Anxiety and depression are like old friends. They aren’t always together, but if you hang out with one for long enough, the other is likely to show up. Dr. Kircher works with many people who have anxiety as the primary issue, but develop depression and hopelessness when they feel out of control or overwhelmed. In this case, the depressive symptoms tend to be fairly easy to alleviate. We focus on building hope and treating the underlying anxiety.
Dr. Kircher also works with a lot of people who have a combined presentation of depression and anxiety. This is a case of chicken or the egg, we are not sure which came first. Here, we have to work on both the anxiety and the depression together to obtain relief. However, both sides are often supported by the same dysfunctional beliefs and patterns, so they can often be addressed simultaneously.
The important part is to understand why your symptoms are occurring and how to start feeling better. Dr. Kircher emphasizes building coping skills along with understanding to allow her patients to feel in control of their healing. By having an active coping plan, you will have something to do when you start to feel overwhelmed. This builds hope and a sense of competency.
For depression, one of the hallmarks is hopelessness and the sooner we address this symptom the sooner you can start working towards feeling better. Hope brings motivation which brings the possibility of changing thought and behavior patterns. Anxiety is characterized by avoidance due to feeling overwhelmed. We will focus on giving you the skills to manage your anxiety so that you can begin confronting your avoidance and building a fuller life.
By treating both the anxiety and depression symptoms, we will get you feeling better as soon as possible and with the skills to reduce or avoid future episodes. Contact me today to schedule your free consultation and start feeling better.