Depression commonly manifests physically, through stomach pains, headaches, disrupted or excessive sleep, and motor control difficulty. While the causes of depression are unknown, a predisposition for it runs in families and it can be triggered by trauma and adverse life circumstances.
Depression and anxiety often exacerbate each other and people with depression commonly have difficulty concentrating on tasks and conversations. Some people turn to a variety of unhealthy coping mechanisms such as alcohol, drugs, impulsive spending or overeating causing them to develop other medical problems. Depressed people are also at increased risk for self-harm.
Depression is a mental illness which is characterized by prolonged emotional symptoms including:
- Apathy
- Sadness
- Guilt
- Exhaustion
- Irritability
- chronic fatigue
- Attention and focus issues
- Insomnia
- Anger
- Loss of interest or Pleasure in doing things
- Withdrawal or inability to be alone
- Low self-esteem
- and more
Every case is unique and requires individual attention, but there are a number of effective complementary ways of treating depression. Here at Forward Bound many different techniques are explored in an effort to find what will work for each individual. Some of the methods may include;
- Talk therapy
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Uncovering and healing from any underlying trauma
- Adopting a healthier lifestyle
- Art therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Mindfulness, meditation or yoga
- and more
