Nearly 8% Of The American Population Is Living With Depression How Counseling Can Help
Your mental and emotional health is just as important as your physical health. In fact, many would argue that these three are inseparable, like threads in a tapestry or the muscles and bones in your arm. Psychotherapy revels in providing people with the resources they need to achieve that happy balance in their everyday life. You could be in a difficult marriage that’s starting to have an impact on your emotional wellness. You could be realizing you’ve lived with mental illness for years and are starting to feel its wear and tear on your social life. Whatever problem you may be struggling with, counseling is here to help.
Mental illness is much more common than people previously gave it credit for. Estimates have seen over 350 million people around the world affected by some form of depression, be it environmental depression or bipolar depression. Generalized anxiety, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and social anxiety are just a few forms that mental illness can take. Which one you may have can be better determined through psychotherapy.
Depression can make even basic everyday tasks a chore. Nearly 16 million American adults had at least one depressive episode back in 2012, with some having multiple mental breakdowns that required time away from work and recreational hobbies. That’s as much as 7% of the country’s population. Nearly 12% of children will have a form of depression by the time they’re adults, with women being 70% more likely than men to experience this illness.
While depression can be genetic, it can also be caused by your environment. Traumatic events, difficult life periods and injury can all contribute to depressive episodes that can last for weeks, months and even years. Although it depends on the severity of the condition and the unique needs of the individual, psychotherapy treatments for depression can last 10 to 20 weeks on average. These combine a mixture of counseling and antidepressants, the latter of which needs four to six weeks to take effect.
For those that are experiencing the struggle of a marriage that no longer seems to function like it used to, family and group therapy is a resource that can help. Over 90% of patients in a recent survey said, after working with a family therapist, that they had much more effective tools for managing their problems. They also reported higher physical health and ability to function in the day-to-day. Additionally, research by the American Association Of Marriage And Family Therapist saw 95% of couples saying they received ‘excellent help’.
Individual counseling and family counseling for traumatic situations and mental illness is a tool everyone needs to live their fullest life. When you feel like there’s nobody else to turn to when it comes to managing your marriage or living with depression, let counseling services be the proverbial shoulder for you to lean on. Together you can find the tools to keep moving forward.
