Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses people experience. Everyone at some time in their life will experience some sort of episodes of depression. There will be life situations everyone experiences that bring on depressive episodes, such as the loss of a loved one or a traumatic incident. However, if depression persists or becomes significant enough, it can become debilitating. This debilitating depression is known as Major Depressive Disorder.

Major Depressive Disorder is a mood disorder that affects the way we feel about life in general. This level of depression often encompasses feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, causing us to feel depressed and down throughout the day. This also impacts our ability to feel pleasure and diminishes our ability to focus, concentrate, and achieve. Ogden Psychological Services provides counseling and Neurofeedback in order to help you process your depression in a safe environment so you can experience a happier, healthier life.   

Symptoms of Depression

• Depressed mood most of each day
• Diminished interest in doing activities
• Diminished ability to feel pleasure
• Weight gain or loss
• Sleep problems (too much or not enough)
• Fatigue and low energy
• Feelings of worthlessness 
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Difficulty concentrating and focusing
• Possible thoughts about death and dying to include suicidal ideations

Depression vs. Sadness

Everyone feels sad from time to time. Sadness is a natural reaction to any situation that makes you feel upset or that hurts you. However, sadness and depression are not one and the same. Sadness is a temporary emotion that fades over time while depression is a mental illness that can last a very long time, especially if left untreated, and can impact how well you function in your day-to-day life. If you’re sad for longer than 2 weeks, it’s a good idea to seek out professional help, as your sadness could be turning into depression.

While sadness will generally fade over time, depression impacts your ability to function and to enjoy things, even things that you previously loved to do. If you experience any 5 symptoms of depression for longer than 2 weeks, you likely have a medical problem rather than a prolonged period of sadness. Sadness can impact your mood, but you can generally still go about your life. Depression can both impact your mood and make going about your life incredibly difficult. 

An Effective Treatment Program 

Here at Ogden Psychological services, we use evidence-based treatments for depression that include traditional therapy methods and Neurofeedback.

Therapy/Counseling Services

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – This helps a person learn to recognize irrational thought patterns that lead to depressing thoughts, emotions, negative behaviors and outcomes, then construct new rational thought patterns instead of negative ones, thereby lessening the depression.  
• Behavioral activation is an approach to mental health that involves someone using behaviors to influence their emotional state. This approach is often used along with CBT.
• Parental training –  Assists parents in helping children with depression more directly in finding ways to overcome depression symptoms.
• Skills Training
  • Developing and using positive coping skills
  • Problems solving 
  • Strategic planning and perspective-taking skill development
  • Achieving a balanced and healthy lifestyle
  • Relaxation training

Neurofeedback for Depression

Neurofeedback in the treatment of depression has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment modality for various disorders, including depressive disorders. Neurofeedback is the process of the brain learning to make physiological changes to work better and become more coherently organized. Our brains often become dysregulated, and neurofeedback addresses the problems of brain dysregulation. 

For example, in individuals with depression, their brains have become dysregulated, often with an excess of Delta or Alpha brainwaves. Neurofeedback training where the brain is dysregulated helps in changes in the brainwave patterns, thus aiding in less symptomatology. 

Finding the Right Treatment at Ogden Psychological Services

If you’re experiencing depression, the board-certified professionals at Ogden Psychological Services are here to help. We will be able to provide you a psychological assessment and help you gain the tools you need in order to manage and overcome your depression. Contact us to schedule an appointment and let us help you feel better.