mckinney,allen,frisco,plano,dallas |
| Becki A. Hein, MS, LPC at Counseling & Consulting Associates of North Texas 2750 W. Virginia, Suite 108 McKinney, TX 75071 972-542-8144 |
| Have you experienced five or more of these symptoms for two weeks or longer?: Do you feel sad, anxious, irritable, or “empty”, or do you cry a lot? Have you lost interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy, including sex? Do you feel guilty, worthless, helpless, or hopeless? Have you been sleeping too much, or have you not been able to fall asleep or stay asleep? Have you lost your appetite and lost weight or have you been eating too much and gained weight? Do you feel very tired or slowed down? Are you thinking about death or suicide? Are you having trouble paying attention and making decisions? Are you having aches and pains that don’t get better with treatment? |
| STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO BEGIN HELPING YOURSELF: Eat balanced meals and healthy food. Exercise every day to make yourself feel better and to get more energy. Start a journal in which you write every night about the things for which you are thankful, even if they are very small things at first. Reach out for contact; stay in touch with loved ones and friends. Get as much information as you can about depression and its treatment. Take your medicine and/or go to counseling. Your medicine won’t work if you only take it once in a while and consistent help and support from your therapist will help you to change your thinking and your mood. Learn to recognize and change negative thinking. Be patient with yourself, don’t give up. Don’t make major life decisions (for example about separation or divorce). You may not be thinking clearly right now. Call your doctor or the local suicide crisis center right away if you start thinking about suicide. Believe that there is hope and that you CAN feel better. |
| More About Depression Life can be very stressful and everyone occasionally feel irritable or "blue". It is through the day that what seemed to be a temporary mood may have become a clinical illness. If you find yourself feeling “down” and unable to function for weeks or months at a time, you could be suffering from clinical depression. |
| IMPORTANT: If you think you may be suffering from depression, then it is important for you to take these steps:
Several types of psychotherapy can help people with depression. Two main types of psychotherapy, cognitive- behavioral (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT), have been shown to be effective in treating depression. For mild to moderate depression, psychotherapy may be the best treatment option. Studies show that a combination of psychotherapy and medication often works best for treating depression. |
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Becki A. Hein, MS, LPC at Counseling & Consulting Associates of North Texas 2750 W. Virginia PKWY, Suite 108 McKinney, TX 75071 972-542-8144 |