Anxiety, akin to a domino in the cascade of mental symptoms, serves as a signal that the individual is under duress. This strain may be situational or pervasive, and when anxiety fails to provide relief, it often paves the way for the arrival of depression—a moment when the person declares, “Okay, I give up.”
Anxiety as a Signal of Duress
The Impact of Depression on Individuals and Relationships
Depression is not only evident in the suffering of the individual but also in the unintentional infliction of suffering on those around them. Like a knitted carpet of interconnected lives, our existence relies on each other, and depression can disrupt these connections, resulting in a spiraling deterioration in functioning.
Sources of Strain and Consideration of Ending Life
The strains of life, encompassing factors like age, love rejections, poverty, and illness, can become overwhelming, leading some to contemplate ending their lives as a perceived relief. Individuals facing significant depressive symptoms grapple with feelings of failure at loving (FAT), emotional abandonment, and a perceived loss of love.
Recognizing and Repairing Relationships
In the therapeutic process, patients begin to realize how they drive love away and hinder their own ability to share vulnerability or recognize love when it is present. Repairing relationships (RAR) and considering new attachments (ANP) contribute to a renewed self-esteem, demonstrating that the world, despite its challenges, is also a place of magic, love, and joy.
Coping Mechanisms and Destructive Habits
Depressed individuals may turn to destructive habits like alcohol consumption or binge eating as a manifestation of anger toward the world and self-hatred. Antidepressants play a crucial role in arresting this downward spiral, providing emergency assistance to preserve previous life gains.
Rediscovering the World Through a New Relationship
Fundamental and lasting recovery from depression involves establishing a new relationship with the world. Frequent sessions (three to five times a week), a consistent physical space, and the clinician’s optimism work together to challenge the persistent pessimism inherent in depression.
Empowering Transformation Through Personalized Psychotherapy
Discover the transformative power of personalized psychotherapy designed to meet your emotional needs. Unlike a one-trick magician, I specialize in adapting effective methods to address various conditions. However, this process relies on your active participation and commitment. Our sessions, held at least twice a week, foster a close connection crucial for your healing journey. There’s no distant advice here—just compassionate, personalized support.
If you’re ready to explore, I introduce a shared vocabulary that spans different conditions: BTE (Basic Trust Erosion), EED (Efforts to Escape Despair), and FAT (Failure at Loving). With over thirty years of experience in dynamic psychotherapy, I guide patients towards their own personal ‘tricks’—RAR (Repair and Renewal), ANP (Allowing New Possibilities), FOT (Forgiving over time). Instead of giving advice, I create a space where you can freely express yourself, fostering acceptance and joy in embracing all feelings, enabling healing from hidden emotional barriers
Book an Appointment
To begin treatment is not a simple matter but it takes a first step. I encourage you to call me so that we can meet and you can decide first-hand if our work is right for you. We can’t succeed without your participation so I need you to freely decide this is what you want.
Insurance Questions?
I recognize treatment can be financially burdensome. I will work with you and any commercial insurance plan you may have to obtain reimbursement and cover therapy costs. I am not on any insurance panel, however I do offer a sliding scale to be individually determined.
