Depression

What to Do When You Feel Depressed: 15 Tips to Help You Cope

, 2025-07-30T09:26:00+00:00July 30th, 2025|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Depression is more than just feeling down. It can affect every area of your life, making it seem overwhelmingly dismal and hopeless. It drains your energy, makes it difficult to muster up the strength or desire to do anything, and creates a vicious cycle that keeps you feeling low. The worse you feel, the less you do, and the less you do, the worse you feel. Many people say that depression feels like a weight or heaviness that seems to hold them back from the things and people that they love. If you have struggled with depression before, you might be able to think of a time when depression impacted you, and there was a desire to know ways to get away from the heaviness. Many think that they might be able to just will away depression. However, that is simply not how it works. There is good news, though, because there are small and simple practices and coping strategies that can help you lessen the heaviness of depression and allow for the opportunity for you to breathe in life again. 15 Tips to Help You When You Feel Depressed  Reach out and stay connected Reach out and stay in touch with friends and loved ones even when you don’t feel like it. Make an effort to spend time with people who lift you up. Don’t let your mood cause you to withdraw from life. Reaching out could look as simple as sending a text expressing the desire for a simple, low-pressure meet-up and maybe even including a sentence about recent difficulties with wanting to isolate. Be mindful not to isolate yourself by convincing yourself that you are too exhausted or that you would just be a burden. Face-to-face time is important. Having a supportive, nonjudgmental, trusted friend or [...]

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Signs of Clinical Depression: Christian Counseling for Depression in Plano, Texas

2025-07-26T07:12:26+00:00July 28th, 2025|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Clinical depression is more than just feeling unhappy or down in response to the upsetting circumstances or setbacks of everyday life. Also known as major depressive disorder, it is a mental health condition that affects the way you think, feel, act, and perceive the world, and is not something you can simply force yourself to snap out of. At Plano Christian Counseling, we offer faith-based therapy for signs of clinical depression in Plano, Texas. The most distinguishing signs of clinical depression are a persistent, pervasive low mood without clear cause and a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. Common Signs of Clinical Depression Signs of clinical depression can vary widely between people and may last for weeks or months. The following are some of the most common ones. Psychological signs constant sadness apathy feeling down low self-esteem feelings of guilt low self-worth tearfulness irritability anger low tolerance level frustration over small matters difficulty focusing or making decisions forgetfulness lack of motivation loss of interest in things you normally enjoy feeling helpless and hopeless anxiety feelings of impending doom recurring thoughts of death, suicide, or harming yourself Physical signs moving or speaking slower than normal loss of appetite binge eating significant weight loss or weight gain unexplained aches and pains lack of energy fatigue trouble sleeping or sleeping too much loss of sexual desire engaging in escapist behavior such as substance abuse or binge-watching TV Behavioral signs Behavioral signs of clinical depression may include isolating yourself, avoiding contact with friends, withdrawing from social activities, and/or neglecting hobbies, pastimes, and other interests such as sports that you used to pursue. To receive a diagnosis of clinical depression, you must have experienced five or more of the symptoms listed above for most of the day, every day, for at least [...]

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How Self-Compassion Can Help With Depression

, 2025-06-26T08:40:31+00:00June 26th, 2025|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling, Personal Development|

Self-compassion means having a positive attitude toward yourself that enables you to get through difficult times in life. Along with this attitude comes the ability to treat yourself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance. Self-compassion includes self-talk and self-care activities, which will be discussed in more detail. When you find yourself feeling more down than usual or even struggling with clinical depression (depressed mood that lasts longer than two weeks and includes other symptoms), what is your internal dialogue? Are you kind and compassionate or critical and neglectful of yourself? Self-talk or internal dialogue is often self-critical, negative, and hurtful. Your internal dialogue likely includes things that you would never say to a friend, especially one who is facing a difficult time or feeling depressed. Do you criticize yourself for being lazy, ungrateful, angry, or irritable? Or is your inner dialogue kind, compassionate, and encouraging to yourself? Even if you tend to be critical and negative, you can choose and intentionally change this narrative, which can help with depression. Please note that self-compassion is not self-pity, as it involves treating yourself with kindness, understanding, and acceptance. Self-compassion is acknowledging your imperfections as a human and recognizing that suffering is a part of the human experience, and having the self-awareness to know that there are things you can do that will help. Self-pity involves indulgence and feeling sorry for yourself without the desire to feel better. It is important to care for yourself during a difficult time with the confidence that you will feel better. It is also believing and trusting that God is with you and will help you. Romans 12:2 says, “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” It can be difficult to have positive thoughts when feeling depressed. Perhaps you are [...]

