Depression is one of the most common reasons people see a psychologist. If low mood, loss of interest, exhaustion or a sense of flatness have been present for weeks or longer and are affecting how you live and work, psychological support can help you understand what’s maintaining it and what changes it.
Veronica West is a registered psychologist (BPsychSc(Hons), MPH, MPsych) based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. She works with adults and adolescents across Australia via secure telehealth, including people experiencing depression and persistent low mood.
What Is Depression?
Depression is more than a low mood that passes. It’s a persistent change in mood, thinking, energy and motivation that lasts at least two weeks and interferes with daily functioning. It affects how you sleep, eat, concentrate and relate to other people.
It’s common. Beyond Blue reports that around one in seven Australians will experience depression in their lifetime, and it occurs across every age group and background.
Depression also varies. Some people experience it as sadness, others mainly as numbness, irritability or physical exhaustion. Two people with the same diagnosis can look quite different.
How Depression Shows Up
Common features include:
- Persistent low mood most of the day, more days than not
- Loss of interest or pleasure in things that previously mattered, sometimes called anhedonia
- Fatigue and low energy, including feeling physically heavy or slowed down
- Sleep changes, either difficulty sleeping or sleeping much more than usual
- Appetite or weight changes in either direction
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions, which often affects work first
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, often out of proportion to the situation
- Withdrawal from people and activities, which then reinforces the low mood
- Thoughts of death or suicide, which need immediate attention
If you’re having thoughts of suicide, contact your GP, or call Lifeline on 13 11 14 at any hour. In an emergency, call 000.
Depression and Low Mood Are Not the Same Thing
Everyone has low periods, and a stretch of feeling flat after a difficult event is a normal human response rather than an illness. What distinguishes depression is duration, pervasiveness and the degree of interference with daily life.
Depression also travels with other things. It commonly occurs alongside anxiety, and it’s frequently confused with burnout, which has a different cause and a different response. Part of early sessions is working out which of those is in front of you, because they don’t respond to the same thing.
How Psychology Can Help
Psychological treatment for depression has a substantial evidence base, and Head to Health lists the range of services available in Australia. Veronica draws on several approaches depending on what fits:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which works on the relationship between thoughts, behaviour and mood, and on the patterns that keep low mood in place
- Behavioural activation, which rebuilds engagement with activity in a structured way, and is effective in its own right
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which works on values and on reducing the struggle with difficult internal experience
- Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills, particularly where emotion regulation and distress tolerance are part of the picture
- Mindfulness-based approaches, which are used in relapse prevention
Work usually begins with understanding what started the episode, what’s maintaining it now, and what has changed in your daily life since it began. Withdrawal and inactivity are often the most reversible part, and they’re frequently where the work starts.
What About Medication?
Psychologists in Australia don’t prescribe. Medication is prescribed by a GP or psychiatrist, and whether it’s appropriate is a conversation to have with them.
Therapy and medication aren’t alternatives to choose between. Many people use one, some use both, and the combination is often recommended for moderate to severe depression. If you’re already taking an antidepressant, that doesn’t affect whether therapy is useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if I have depression or if I’m just going through a rough patch?
Duration and interference are the main markers. Low mood that lasts two weeks or more, most of the day, and that’s affecting your sleep, work, concentration or relationships is worth having assessed. A psychologist or GP can help clarify it, and you don’t need to be certain before making an appointment.
Do I need a diagnosis to see a psychologist for depression?
No. Many people seek support without a formal diagnosis. A Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP is only needed if you want Medicare rebates on the sessions.
How long does therapy for depression take?
It varies with severity and how long the episode has been running. Structured therapy for a first episode often runs eight to twelve sessions. Longer-standing or recurrent depression usually takes longer.
Can depression therapy be done online?
Yes. Depression therapy works well by video, and telehealth removes the travel and effort barrier, which matters when low energy and motivation are part of the problem.
What’s the difference between depression and burnout?
Burnout is tied to chronic workplace stress and generally lifts with adequate recovery and changed conditions. Depression is pervasive across contexts rather than specific to work, and it doesn’t resolve with rest alone. They can occur together.
Getting Started
If you’re experiencing depression and thinking about working with a psychologist, you can read more about Veronica’s approach to therapy, look at fees and funding, or get in touch to ask a question before booking.