Depression is often the flip-side of anxiety. Many folks who have experienced trauma find themselves cycling between periods of feeling panicky, stressed out, nervous or overwhelmed, and periods of feeling depressed, checked out, or like they can't get going. Sometimes these phases come very rapidly or even blend together, becoming difficult to distinguish from one another.

Though there are many causes of depression, this kind of cycle reflects a change in our nervous system caused by a trauma response. These patterns are held and maintained in the body as a form of self-protection, in a misguided effort to prevent further risk of the kind of danger that causes the original wound. Depression as self-protection? I know it sounds a bit strange. But there is a logic to beating oneself up before anyone else harm you, or staying stuck in bed, where no one else can get to you.

In therapy this work often begins with strategies for getting through the day and gradually boosting mood. Over time we can work to balance your mood by addressing the wounds that underly those cyclical feelings. And if sometimes it gets so bad you want to just disappear? I want to let you know that I’ve seen people come back from that place and find joy in living again. You may think that that couldn’t possibly be you, but so did they.