For everyone, some days are harder than others. It is not uncommon to want to stay home and be lazy or maybe delay some chores or errands for another time. Sometimes, however, these lazy days and loss of interest or desire turn into something more. Do any of these situations sound familiar?
- Do you no longer find interest in things that you used to?
- Your loved ones ask, “are you okay?” more than before?
- Have you missed out on your child’s or partner’s life events because it was too hard to leave the house or get out of bed?
- Do you find your emotions being uncontrollable, absent, or riddled with guilt, shame, or despair?
In addition to these features, depression can result in significant physical, emotional, and relational ways that influence our daily lives. Here at Shiloh, we are here to walk alongside you in finding happiness, connection, and belongingness once again.
Why Is Depression Hurting My Marriage?
Depression does not only impact the person struggling with it. For many couples, a partner struggling with depression leads to a loss of intimacy, connection, helplessness, and loneliness. While this is hard enough, depression has a way of making someone feel guilty because of the way they feel and the things that they do or do not do, like upset their partner by not going to a planned event. This continual process of depression’s intrusion and disconnection from your partner leads to a seemingly never-ending cycle. At Shiloh, we can help both you and your partner learn skills, strategies, and techniques, as well as understand depression’s hold in your life, and work towards re-connection, increased intimacy, and an overall better outlook on life with new-found control over depression.
The Cycle of Depression
Depression has a sneaky way of taking hold in your life. One way to begin understanding depression is by recognizing how our thoughts, actions, and feelings are all related. Pretend that you and your partner get in a big fight. Now you feel disconnected, lonely, and sad, you take an action and separate yourself further from your partner. Finally, you may begin to have thoughts about what you did, or they did that make you feel even worse and make to act in a way that further disconnects you.
See how that works? And what is worse is that this cycle can be made worse by other things in life and can be caused by things that have nothing to do with your relationship, yet your relationships are still negatively impacted. Regardless of whether the cycle of depression you are experiencing is individual or relational, you should not be in this alone. We at Shiloh are trained to help you navigate the frustrations, difficulties, and challenges that come with depression.
Can My Child or Teen Have Depression?
Absolutely. Depression is something that does not care how old you are or what your job is. While depression does have a typical set of symptoms and ways it manifests in life, it can be slightly more difficult to recognize depression in children, and especially teenagers.
In both children and teenagers, some of the most common features of depression look like this:
- school difficulties
- losing friendships
- wanting to quit extracurricular activities
- staying in their room more than usual (which can be especially difficult with teenagers)
- An overall loss of interest in their favorite games, toys, places, or activities
- Changes in sleep, eating, and hygiene habits
If your child or teen is experiencing any of these features and you have noticed them for several weeks or a couple months, they may be experiencing depression. At Shiloh, we have therapists trained in cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral activation, both of which are evidence-based and widely accepted as some of the most effective treatments for child and teenage depression.
If you believe your child or teen is experiencing depression, it is never too early or too late to seek help. Together, you and your child or teen’s therapist will work to develop the best course of action to manage and address your child’s needs. In many cases, recruitment of their pediatrician and PCP is also important to ensure that sleep and eating patterns are not causing additional problems, as all of us at Shiloh want to make sure that you and your child are healthy and safe.
No matter what, when you and your loved ones come to Shiloh Counseling Services, our therapists will work with you through evidence-based treatments to provide your family with the hope and direction to experience life to the fullest once again.