Are You Feeling Stuck, Hopeless and Sad?

Maybe your creativity is blocked, and you don’t know how to release pent-up feelings or find a way out of this rut. Or, perhaps you’re constantly feeling tired, numb and heavy, as though you are trudging through a swamp. You might be suffering from physical aches and pains and struggling to get out of bed each morning. It may be that you are under a lot of pressure to have the right career, relationship or lifestyle, and feel held back by self-doubt and fear of failure. Do you often begin projects only to lose the motivation to see them through? Do you wish you could feel free of the sadness weighing you down, discover your true purpose and feel empowered and free to live as your most authentic self?

Living with the symptoms of depression can be an overwhelming and seemingly helpless experience. Perhaps you had a vision for how your life would go, and now you feel you’ve fallen short of becoming the person you wanted to be. It may be that a dream was squashed, and you’re struggling to reignite the inspiration and drive that once powered you through the day. Or, maybe you’ve always felt like you’re simply going through the motions without much meaning or joy attached to anything. You may not feel as though you have a voice or the strength you need to advocate for yourself and pursue your goals because you were led to believe that you don’t matter. Maybe you’re self-isolating because you’ve always heard that you have to “get over this” or do life on your own, when in reality, you long to feel connected, seen and heard.  

Many People Struggle With Depression

Almost 15 million American adults struggle with a major depressive disorder, and that number doesn’t include the countless others who are feeling stuck, defeated and disengaged from their lives. In today’s world, people are more disconnected than ever, and it can feel almost impossible to step away from computer screens and smartphones and spend meaningful time with one another. And, social media makes it easier than ever now to compare yourself with those around you and feel as though you can’t have the seemingly happy, exciting life that others post about.

It’s human to want to avoid pain. Because of this, many of us push away or bury our feelings in an attempt to ignore challenges and difficult emotions. Throughout our lives, from our families to formal education, few of us are taught how to effectively engage with our emotions and discover a relationship with ourselves in a deep and truthful way. Few of us feel equipped to express our wants and needs in healthy, open ways and confidently go after our goals. And, for those who have faced disappointments or experienced abuse, it’s especially difficult to feel self-confident and experience healthy self-worth. As we move through life, so many of us put on more and more pieces of armor to try to protect ourselves. But, eventually, that armor gets too heavy and cuts us off from the world around us. Cocooned by all that metal, we can lose sight of our true purpose—if we ever recognized it at all.

Our bodies and minds have innate intelligence. For instance, our bodies know how to heal a cut. We don’t even have to think about it—the body automatically restores the wound back to its natural state of wholeness. Our emotions embody that same intelligence. When given the proper guidance, they can serve us through life’s ups and downs. When we are emotionally out of balance with our own empowerment, we feel down, directionless and alienated from our wholeness and true selves.

Thankfully, overcoming depression and discovering your authentic purpose is possible. With the compassionate support and guidance of a skilled depression therapist, you can break through the patterns that are keeping you stuck and feel empowered to speak and live in harmony with your deepest truth.