Rona Okin, LCSW · Psychotherapist · NYC
Sometimes it can feel like depression creeps up at a slow pace until it has you fully in its grip, wondering how you got there. At other times it can have a sudden onset, leaving you feeling as if you’ve been hit with a double-whammy out of the blue. And some depressed people find themselves bobbing up and down in a sea of depression on a chronic basis, just barely able to keep their heads above water.
Maybe grief and loss have become entrenched in your psyche, or career, job and business stress have knocked you for a loop. Or perhaps relationship stress and marriage problems have contributed to a state of depression.
Whatever your experiece with depression, it is a serious illness which requires prompt attention. You can benefit from my many years as a professional offering psychodynamic psychotherapy and counseling (including cognitive behavioral therapy) to people who are impacted by depression. As we meet together in therapy, talking can help lessen the symptoms of depression and help you find your way back to yourself — Or possibly help you find the way to yourself for the first time.
Symptoms
Symptoms of depression can range from mild to severe. It’s important to take action as soon as possible once you suspect that you may be depressed. Time is of the essence to prevent a further downhill slide. You may have just a few or many of the following symptoms:
- Pervasive low mood
- Inability to experience pleasure in previously enjoyable activities
- Preoccupation with thoughts and feelings of worthlessness
- Inappropriate guilt or regret
- Helplessness
- Hopelessness
- Poor concentration and memory
- Withdrawal from social situations and activities
- Reduced sex drive
- Thoughts of death or suicide
- Insomnia or oversleeping
- Appetite decrease and weight loss or increase and weight gain
- Physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and digestive problems
- With severe depression, symptoms of psychosis such as delusions may be present
For seniors:
- Cognitive symptoms (recent onset) such as forgetfulness
- Slowing of movement
For children:
- Irritable rather than a depressed mood
- Loss of interest in school
- Decline in academic performance
- Clingy, demanding, dependent, or insecure behaviors
Sometimes depression shows up in tandem with anxiety.
In New York City? I Can Help
Research has shown that talk therapy — psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral treatment — are effective in combating depression. When indicated (and with your agreement) I also refer to appropriate medical personnel for medication assessment and management. I want to help you do whatever it takes to overcome the barrier that depressive feelings represent and discover more contentment in life.
Take Action – Call 212-734-6546
Let’s sit down together at my Upper East Side therapy office and discuss your symptoms — and your life — and make a plan together to impact your depression. Being proactive and taking care of yourself is the first step in finding relief from the blues. I know how to help, and I will be an accessible resource for you on the path of healing from depression.