Can the Depression Treatment Program Help Me with My Anxiety?
Yes. The Depression Treatment Program is a part of Portland Psychotherapy, where we are able to address a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety. If you have stand-alone anxiety, we can see you on an individual basis and connect you with appropriate classes and groups. It also turns out that some of the same treatments that help with depression can also help with anxiety, and vice versa. So if you are experiencing a mix of anxiety and depression, our services are an appropriate match for your needs.
Is It Anxiety or Depression? Odds Are Its Both.
If you are experiencing low levels of positive mood, high levels of negative mood, and high levels of worry, you may be wondering whether you are anxious or depressed. While it’s tempting to try to get at an “either/or” description of what’s going on, the truth is that anxiety and depression usually travel together. We tend to worry more when depression has taken over our lives, and all of that worry can be pretty depressing. In one study of care utilization in medical settings, researchers found that more than 50% of people who visited their physician during an episode of anxiety or depression were actually struggling from both disorders at the time of their visit. Additional research has shown that for people who struggle with either anxiety or depression, eventually the rate of struggling with both can exceed 75% over the course of a lifetime. Even though anxiety and depression often feed into each other, the good news is that treatments that address one can lead to improvements in the other. Psychotherapy can help you break out of the anxiety-depression feedback loop and get back to living well.
What Kinds of Psychotherapy Actually Work to Alleviate Anxiety and Depression?
Not all psychotherapies are created equally, meaning you’ll be best off if you participate in therapies that science has shown to be useful to many people. We are dedicated to offering evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapies that have been shown to helpful in treating anxiety and depression, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Behavioral Activation.
How Does Psychotherapy Help?
Anxiety and depression can feel overwhelming, and it’s not uncommon for people to feel as though they might “drown” in these moods. This makes it tempting to “get out of the pool” by staying away from the things that make you anxious, and at least that way you might feel a little bit calmer and safer. The down side to getting out of the pool is that you don’t get to have fun splashing around with your friends, which ultimately makes you feel even worse. Antianxiety and antidepressant medications are a bit like wearing “water wings” that can help you get back out there without drowning, but they really aren’t a full substitute for learning how to swim. Psychotherapy is just that – learning how to swim in the water of your moods – so that you don’t drown and are able to do the things you want to do with your life.
Psychotherapy can help you:
- Clarify who matters to you and what are the most important things in your life
- Develop greater compassion for yourself and others
- Build more intimate and fun relationships
- Become more fully present and engaged
- Get involved in activities that matter to you
- Deepen your satisfaction with life
- And yes, overcome anxiety and depression!
The Depression Treatment Program at Portland Psychotherapy helps you address anxiety and achieve these benefits by decreasing your experiential avoidance and increasing your psychological flexibility.