Depression
| Common Symptoms of depression |
| Sad, anxious, or hopeless feelings |
| Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness |
| Sleep too much or too little |
| Decreased energy |
| Loss of interest in recreational activities |
| Appetite disturbance resulting in excessive weight loss or weight gain |
| Can’t concentrate |
| Difficulty making decisions |
| Physical symptoms that won’t go away and do not have a good medical reason (i.e nausea, headaches, etc) |
| Suicidal thoughts |
Here at True Hope Counseling we have great hope for those struggling with depression and believe that this does not have to be a life consuming issue for people. We believe that certain coping skills and Biblical principles can help an individual find victory over depression that incapacitates and holds individuals in emotional, spiritual, social, and mental bondage.
We use a combination of concepts when working with clients struggling with depression, including concepts from Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavioral therapies integrated with Biblical principles.
Additional resources that our Counseling ministry uses include:
Neil Anderson - Victory over the Darkness ( www.ficm.org )
Wayne Mack - A Homework Manual for Biblical Living
Carter & Minirth - The Freedom from Depression Workbook
In addition, we will often recommend a full physical exam from the client’s Doctor to rule out any medical issues that may be contributing to depression. In the event that a client is put on anti-depressants (or is on them when coming to counseling), we attempt to communicate frequently with the Medical Dr. prescribing the medication. Although we fully acknowledge the validity of anti-depressants it is often our goal to help clients find freedom from depression in such a way that they are able to lower or even discontinue their medications eventually. Please note: this is our goal when depression is circumstance-oriented and not when depression is a result of a chemical imbalance or medical condition!!!)