A Few of Our EAP Partners
Life with Depression
It is normal to feel sad or hopeless in life, especially when faced with major life changes, stress or disappointment. Generally, as time passes, the sadness lifts. Depression, however, is more than excessive sadness. People with depression report feelings of hopelessness, low motivation and a loss of interest in things they previously enjoyed. They may experience poor concentration, reoccurring negative thoughts, decreased feelings of self-worth, as well as increased thoughts of self-harm. It can be caused by a variety of things, including trauma and genetics.
Mental health problems are common. One in three people will have a moderate or severe episode of depression at some stage in their lives. Whether you are young, old, working or studying, you can be affected by depression or you most likely know someone who is suffering from it.
Why Is Mental Health Important?
Mental health affects the entirety of our lives. It helps us handle stress, make choices, relate to others and achieve our goals. By being mentally healthy, you can help others be mentally healthy.
What Does It Mean to Be Mentally Healthy?
Being mentally healthy does not mean never feeling sad. It is human nature to feel sad, hopeless and discouraged at times. Rather, being mentally healthy means being able to effectively manage emotions. It allows people to cope with the stressors of their lives, to make meaningful contributions and to work productively. Mentally healthy people feel highs and lows, but they do not always feel low.
Main Stages of Depression
Unlike physical health problems, depression may not always have clear stages. After diagnosis, recovery can mean trialling various stages: treatments, medications, health professionals. This takes time and patience, as each person is unique. For trauma, for example, trauma counselling may be more effective than other treatments.
Main Issues Partners & Families Face
Depression can disrupt relationships with partners, friends, family and colleagues. Depression can cause people to become very introspective and isolated. They may feel unable to spend time with those they love and may be unaware of the impact their actions are having. They may also be reluctant to receive help due to the stigmas around mental illness.
If the person is open about their feelings, it may be overwhelming for their partner or family. Ultimately, mental illness can affect even those who do not have it, which is why it is so important to receive professional help.
Some possible symptoms of depression include, but are not limited to the following:
- Depressed feelings of mood or sadness most of the time
- Lethargy
- Inability to enjoy things/moments that used to bring some sense of pleasure
- Withdrawal from personal friends and family members
- Irritability, anger or anxiety
- Inability to focus
- Significant weight loss or gain
- Persistent Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
How counselling helps your depression
- Build skills to deal with anxiety and stresses in your life
- Identify and change patterns of thinking or behaviour that are negative and unhelpful
- Identify unhelpful problem-solving approaches and create positive changes
- Find a safe and supportive place to talk about feelings of depression
- Find the right service to assist you in your recovery
If you or a friend/family member are going through depression, it would be recommended to seek professional help from a counsellor or therapist. Remember, there are always ways to get better.
We Offer Depression Help To Perth & Australia Wide
If you are feeling depressed, know that you are not alone. There are ways to work through it. Lifeskills Australia helps you build skills that can deal with the anxiety and stresses in your life. We aim to help you identify and change patterns of thinking or behaviour that are negative and unhelpful, as well as unhelpful problem-solving approaches. We want to help you create positive change in your life.
As such, we will help you find a safe and supportive place where you can talk about feelings of depression and find the right service to assist you in your recovery. There are ways to get better. Please call 1800 870 080 if you would like to find out more.
Why Choose Lifeskills Australia?
Qualified & Certified
Lifeskills Australia is a team of skilled and certified psychologists and counselling experts working with private & corporate sectors in Australia.
Client-Focused
We are focused on helping our clients achieve a positive work-life balance. We guarantee we can help you deal with challenging situations that often seem overwhelming.
Wide Range of Services
We work with our clients as individuals, couples, families and groups, and we offer Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services for corporations & businesses nationwide.
Highly Experienced
Lifeskills’ highly experienced team use a wide range of evidence-based practices that are also tested and proven processes tailored to the individual needs of our clients.
We Genuinely Car
At Lifeskills Australia, we genuinely care. Anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help from our top-rated psychologists and counselling experts, anytime, anywhere.
Fully Registered
Our counsellors, psychologists, career advisors/mentors, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, sexologists and Clinical Social Workers are fully registered. Each of them meets high standards in education, training, supervised practice, ethical and professional standards, and ongoing professional development.
