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Treatment clinic U-center
Depression treatment
Suffering from depression can feel like a battle. In some cases, it can even uproot your entire being. In order to overcome your depression, you need proper treatment. A mental health professional can help you move towards recovery.
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The occurrence of depression and its symptoms
Depression is a common worldwide mental health issue. According to the World Health Organisation “approximately 280 million people” are struggling with depression across the globe. And yet, it’s a tricky disorder to overcome.
The symptoms are difficult to deal with, to say the least, and can keep patients from living a normal and happy life. In addition, patients need to have a diagnosis to access certain types of treatment because there are different kinds of depression. However, if your depression is still in the early stages, you might be able to lighten the effects of your depression by taking some measures yourself.
Why treatment is so important
Without treatment, your depression could worsen over time. Your depression can increase your chance of long-term health issues such as a weakened immune system or heart disease. Furthermore, it could lead to suicidal thoughts. That’s why treatment is such a valuable asset when you’re trying to move towards recovery.
The first steps you can take to recover from depression
One of the key factors of recovery is to live a healthy life. Eating healthy and exercising doesn’t completely prevent mental health problems, but it could help to nourish your body in a healthy way and keep your body moving. The latter is proven to temporarily boost endorphin levels, making you feel happier.
Taking it a step further
Another thing you could do to lend yourself a hand is to set a routine for yourself, giving you the structure you need to help life feel less chaotic. Taking on responsibilities can help you with that, as it allows you to maintain a healthy lifestyle with structure. But, go easy on yourself: you don’t have to do it all.
Important factors
Avoid substances such as alcohol and drugs. In the long run, they can deteriorate your brain’s condition and it could lead to long-term (mental) health issues.
Another vital factor that contributes to recovering from your depression, is to challenge your negative thoughts. Try using logic to counter your negative thoughts. Is there any real evidence to support your thoughts? Are they actually plausible?
Depression therapy
Sometimes, the steps you take on your own are not enough to overcome your depression. Or they might be too difficult to execute on your own, meaning you would need the guidance and support of a professional.
Counselling
This form of therapy, also known as psychotherapy, entails that you sit down with a mental health professional and process your thoughts and feelings. It helps you consider the problems you are experiencing at this very moment and it hands you the tools to see them in a new light, giving you new ways to deal with them.
Counselling can be done 1-on-1 with a therapist, but it can also be done in groups
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy revolves around the thought that what you think, feel and do is all connected. Furthermore, it believes that negative thoughts and feelings can create a vicious cycle that can entrap you. CBT is all about breaking that cycle.
CBT attempts to shape the way you think, feel and behave. It takes you and all your experiences into account but focuses on your present. This type of therapy breaks down your problems and experiences into manageable bits, helping you process them in a positive way. This is how a professional can teach you to overcome negative thoughts and feelings when you cannot do it on your own.
Medication
Another way of dealing with your depression is prescription medication (antidepressants). They take some time to show their effects, but they change the chemicals inside the brain that cause depression. Some antidepressants have side effects, but those should diminish over time.
Don’t forget that antidepressants only treat the symptoms of depression and must always be prescribed by a doctor, though. Looking toward the future, you might want to look into treatment for the underlying causes of your depression instead of soothing your symptoms.
How U-center treats depression
U-center will help you overcome depression by setting up a personalised treatment plan. During intake interviews with several mental health professionals, we determine what your mental health issues and underlying problems are.
Based on the results, we can then decide on the types of therapy that suit your needs. We’ll create a treatment plan that fits your personality and will help you recover. Your treatment will consist of multiple sessions a day, but you’ll also have access to a variety of activities and facilities to help you recover.
As for medication, U-center generally aims to reduce medication as much as possible. We believe that a variety of treatment and therapies is the most sustainable way to recover and move towards a happy and normal life that lasts.
Clinical admission
Your 7-week stay will help you process your emotions and thoughts in a positive way, helping you recover. During your stay at our clinic in Epen, you’ll work on your depression with a treatment team. You will decide on the goals you want to reach and your professional team will help you reach them.
