It is normal to experience periods of low mood or worry. Just noticing when something feels off is the first step in getting better. “Depression” and “anxiety” are labels we hear often these days. “They’re depressed.” “Their anxiety is through the roof.” But, if we look under the hood, there is complicated machinery at work. Traumas, childhood experiences, culture, physical illness, socioeconomic conditions, political circumstances, family life, and on and on. Your unique experience is more than a label. Your challenges cannot be contained in one word. You may be sleeping more, sleeping less, feeling “flat” and unemotional, losing weight, gaining weight, feeling restless, feeling worthless, struggling to concentrate, or having physical aches and pains. If you’re anxious, you may be constantly thinking about something worrisome. You could be irritable, tired, and have trouble sleeping.
But you are not defined by your symptoms. Our minds and bodies are complex and we are living in a complex world. Therapy provides a safe, nonjudgmental space to open the hood, take a look inside at all of those complicated parts, and get to know what may be causing your life not to run as smoothly as you’d like.