Depression is one of the strongest human emotions. It is an emotion if left untreated, could lead to more serious consequences for those suffering from it severely.
Everybody feels unhappy at times. That is normal. But clinical depression goes beyond that. It is a disease. But it is treatable.
So when is depression clinical depression?
First off, the person may feel as if they are hopelessly sad. When a person feels as if there is no point to anything. Or life isn't worth living. Which could lead to feelings or thoughts of suicide.
This usual lasts for two weeks or more. When you have depression that lasts that long, you are moving into the clinical depression state.
And it is when you start hitting that point, you need to see a therapist. Don't leave this condition untreated if you find yourself at that point. Believe me I know with all my experience as a depression counselor.
So once you are at that point, you have to do certain things. Because sometimes imbalances in your body or chemistry in your brain can cause depression, you may need to treat it medically. You would use antidrepessant drugs to treat it.
Of course as a counselor, I prefer to treat it through depression counseling. A good counselor helps a person understand and come to grips the the causes of their depression.
They can use another form of therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy which addresses how you think. The objective is to confront those negative thoughts and turn them around to a positive.
A counselor can also help with relaxation techniques. If stress is the cause of depression, a good way to combat that form of stress is through relaxation.
Most of all a depression counselor will be the most effective person to find out what is causing the depression.
They are good at looking and seeing if a circumstance like a loss in the family is the cause. They can look and see if there is something in the past that is causing this. Or they can find out if it is caused by something going on in your body. Whether there was some physiological change.
Depression is a treatable condition. But without knowing the cause, you can't treat it. That is where finding a good therapist or counselor can help tremendously.