Overcoming Depression

As a part of our recent series on depression, we thought it might be helpful to discuss the topic with a slightly different approach. Rather than simply going through the symptoms as many blogs or posts might attempt to do, I think it’s important to address the personal implications of depression, and share some insights on how you might try coping with it.

Millions of Americans struggle with depression every year, and in extreme cases, it costs people their livelihoods and their lives. That’s why we at Cornerstone take it so seriously. Our staff are trained to help you overcome those issues and struggles. We also wanted to share some thoughts with you on ways you might work to overcome depressive episodes when they strike.

We previously discussed depression, and ways you might be masking symptoms of it, in our exploration of the relationship between compulsive behavior, addictions, and depression. Here, we’re taking a deeper dive into depression, and exploring triggers as well as methods for coping when we fall into depressive episodes. Sometimes, we might think of those episodes as ‘falling into a rut’. Other times, it might simply feel like things are just not quite right. Like no matter how hard we try, we can’t quite meet the mark.

It’s in those moments when it’s important to hold on to our anchors. That might mean listening to music that connects us with our experiences, but it might also mean seeking the help of musical therapists. Suffice it to say, we humans have a deep connection with music.

How You Can Use Music as Cathartic Release

Every now and then, a song comes on the radio and I am brought back as if in a time machine to another place and another time. One song that has an uncanny ability to do this is “Sunshine on my Shoulders” by John Denver. Whenever I hear it, I’m brought back to my youth, to a particular day during my senior year in high school. It’s one of my fondest memories. Songs have a way of doing that. When I mentioned this to Justin, he commented that the band Rush had a similar effect for him.

Music has a way of connecting us to emotion and experiences. Is it any wonder that even St. John Paul II once noted, ‘I have a sweet tooth for song and music’? Truly, music is one of the most therapeutic instruments we have available to us.

“I have a sweet tooth for song and music. This is my Polish sin.” – St. John Paul II

 

Some songs make us happy, some sad. Some are purely cathartic experiences. Sometimes, music can make us feel blue, and other times, it can help pull us out of our depressive episodes, and help us deal with deep wounds that we may be struggling with.

Other Ways to Overcome Depression

For patients who struggle with depression, therapy and the aid of medication is often the right course. Oftentimes, our clients have expressed frustration with medications, as it often takes a number of medication trials to find the right one, and even then, none may be successful.

You may notice a logo of a lotus flower on a number of pages on our website. That’s because we proudly partner with Dr. Marc Ettisohn with Cornerstone Psychiatric Care, who specializes in depression, particularly for cases of treatment resistant depression. We at Cornerstone are committed to providing the best care possible to treat depression, and the ketamine based treatments that Dr. Ettisohn uses is at the forefront of depression treatment.

Do you feel misunderstood? Like your peers and friends don’t understand what you’re dealing with?

“I have since learned that depression and anxiety are closely linked to ADHD because our disability is a glaring reminder of our seeming ineptitude as compared to our ‘normal’ or ‘neurotypical’ peers. My life seemed to be unraveling before my eyes. The 4.0 honors student in me was now struggling to cope every day, lacking any sense of purpose, sad for no tangible reason, avoiding friendships, and nearly failing grad school. My brain believed that the ‘nurse’ in me had failed. I felt beyond embarrassed and ashamed of my inability to accept and overcome my increasingly depressed mood.”
-Description of Depression by a Cornerstone Client

If the above testimonial describes what you deal with, please know that you’re not alone! We are here to help. Our therapists are trained to work with clients to help bring them to a better place. Earlier, we discussed that ‘funk’ you may find yourself in. If that does describe you, and if you feel like you need counseling and psychotherapy as well as psychiatric care, we encourage you to reach out to us. Our staff is here for you.

Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez from Pexels