Depression

Depressed individuals often see themselves and their situation in a negative and pessimistic way. The depressed person often feels helpless, finds it difficult to enjoy formerly pleasurable activities, and feels hopeless about the future. They often have difficulty with making decisions, concentrating and taking action. Some people with depression feel irritable, sad and often like crying. Depression can also reveal itself through feeling increased physical discomfort, pain, boredom with work or school, alcoholism or drug addiction.

One form of psychological treatment for depression that has been found very effective is cognitive-behavior psychotherapy. Cognitive therapy has a focus on identifying the errors in thinking that depressed people often have and helping them substitute more accurate perceptions. Changing negative thoughts to more positive and realistic thoughts often will involve identifying distortions in cognition and correcting them. Counseling that encourages action toward solving problems and engaging in activities, exercise and relaxation are often helpful. The use of antidepressant medication is sometimes necessary.