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Can a Life coach Help with Depression

Depression can be crippling. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 5% of adults globally suffer from depression. In the US, in 2020, 21 million adults went through a major depressive episode, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Depression affects people differently. The symptoms one experiences may not be the same for everyone. According to WHO, women are affected more than men when it comes to depression. We’ll walk you through what depression is, its common symptoms, and whether depression coaching can help those suffering from the condition.

Defining Depression

Depression is a serious mental health condition defined as a mood disorder. It is more than feeling just sad. Depression is a persistent feeling of sadness that affects how you think, behave and react to problems and life situations.
Anyone suffering from depression may experience difficulty performing day-to-day activities, experience feelings of low self-esteem and self-worth, and have no interest in life and activities. Contrary to popular belief, depression isn’t just bouts of sadness or feeling low.

It is a mental disorder that may require long-term treatment. It isn’t a weakness, and most people find their way back through psychotherapy, medication, and depression coaching.

Symptoms of Depression

People with depression usually experience one episode in their lifetime; however, there can be multiple episodes or instances that trigger their depression. Those suffering can experience different symptoms; however, these can normally include feeling persistently tired, hopeless, and sad.

People suffering from depression can also experience disturbance in their sleep patterns. They may have insomnia or sleep too much. They will continue feeling tired without reason and may develop a decreased appetite or have an increased craving for certain foods.

Further symptoms of depression also include slow thinking, angry outbursts, feeling frustrated, having difficulty thinking or remembering things, concentrating, and making decisions. Those going through depression can also complain of unexplained body aches and have suicidal thoughts and may attempt suicide.

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How Can a Life Coach Help with Depression?

There are different treatments available to treat depression. Those suffering can take medication as prescribed by a physician, or they can go for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or take counseling. The right treatment depends on the severity of the symptoms a person experiences.

Some people also seek alternative treatment options when the prescribed treatment does not work. In some cases, a therapist may refer a patient to a life coach. There is value in life coaching for depression. However, a mental health condition such as depression should only be diagnosed by a mental health professional.

Life coaching is one of the alternative treatment options available for depression that can benefit together or in isolation from other treatments. But the question remains, is depression coaching effective, and how can a life coach help with depression?
Life coaching is based on talk therapy that uses a one-to-one approach to explore the client’s inner thoughts and how their mind operates. A life coach helps clients explore and understand their thought processes, enabling them to achieve their goals by working on their mindset and having a better view of themselves.

Life coaches help their clients become the person they wish to become by improving their habits and mindset and adopting a positive attitude that transforms their life perspective. Life coaching for depression is based on a holistic approach that focuses on a client’s entire life and not just one aspect.

8 Benefits of Depression Coaching

Coaching for depression offers in-depth counseling and coping techniques that help deal with depressive episodes effectively. Your mind is the control center for your body, and how you think affects your actions in life.
A life coach for depression can help in several ways. The cornerstone of life coaching is adopting a positive and healthy mindset, learning to deal with emotions, and achieving other big or small goals in life that help enhance the quality of your life. Here are eight benefits of a life coachfor depression that can help you turn your life around:

Benefits of Depression Coaching

1. Improvement in Mood Swings

One of the leading symptoms of depression is experiencing mood swings. People with depression can suffer extreme highs and lows. A life coach can help you understand your moods and learn to control the mood swings as they happen. When you understand the basis of something, you are more likely to deal with it effectively. Your coach can help make recommendations for lifestyle changes that will positively affect your mind and body.

2. Reduced Anxiety

The tips and techniques suggested by your life coach for depression can help reduce your anxiety. People suffering from depression most likely suffer from anxiety, which prevents them from performing day-to-day activities. Activities like exercise, meditation, and others can help manage and cope with anxiety and depression and put you back on track to lead a healthy life. As you start feeling calm, you’re more likely to think and act positively.

3. Better Memory

Cognitive ability is necessary to perform many activities. Individuals with an enhanced memory are more likely to perform their tasks in a better way and manage their lives. Depression can cause forgetfulness as the constant panic and anxiety that affects moods can also affect memory. Working with a life coach for depression can help you remember important details and allow you to grow in life. Better cognitive ability will also help you to grow in life.

