Do you feel sad, empty or hopeless and just wish that you could be happy? You don't have to feel this way. It's time to stop suffering in silence!
Somehow, you're managing to go through the motions of life, but it's become increasingly difficult to keep up. The dishes and the laundry has piled up and it's becoming harder to get a shower in, let alone to put on makeup and do your hair. Maybe you feel like you're walking through wet cement and it's taking every ounce of energy that you have just to manage the bare minimum in life. Most days it feels like a major struggle just to get out of bed.
Maybe you started out by making excuses to avoid going out, then you stopped responding to calls and texts completely. Now you're starting to notice that people have stopped asking altogether and you feel so desperately alone.
Maybe life as you knew it changed abruptly and unexpectedly and you just can't seem to cope. At first you were in denial, just putting on a "happy" face and doing your best to push through. Then the exhaustion set in and you're just sick and tired of masking.
Depression can feel debilitating. It often sneaks up slowly and in subtle ways and it does not always present as expected. Many individuals with depression actually function "normally" in the world, but suffer internally in silence. For others, symptoms can be more external showing up as difficulty functioning in work or school, changes in diet and self-care, increased consumption of alcohol or other substances and problems in relationships.
Women and Depression
Depression is one of the most common mental health issues in women and can present due to a number of contributing factors including developmental, reproductive, hormonal, genetic and other biological differences such as premenstrual syndrome, childbirth, infertility and peri-menopause/ menopause. Social factors may also lead to higher rates of clinical depression among women, including stress from work, family responsibilities, the roles and expectations of women and increased rates of sexual abuse and poverty.
Men and Depression
Perhaps you have been feeling irritable or angry and you're not quite sure why. Perhaps you have noticed that others in your life seem to be walking on eggshells around you or maybe they have even told you that you're being a jerk. Perhaps you have actually wondered if you might be depressed, but you've found yourself rationalizing why you might be struggling. Maybe you have even blamed others in your life for your own bad mood. After all, real men don't show feelings, right? WRONG! Unfortunately, societal gender roles have taught boys to eat their feelings and stay quiet about inner struggles. Unfortunately, this had led to too many men not knowing how to handle their feelings and oftentimes, leads to men acting out in anger and frustration. Although it may require you to go outside of your comfort zone, we're here to tell you, it's 2023 and the modern man is flipping the script on this old narrative. There's no longer a place for toxic masculinity in modern culture. Real men have feelings, are learning to show their feelings in appropriate ways and are practicing asking for help when they are struggling. At The Nurturing Space Counseling, we believe that all feelings are acceptable and more than anything, we want to help you to resolve your struggles and start or return to living your best life, regardless of your gender! Therapy can help you to explore thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and develop coping skills to help manage and mitigate depression. If you are a man who is struggling or if you know of a man who could benefit from emotional support, we encourage you to take a step toward healing and contact us today. We are here to help!
Studies show that 22% of adult women and 21% of adult men in the United States have suffered from symptoms of depression. It may feel like depression is ruining your life, but it doesn't have to be this way. It's time to reclaim and start living the life that you were meant to have! Depression is one of the most treatable mental health disorders and we are here to help!
Don't hesitate, contact us to schedule a consultation today!