Whether it is a child or adult, having anxiety or depression can effect the whole family. Recent research suggests that even children at age 2 and up may be experiencing depression. Depressed kids do not act like depressed adults. Sometimes they are tearful more easily, but many times they have behavior problems. dDepression can be hereditary. Dealing with depression in your child certainly is not any easier if you yourself are suffering from depression.
Depression and anxiety is an epidemic for adults given the stressors of daily life. Grown ups just don’t get to have fun anymore. We don’t get to play. Rarely do we get to relax. So many people dread just going to the mailbox anymore. They experience anxiety about the bills, and things that must be done when there’s no time to do anything. Going to therapy is something that is important. It will be one of the only things that you do just for you. It is your time, and the focus is on you, your joys, heartbreak, challenges, and thoughts. It can reduce your stress. If you are having depression or anxiety, we can figure that out and give you tools to help deal with it, not only during therapy but also for the rest of the week.
On the show “The Sopranos”, Tony Soprano dealt with the stress of being in the mafia through therapy. It helped popularize therapy for adults and showed that it was not only okay to go to therapy, but could also be very helpful. Dr. Wetherby is more interactive than the therapist you saw on the Sopranos. She often gives homework that can benefit you, and may use strategies for you to learn in the session that you carry out throughout the week.
If you are taking medication for depression, using cognitive strategies to also cope can improve your mood even further. And depression and anxiety certainly effects both men and women. The incidence for depression in women tends to increase when girls go through puberty, and stay higher in adulthood. However, Dr. Wetherby often sees adult men with depression, panic, or anxiety attacks. Making sure that your entire family is coping well is one of the keys to a happy and healthy home life.
Need a few tips on coping with depression? In the video below Dr. Mary Wetherby offers some tips on coping with depression. Many people are facing unusual stressors in their life currently and often a few short sessions help cope with situational depression.