Living with depression is tough. Depression makes everything you try and do feel harder and less worthwhile. Severe depression can make you feel like life isn't worth living at all.
If you are struggling with depression, it's important to remember that you are not alone. Depression is a common mental illness and there is lots of help and support available.
Depression is a mental health condition that makes you feel low for a long time, affecting your everyday life. Depression can manifest as a variety of symptoms, including sadness, lack of hope, and an inability to enjoy things. There are several different types of depression, including:
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide. The World Health Organisation estimates that 5% of people around the world live with depression.
However, while lots of support is available, a lack of information and ineffective social structures prevent many people from getting the support they need. Studies have found that less than a third of people screened positive for depression receive treatment.
After decades of scientific research, we now have a range of effective treatment options for depression that can help people to manage symptoms and live fulfilling lives. If you are living with depression, you deserve to feel better and to access the support you need.
One of the most important things you can do is speak to someone else about your feelings. This doesn't have to be a professional - you might like to speak to friends or close family members. Communicating your feelings with others can create a network of support and relieve some of the burdens of emotional pain.
Sometimes, you may feel frustrated by your loved ones or find that they misunderstand your experience. You could ask them to research depression so that they can better understand what you are going through, or else talk to a healthcare professional about how best to offer support.
There are several free helplines you can contact for mental health support, particularly in times of crisis. Helplines offer confidential and compassionate support for emotional distress that you can access wherever you are. Some helplines include:
There are lots of treatment methods that can help you feel better. These include:
Talk therapy involves working with a professional therapist to help you understand certain feelings and behaviors. Several types of talk therapy are effective in treating depression, such as:
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most evidence-based treatments for mental disorders like depression. CBT focuses on identifying negative thoughts and behavioral patterns and changing them into more positive ones. CBT focuses on the present, promoting meaningful changes in real-time that can help improve your mental well-being.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy is an innovative therapy that uses gentle magnetic waves to stimulate certain brain areas, leading to pronounced improvements in mood. TMS was cleared by the FDA in 2008 for treatment-resistant depression. TMS is a highly effective treatment with a response rate of over 50% in clients living with major depressive disorder.
Peer support groups are self-organized meetings of people living with depression or those who have recovered from the condition. They offer a chance to learn from others, share advice, and provide mutual support. You can take inspiration from the success and recovery of others and apply this knowledge to your recovery journey.
Peer support can be received in pairs, groups, and online. In 1997 an estimated 25 million people in the United States accessed some type of support group within the professional help community.
For some people, depression can become a driving factor behind alcohol and drug abuse. Using drugs may seem like an escape or relief in the short term, but in the long run, it only makes symptoms of depression worse.
If you are living with depression and a substance use disorder (SUD), there is support available just for you. Many addiction treatment centers offer dual diagnosis programs that treat SUDs and depression simultaneously, supporting holistic and long-term recovery from both conditions.
If you want to access support, you could:
Mental Health America offers additional resources to help you choose a mental health professional and better understand the process.
In 2008, the government passed a health parity law that requires insurance providers to offer the same level of care for mental and behavioral disorders as they do for physical conditions. This means your insurance company cannot charge you more for a visit to a therapist than they would to a doctor.
Not all insurance providers are covered by parity law. If your provider is not, you may need to contact them for more information. The types of insurance affected by the parity law are:
GIA Miami is a world-leading mental wellness treatment center in Miami, Florida. We combine the most up-to-date treatment technologies with compassionate care to provide each client with the best solution for them.
At GIA Miami we believe that scientific knowledge and expertise improve treatment and recovery opportunities for people living with depression and other mental health conditions. We deliver treatment options from the forefront of mental health and addiction science, continually adapting our program as new research comes to light.
Our expert team has decades of combined experience in public office and healthcare institutions. Our founder is a pioneer of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy, especially as a treatment for addiction and substance abuse. With our unrivaled experience and expertise, all our clients have access to the most advanced methods and technologies.
If you are living with depression, addiction, or other mental health concerns, contact us today. We're here to help you find the best version of yourself.
