About Me

I am a life coach working with people who suffer from depression. My own personal success story about overcoming major depression has inspired me to share my story with others -- my first-hand knowledge of depression, coping strategies, management, and treatments. I believe that someone suffering from depression can benefit tremendously from self-inquiry, psychotherapy and practicing mindfulness. I have a degree from Hunter College where I majored in cultural anthropology. Thus, I have a deep respect for and awareness of each one's cultural background.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Depression -- Physical or Emotional?

Many cases of depression can be physical in nature.  It starts with an emotional trigger -- but if the depression is so intense or lasts too long, the uptake of chemicals in the brain start to go haywire.  So the depression is now definitely a medical condition.  In this case, medication is needed.  Psychological therapy alone will not work, in some cases.  Furthermore, studies have shown that in patients with clinical depression, the brain cells show abnormalities.  In this same study, it showed that with medication and therapy treatments, the brain cells became healthier.  Some symptoms showing that the depression is physical (not psychological) are the following:  cannot get out of bed, cannot sit still, cannot do any activity, does not want to bathe, wished he/she were dead.  If the depression is physical, the person cannot function even if he/she does not seem to have a problem that needs to be resolved in the mind.  Taking medication gives the patient much needed boost so that he/she can start to function and be able to take care of his/her mental health for the long-term.  The patient can benefit from this boost in order to move forward.  If yo don't want to take medication, I recommend The Work of Byron Katie which uses 4 basic questions to do inquiry.  Often, it's our thoughts and beliefs about the situation that causes mental pain and mental shut down, not the situation itself.  The method of questioning our thoughts about a situation can be magical a lot of times and can set you free.