Depression, loss of energy and inner exhaustion

Understanding what may be happening

In depression, ordinary actions can require disproportionate effort and activities that once felt alive lose their colour. The person may feel sad, empty, irritable, slowed down or unable to experience pleasure. Sleep, appetite, concentration and memory may also change.

Depression can follow grief, exhaustion, separation or prolonged stress, but it can also appear without an obvious cause. Diagnosis and treatment belong to qualified health professionals. A medical assessment is important when symptoms are intense, persistent or impair daily functioning.

The cycle that keeps life small

Less energy leads to less activity; reduced activity makes life narrower; the resulting isolation can intensify shame and self-criticism. Waiting to feel completely better before re-entering life may reinforce this cycle. Recovery often begins through small, realistic movements and reliable contact.

Listening to what has withdrawn

From a depth perspective, depression can also express a part of the person that can no longer continue as before. It may carry unrecognised grief, forbidden anger, humiliation, exhaustion or the memory of not being met when support was needed.

The work is not to force this part to become motivated. It is to approach it carefully. Dreams, spontaneous images, physical sensations and emotions can help reveal what has been held outside awareness. When previously excluded experience can be felt without overwhelming the person, a more truthful form of energy may gradually return.

Combining the right forms of support

Support may include a doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist, medication, practical help, social contact and psychotherapy. These approaches are not mutually exclusive. My sessions can complement appropriate health care but do not replace it.