understand where that story comes from for you, and explore together how much of it is true, and how much you can let go. We look at what is important to you in this life and identify steps to getting your life realigned with your values. Once you are more active, that story starts to become a lot less compelling. 

Winston Churchill once said, “when you are going through hell, keep going.” It is important when experiencing depression to keep going, however imperfectly, toward the next chapter. But that does not mean you have to go through it on your own. 

Counselling can help, medication can help, connecting can help. Thoughts of suicide can often accompany depression. If you think you are at risk of harming yourself, call 988 or 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. In Nova Scotia, you can also call the Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team: 1-888-429-8167. Reaching out is the first step, and from there so much can change.