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Creating a High-Functioning Depression Resource Guide for Your Team

, 2025-06-20T06:17:05+00:00June 20th, 2025|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling, Professional Development|

High-functioning depression is something many employees silently struggle with at work every day. Even though they seem to perform well, they are fighting perpetual sadness, tiredness, and a lack of self-worth. As a thoughtful workmate or team leader, it’s good for you to notice the signs of this relatively unknown condition and help someone find the right support. One of the best ways to support your team is by developing a Resource Guide for staff members with depression. This guide can help your team understand the condition better and provide practical ways to offer help. When your team has the right knowledge and resources, you create an environment where everyone feels comfortable asking for support when needed. In this article, we’ll share simple, practical steps to help create a workplace that values mental health, starting with mindfulness practices and offering flexible work options. These small changes can make a big difference for your team. What High-Functioning Depression Looks Like To understand high-functioning depression, it’s helpful to first know how it’s different from other types of depression. Major depression is more severe and can stop someone from doing daily tasks. People with major depression may struggle to get out of bed or even take care of themselves. Functioning depression, also called dysthymia, is a form of depression where someone feels sad for an extended time, usually over two years. People with functioning depression can still manage daily tasks, but it wears on them, and they feel down, tired, and lacking in energy. High-functioning depression is a type of functioning depression where a person mostly seems like they’re doing fine. They go to work, meet deadlines, and keep up with their responsibilities. But underneath it all, they still feel the same sadness, low energy, and lack of motivation. They are just [...]

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How to Walk Alongside Your Depressed Husband

, 2025-03-25T15:21:21+00:00January 6th, 2025|Couples Counseling, Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling, Marriage Counseling, Men’s Issues, Relationship Issues|

Seeing a person we love going through a hard time is heart-wrenching. We want to do all we can to love them, to make them feel loved, supported, and understood. It is possible in many situations – especially that of a depressed husband – to begin to feel powerless, especially when our presence does not seem to be making a difference. In this and other situations, remember that your empathetic presence by itself can make a difference, and you must hold onto that when it seems otherwise. If your husband is struggling with depression, you may not know how to be that empathetic presence for him. On the other hand, you may wonder if what you are doing is making a difference. Hopefully, the words below will encourage you in your journey with your depressed husband. Supporting a Loved One with Depression Depression is a common mental health problem that afflicts people from all walks of life, all genders, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds. It can afflict those whom we may perceive as strong. It is often shocking for many wives to see their husbands bowed down by depression. As with any other condition or situation, one of the first ways you can function as a meaningful support is to understand what it is your husband is dealing with. Plano Christian Counseling is here to help, offering guidance and faith-based support as you navigate this journey together. Depression is a mood disorder that affects how a person feels, thinks, and functions in daily life. Something is going on not only in the person’s body but also in their mind and brain chemistry as well. Often, depression is signaled by feelings of intense sadness which last for weeks and months. It can be tempting to think that your depressed husband just [...]

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Easing Stress When Moving to a New House

2025-03-25T15:44:04+00:00December 30th, 2024|Anxiety, Christian Counseling for Children, Depression, Family Counseling, Featured, Personal Development|

Relocating your whole life is not an easy thing to do. Moving house is one of the more stressful things that an average person goes through. That’s one of the reasons why one can read the biblical stories in Exodus and Numbers of the ancient Israelites grumbling on their desert sojourn with some sympathy. Imagine settling and uprooting yourself and your family so often! Unfortunately, moving house, while being extremely stressful, is one of the realities that we must contend with at some point in our lives. For many of us, we’d rather remain rooted right where we are. There is a sense of comfort, familiarity, and security in being in one place and building our lives there. And so, when a move needs to happen, it can be disruptive, unpleasant, and stressful. Plano Christian Counseling is here to help you navigate the transition with faith-based guidance and support, so you can find peace and stability in the midst of change. Why Moving House Is Stressful There are many reasons why moving house is stressful. Sometimes it’s the reasons behind the move that make it stressful, while in many cases the simple fact of moving itself is the issue. Each of us has our own level of tolerance for change and disruption to our daily routines. Often, it’s only when your routine is disturbed – when you don’t get that morning coffee or your morning commute is disrupted – that you see how out of sorts you are for the rest of the day. Moving house can be stressful for the following reasons: The circumstances behind the move  There are many reasons why people move. Sometimes, those reasons are less than pleasant, and that can add to the stress one experiences. If you need to move because [...]

