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How to Talk to a Therapist about Depression

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Are you trying to find someone to talk to?

That can be tough.

We live in a busy world today. Everyone seems to be rushing about.

When you do get someone to stop for a moment to listen, however, sometimes they don’t want to hear your concerns.

  • They might not understand exactly what you’re trying to tell them, or what your concerns are.
  • Other times they don’t know how to react.
  • Many times you get a few head nods, an “I know how you feel,” and nothing more.

That can be frustrating.

When you visit a therapist, however, you’re talking with someone that wants to listen and is trained to understand your concerns.

Still, opening up can be hard. Let’s go over a few ways about how to talk to a therapist about depression.

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How Depression Effects Men

Men get depressed.

We don’t think about it much, and talk about it less, but it’s true.

Reports from the UK’s mental health foundation tell us that 1 in 10 men will get depressed. That’s 10% of the population.

While it’s true this isn’t as high as women (1 in 4 women will become depressed, or 25%), it’s still a lot.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that men don’t get depressed. Perhaps worse is the idea that men can just “shrug off” these depressed feelings.

The truth is that men get depressed just as much as women, if not more so. We know that 6 million American men each year have depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

That number’s probably low, as we just don’t like to talk about depression. Sadly, this often makes the situation worse.

Just like with others, men will need to get some professional help if their depressive thoughts continue for a sustained period of time.

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Anger Causes, Effects and Denial and Projection

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In order to see the good in other people, we must learn to see the good in ourselves. We must also come to terms with the bad and evil in ourselves. Far from being easy, this is our lifelong battle.  The denial and projection of these feelings lend to the destruction of our ‘self’.  Anxiety and depression takes hold and cripples us.  Ironically, acknowledgement of the ‘ugly’ opens the door to love and gratitude.

Denial is a defense mechanism in which you refuse to recognize that you feel a certain emotion. Oftentimes, this is because that particular emotion goes against how you perceive yourself. It actually works against your self-view, so you suppress it. Read more

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12 Social Skills for Adults Associated with Popularity

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Very few adolescents and young adults reject the idea of being popular. ‘Fitting in’ is a common theme for these stages of development. As you get older you begin to develop your own individuality and becoming popular no longer fits. However, the desire to be socially competent is a theme that last throughout life.

Numerous studies have been conducted on social competencies. There are about 12 social skills for adults associated with popularity. These social skills come intuitively for some and not so for others. Many consciously develop and master these social skills to perfection, while others struggle. Unfortunately, at times, those who make social ‘faux pas’ pay an all to heavy price. Despite their good intentions, peers reject them.

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Narcissistic Personality Disorder Causes and Symptoms: What a Boy Needs to Become a Man

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Narcissistic personality disorders causes are mostly related to early development of a child with the family, friends, and other children.  What does a boy needs to become a man?  A boy needs to love someone who is perfect in his eyes, and then continue to love him/her when he learns they are not.  He needs to be told what he is feeling in order to develop a vocabulary and understanding.  He then needs a best friend who he identifies the same likeness in himself…’I’m okay because you’re okay.’ to prevent narcissistic personality disorder.  Let’s explore in more depth below:

A developing child has three major psychological needs that need to be fulfilled during childhood.  They are as follows:

  1. Need to Idealize
  2. Need to be Mirrored
  3. The Need to be like Others

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Quarter Life Crisis Symptoms

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Quarter life crisis symptoms or midlife crisis in 20s or early life crisis symptoms appear in young adulthood. You might feel:

Stuck?

Frustrated with relationships?
Anxious or depressed or lonely?
Confused about your identity or sense of self?
Bored with social interactions?
Insecure about your near future?
Questioning your close interpersonal relationships?
Disappointed with your job or career choice?
Feel like everyone is doing better than you?
Fantasizing about the past (high school, college, good times)?

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22 Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Men

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Symptoms of depression and anxiety in men are linked to various situations in their life. Men’s issues are often not addressed. Males are not invincible. They do suffer from major depression. And why shouldn’t they? Like women, they experience broken relationships, go through divorce, lose jobs, experience death of friends, and the list goes on. These experiences cause pain. They cause emotions that are unfamiliar. More often than not, men are unequipped to handle these unfamiliar emotions. This can be frightening and rightly so! Men are attempting suicide and succeeding at alarming rates.

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Self Esteem Tips for Men: Interview

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Interview with Therapist Joseph LaFleur, MSW, MBA, LICSW on Causes of Low Self Esteem and Tips to Improve Self Esteem

Men like women can have a low sense of self-esteem. The good news is any man can boost their self-esteem and have the confidence to accomplish anything he wants out of life. To help understand where most men’s sense of low self esteem stems from and for self esteem tips for men, I have interviewed therapist Joseph LaFleur, MSW, MBA, LICSW.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

“I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Psycho-dynamic Psychotherapist with a private practice in Washington DC.  About 75% of my practice is made up of men struggling with intimacy and relationship issues.   Most men are experiencing anxiety and mild to moderate depression, and low self esteem issues.”

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