Depression
Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease our ability to live meaningful lives at work, or at home.
Depression symptoms can vary from mild to severe and can include:
Feeling sad or having a depressed mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed
Changes in appetite — weight loss or gain unrelated to dieting
Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
Loss of energy or increased fatigue
Feeling worthless or guilty
Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
Thoughts of death or suicide
I have many years experience of working with male and female clients experiencing the effects of depression. For some clients, this has meant reclaiming aspects of themselves that have been forgotten and become dormant. For others, it has meant undertaking a radically different path in their lives. Whatever the outcome, the work for many people has begun with learning to listen and give a space to what is being asked to be witnessed.
Depression in this sense, can therefore be seen as an invitation to attend to what has been forgotten or overlooked. A recognition that something in us at one time had to be de-pressed, perhaps in order to survive. The re-surfacing of what had to be denied, often then appears in the form of symptoms, as listed above.
However, if we can tolerate the energetic and emotional discomfort of these movements, it is possible for these symptoms to offer pathways into deeper healing and integration. This is what can be described as the therapeutic pathway.
For more information on depression:
http://mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/depression/#.WPo0w1IzWUk