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The Importance of Knowing the Signs and Symptoms of Depression

, 2025-03-27T08:04:44+00:00September 30th, 2024|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling, Men’s Issues, Women’s Issues|

Some days you can find yourself going through a tough time and wrestle with naming what’s happening to you. If you’re struggling with something and not feeling like yourself, it can affect everything around you, from your relationships to your work, and even your enjoyment of everyday activities. It can even mean not showing up for others and yourself the way you’d want to. Being able to identify symptoms of depression helps you to address it effectively. An experience that’s common to many Americans of every age and from every walk of life is depression. Depression is a mood disorder that causes persistent feelings of loss, sadness, and numbness to things that used to bring joy like hobbies or being with loved ones. Depression is more than just a bout of sadness; it affects how a person feels, thinks, and behaves. As a result, it can lead to having trouble with doing day-to-day tasks and enjoying life. Plano Christian Counseling provides faith-based support and guidance to help individuals navigate depression and find hope and healing. Depression can also leave you feeling as though life isn’t worth living, and it’s not something that you simply “snap out” of or “get over”. If this is something that a loved one or you’re going through, it’s important to be able to recognize the signs of it, so that you can find the appropriate help. Symptoms of depression It isn’t being too dramatic to say that knowing what the signs and symptoms of depression are can be a life-or-death matter. Some of the symptoms of depression are so serious that they are life-threatening, and recognizing what’s going on, and then proceeding to take appropriate action is invaluable. If you see these signs and symptoms in yourself or a loved one, go to a [...]

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Five Signs of Depression in Children

2025-03-29T02:54:49+00:00June 19th, 2024|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Depression, along with other mental health disorders, is on the rise in every age group. However, psychologists have seen a recent spike in depression cases among children. Children who exhibit signs of depression may be overt or a parent may suspect signs of something wrong but may not be able to pinpoint the exact source. Some children may be verbal regarding their symptoms, but others may hide their symptoms because of embarrassment or shame. If you’re seeing signs of depression in your child, you are not alone. If you suspect your child is depressed but are not sure here are five signs to watch out for: Disinterest in activities Depression leaves children with a lack of interest in doing the things they love the most. For example, a child who is normally busy with extracurricular activities may suddenly find they no longer want to do them. Additionally, children may want to stay in their room for long periods, watch TV, or other passive activities to help cope (or even mask) depression symptoms. Even with medication, children suffering from depression may still not want to do the things they once enjoyed. Plano Christian Counseling, offers compassionate, faith-based support to help children and families navigate depression, restore hope, and rediscover the joy in life’s blessings. Sleeping late Similarly, children and teens who are suffering from depression may want to sleep late. Parents may find a child doesn’t want to get out of bed or sleep the day away. Parents should discourage a child from doing this. Rather, encourage the child to get up, move around, get some exercise, and take care of their physical body with nutrition and water. Normally active children may only need eight hours of sleep. Teens may need 9 to 9 1/2 hours of sleep which is [...]

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Eight Practical Steps for Overcoming Depression

2025-01-08T06:08:10+00:00June 6th, 2022|Depression, Featured, Individual Counseling|

Have you ever wished there was a series of simple actions you could take to help with overcoming depression? Here is a list of ideas for you to consider and experiment with by trying them out separately or at the same time. Feelings of comfort, contentment, happiness, and excitement sometimes feel like they have a lighter quality than feeling low. Not just in the emotional sense but in the physical sense too. When you are feeling down, the negativity tends to grow and push out the space in your life previously occupied by feelings of light-heartedness. 8 Steps for Overcoming Depression One of the ways we can increase our resilience to feeling down is to acknowledge it and take active steps to nourish our emotional, mental, and physical selves by looking for and taking active enjoyment in various activities. 1. Do something you enjoy The word enjoy comes from the Old French word enjoir, this word is a combination of en “make” + joir “joy” and…voila, you have the word “enjoy.” To put it another way, it comes from a word that means “make joy”! To take joy in something is an action, it is something that we all do. It is not something we receive by accident. By taking steps (baby ones to start) to participate in activities you like, you can create joy in your life. This may sound unromantic and formulaic, but it is a practical step in the right direction. 2. Listen to music Listening to music is a well-documented way to improve your mood and help in overcoming depression. It also helps you to become more familiar with positive emotions, and being better able to recognize them will make them easier to focus on and implement to combat feeling down. Even better, playing music with [...]

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