Is Depression Affecting You Or Your Child?

Has your child’s behavior become worrisome and you suspect they are depressed? Do they seem despondent, unmotivated, and hopeless? Or perhaps you’re concerned you may be suffering from depression yourself and could benefit from therapy?

If Your Child Suffers From Depression…

Perhaps you’ve noticed that your child’s self-esteem has plummeted and they spend most of their time alone or online. They might be sleeping a lot or not at all as well as experiencing changes in appetite. If they’re missing school and their grades have slipped, you’re likely concerned about how they’ll make it up and ever get back on track.

Most worrying to you is that your child or teen may be engaging in self-harm or suicidal ideation. They may be giving away their things or expressing to you or others that they feel hopeless and bogged down by the weight of the world. If it seems like your teen has given up, you’re worried about their physical and emotional safety.

If You’re A Parent Who Suffers From Depression…

You might be overwhelmed by the endless responsibilities placed on you and feel irritable and prone to anger most of the time. You may experience days when getting out of bed is a challenge because you lack any motivation to get your day started. You may experience the physical signs of depression, showing up as muscle soreness, fatigue, weight gain or weight loss, or bouts of tearfulness that come seemingly out of nowhere. Even though you want to feel better, the cloak of depression might be keeping you stuck in a hole you can’t escape.

Fortunately, by treating your depression, you or your child can learn how to deal with your symptoms and find relief. By learning helpful coping skills and receiving validation, overcoming depression is possible.

Our Cynical Culture Fosters Depression

Depression has nearly tripled in the United States since the pandemic hit in 2020, skyrocketing from affecting 8.5 percent of the population to 32.8 percent.[1] And for youth in 2022, “15.8 percent reported suffering from at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year.”[2] Alarmingly, our country’s high rate of depression correlates with the highest suicide rate among wealthy nations.[3]

In America’s current culture, being sad is normal—many of us were raised with a negatively-biased, “glass half empty” worldview. When we have difficulty seeing the good in life, we can unknowingly pass this sentiment along to our kids. What’s more, we often experience a gap in how as parents we communicate with our children. We’re often in denial that our children are depressed and, instead, live under the misapprehension that they’re acting out for attention.

Social Media Doesn’t Offer Real Connection

For many of our children, social media has replaced face-to-face communication with their peers. As such, they haven’t learned how to foster good relational skills with others. As “connected” as they are online, they’re intrinsically lonely—virtual friends offer them no real support system when they need it. Moreover, their reliance on social media for validation keeps them tethered to simulated relationships which can become emotionally unhealthy and reinforce their symptoms of depression.

Many of us struggle to overcome depression because we find comfort in the predictable discomfort of it, preferring not to take action rather than face the unknown that comes with making a change. We may self-medicate with substances as our way of coping with depression rather than consider more beneficial options.

However, once you or your child understands how to deal with depression in more productive ways, a whole new life can open up to you. You can step out from under the dark cloud you’ve been living under.

Therapy For Depression Can Help You Or Your Child Find Hope

If you or your teen has been dealing with depression, it can be hard finding the motivation to make a change. By its very nature, depression can zap you of enthusiasm for life, so that you begin to believe you’d rather remain miserable than move into the light. Therapy allows you or your teen to identify warning signs, get to the core of the problem, normalize the issue and explore your motivation to change. Counseling offers a safe, nonjudgmental atmosphere to work through depression, allowing you to rediscover hope.

Our therapists provide a warm, person-centered atmosphere that utilizes an integrative approach and evidence-based treatments. We tailor treatment to suit your unique needs, making alterations that highlight your strengths. Once trust is built, we will challenge you to examine the core beliefs, inherent negative thinking patterns, and life experiences that have shaped you up until now. You will learn to view yourself through an unbiased lens, all the while learning skills to help manage your depression symptoms.

What To Expect In Sessions

We have therapists who specialize in treating adults, teens, and kids with depression. We understand that the issues your child is experiencing affect the whole family system and will therefore incorporate your involvement into some portion of the session. However, we recognize that teens often find it difficult to talk around their parents and will ensure they’re allowed to talk alone as well. Additionally, we provide a safety plan with resources—such as the contact information of care providers, recommended medications, and lifestyle changes—to keep them safe.

By offering psychoeducation, your therapist will teach you about what depression is and why it’s affecting you. After teaching you skills to provide initial relief, we will move toward reframing your experience. By acknowledging that the coping skills you developed to help during a specific point in your life are no longer helpful now, you can learn to gradually let them go and replace them with healthier habits.

The Modalities We Use

We offer Cognitive Behavioral Training (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Training (DBT) for treating depression. A cognitive approach identifies automatic thinking patterns and challenges flawed logic, helping to reframe thoughts more positively.

DBT offers techniques to develop a variety of skills that can help manage depressive symptoms, including distress tolerance, distraction, relaxation, refocusing, and problem-solving. Having these tools at your disposal will help you become proactive instead of reactive.

Treatment for depression will emphasize self-care and self-love. By focusing on good nutrition, exercise, and eliminating reliance on substances, your physical well-being will help support a healthier state of mind. In addition to discussing medication if appropriate, we will identify social support and ensure you and your child have what you need in place to stabilize your mood.

In therapy you can confront the issues that impact you, thereby learning to love yourself and discovering your life’s purpose. With support and guidance, overcoming depression is possible.

But You May Wonder Whether Depression Therapy Is Right For You…

Can’t I just be prescribed anti-depressants for depression rather than attending therapy?

Anti-depressants may be a beneficial adjunct for depression treatment, provided any medications are prescribed in conjunction with therapy. However, taking medication alone will not address the underlying causes of depression. Our group practice has partnered with the Neuropsych Center of Cincinnati to provide our clients with referrals for convenient medical prescriptions. Appointments are held at ICS offices one day per week and all billing and scheduling are done through our main office.

No treatment or therapy can help me out of this depression.

It is natural that after a long bout of depression, you feel hopeless. This sense of despair can convince you that you will never get out of the dark. At ICS, we recognize these feelings and can help you validate and normalize them so they no longer keep you stuck. By giving you coping skills that can help activate new and healthy behaviors that minimize the symptoms of depression, change is possible.

How can I help my child to understand that overcoming depression is possible outside of therapy?

Your child may be concerned that once they leave their therapy session, they won’t know how to overcome their depression and anxiety for the rest of the week. We want to be on the same page with parents to help their children apply what they learn in therapy to daily life. We welcome you to meet with your child’s therapist as needed, whether in person, online, or by phone. Additionally, we invite you to join sessions with your child or teen as needed, so you become familiar with the strategies they’re being taught.

The Solutions You’re Looking For Are Within Reach

Depression doesn’t have to have a long-term impact on you or your child. If you would like to find out more about depression therapy with us, you may call 513-770-1705 or visit our contact page.