Depression and Depression Treatment

When people remember times in their life that they were depressed, these memories are often dark or colorless. Depression robes you of your joy in life, your energy for work and play, your interest in other people. Though depression often feels like emptiness, this feeling is really a ‘defense’ against deep sadness, anxiety, guilt and other strong feelings. Learning to overcome your depression through therapy usually means that you will learn to recognize and accept these feelings as a first step towards overcoming them. Your feelings are natural—they make you human—but they are not necessarily reliable!  As you start to recognize and name your feelings, you’ll also start to reduce the authority and influence that they have on you.

In the course of treatment, you then move on to understand the causes of your depression.  Losses and disappointment usually play a major role. Often these are so severe that they seem, in the moment, to darken your future. In my practice here in Brooklyn, I also find that self-blame is one of the most common causes of depression. Our community is exciting and vibrant—but it’s competitive and isolating. You may not be aware of how much you have internalized high expectations from your upbringing or the culture we live in.  When you fail at something, the critical internal voices can be paralyzing.

Fortunately, depression is often very responsive to psychotherapy. Research shows that the relationship between therapist and patient is the most important variable in predicting successful treatment. Through that close relationship, your self-image may shift to something more sympathetic and positive. Instead of the relentless self-criticism, you may develop a new inner voice that supports and nourishes you. To facilitate this, I try to create a warm, accepting, and egalitarian environment in the consultation room—an environment that supports and empowers you. I have been trained in psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, and Narrative Therapy. I’ll draw on all of these strategies and traditions to help my patients. As a mental health researcher, I keep informed of scientific developments, and I make sure that my practice adheres to what the science tells us.

If you are feeling depressed, I encourage you to seek treatment. Finding a therapist who ‘feels right,’ who makes you feel that you are accepted, and who gives you a sense of hope, is very important. I wish you good luck in your search. If you would like to schedule a 15-minute phone/zoom conversation, email me at dralisonkarasz@gmail.com.

I have put together some information about depression and depression treatment that you may find helpful. 

See my blog post about Post-partum depression.

Mindfulness and the Management of Depression

 Mindfulness as an approach to managing depression and increasing wellbeing can be incredibly helpful for some people. Mindfulness is a practice or state of mind in which you learn to pay attention to your thoughts and feelings, without judging them but also without accepting them as facts. Mindfulness as a practice can include meditation, but it doesn’t have to. There are several good books on this topic. Here’s a link to an article about mindfulness.

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/can_mindfulness_help_when_youre_depressed

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression

Research shows that ‘bibliotherapy,’—reading therapeutic material—can sometimes help to reduce depressive symptoms.  Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, by David Burns, is not new. I first discovered it in the 1980s, and used it extensively in my early clinical work with Vietnam Veterans at the Menlo Park VA hospital. Nearly 40 years later, Feeling Good remains one of the most helpful, accessible self-help books I’ve come across.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/feeling-good-david-d-burns/1001894067