At Renew, we believe that when Psychological Stress isn’t handled effectively, it can develop into Depression.

 

Depression is just another coping mechanism for dealing with the apin and dissapointment of life. Due to repetitive thoughts and behaviours, this can then become automatic and habitual over time. It can get to the point, where all we need to do is open our eyes in the morning in order to trigger the Depressive state. As with Anxiety, the individual once again has an inability to separate their innate, intrinsic Self-Worth / Value from the achievement of goals, meeting parental and societal expectations and gaining external approval from others. They then take it personally when life does not go the way they want, planned or desired. This leads to a sense of failure, an inability to let go of past events and results in refusing to set goals for the future in fear of failing again. In this way Depression can be seen as the FLIGHT response to Psychological Stress. “What’s the point of even trying to achieve my goals, it only ends in pain. By not having goals I can avoid the ‘threat’ of life not going to plan”. in a sense we withdraw, run away from life's pain and difiiculties.

 

Once again, as with Anxiety, Depression can often lead to severe self-medication, eating and sleeping disorders and other stress related dis-ease. This is a very serious condition. At the extreme end of Depression, sufferers can believe that the pain of feeling even worse tomorrow is unbearable, and that suicide is the only way out of the pain.

 

Firstly you will understand that your depression was merely an attempt to protect you from what you perceived to be even greater pain and failure. Depression is not bad, or wrong and neither are you. You don’t need to be ‘fixed’, its just that Depression is not the most effective way of dealing with painful situations from the past. We will help you create a more effective way of coping with painful events from the past, the present and into the future. By letting go of the belief that past events made you less valuable or worthy and by being able to see the value, growth and development that came from them you will establish a different relationship to the past, a different relationship with your self and see your future differently. By practicing changing the way you look at life’s situations and what you think they mean, you will move through life with more enthusiasm, motivation and joy.