4. Enhanced Sleep Patterns

People suffering from depression often experience insomnia or sleep excessively. Additionally, they can also suffer from restlessness. A lack of sleep affects the cognitive ability and healthy functioning in all areas of life. Sleep distortion can be quite troubling for anyone. Depression coaching can help you feel calm and relaxed, allowing you to have a better rest. Good sleep will also positively affect your mind and body and help you relax.

5. Increased Self Esteem

Coaches help their clients regain their sense of self-worth and self-esteem by helping them re-discover their strengths and achievements. A life coach will help rewire and reframe your thoughts and allow you to enhance your self-esteem. They ask relevant and deep questions that make you think and go deep into your thoughts and experiences to find the answers you may have forgotten.

6. Identification of Self-Destructive Behaviors

In most cases, our own behaviors are the roadblocks that prevent us from achieving the greater things in life that we want. Unless people identify and realize that some of their behaviors need changing, they can’t make a positive impact in their lives. Unfortunately, depression can cripple a person and lead them into a downward spiral where self-destructive behaviors further amplify the condition and prevent them from leading a healthy life.
A life coach for depression will help their clients see the consequences of their behaviors and how they are detrimental to their achievements and successes in life. Once this realization is achieved, the coach can then work with the client to develop a positive behavior pattern to beat their condition.

7. Identify Skills to Help Achieve Your Vision

One of the perks of working with a life coach for depression is they help you identify your vision in life. If you’re suffering from depression, you can lose track of your goals and vision in life. Negative thoughts prevent you from achieving anything substantial.

A life coach helps you regain your sense of direction and vision in life. Moreover, the next step would be to identify the skills needed to achieve that vision. As you develop a skill set that helps you become better at your personal and professional life, your sense of self is regained. As you see yourself progressing towards achieving your vision, you will feel accomplished and positive.

8. Set Targets and a Schedule

People with depression are often devoid of any schedule. Their sleep patterns are disturbed, and they may be unable to set targets and goals for themselves. A life coach for depression will help you set a weekly schedule and set targets to help you progress towards achieving your vision. Breaking down goals into smaller targets is more effective and having someone who keeps pushing you forward and holds you accountable is imperative in achieving your vision in life.

5 Tips to Overcome Depression with Life Coaching

Leading a healthy life is about developing a healthy and positive mindset, and that’s what a life coach helps you do. In instances where a person starts to feel worthless and low, a life coach can help make them see their worth, acknowledge their accomplishments, and retrieve their sense of pride.

All these help fight and overcome feelings of depression. However, people suffering from depression can continue falling into a pattern that makes it difficult to experience positive feelings. A life coach will help break the cycle and works with clients to help them learn to manage themselves and their feelings better.

Here are five tips from life coaching that can help you manage and overcome depressive feelings:

1. Meditate

Meditation helps calm your thoughts and mind. It prevents racing thoughts from wreaking havoc on your decision-making skills. Meditating for 5-20 minutes daily can help in several ways. It induces a calm state and reduces negative emotions. It increases patience and tolerance and allows you to better manage your stress. Meditation can give you a better perspective in stressful situations and allow you to develop self-awareness.

2. Journal

Another effective tip from life coaching is journaling. The thoughts in your head are just the scenarios you make up that often don’t have any roots in reality. Writing down your thoughts can be an effective way to empty your mind of negative thoughts and start building new, positive thoughts. Seeing what you think on paper can also help you reflect on it and change your perspective. Journaling is effective in clearing your mind and adopting a positive thought pattern.

3. Detach From Your Feelings

Feelings are inevitable but holding onto them, especially the negative ones, can be detrimental to your physical and emotional health. Another tip that can help you overcome your feelings of depression is detaching yourself from them. Life coaching enables you to notice and experience your feelings without attaching meaning to them. This prevents them from becoming significant and affecting you or your life.

4. Identify Your Beliefs

Our thought patterns, beliefs, and values shape us. Identifying your beliefs can help you identify the driving force behind your actions and unveil why you act the way you do. By identifying your beliefs, you can evaluate them against their pros and cons. If you come across a negative belief that negatively affects your life, you can let go of it and develop a new belief system that can lead a healthy life.

5. Prioritize Your Commitments

Feelings are a part of life but letting them control you is not healthy or normal. Having control over your feelings is important to leading a positive life. Life coaching can help you prioritize your commitments and goals to become the best version of yourself. Often what comes in the way of actualizing your commitments is your feelings. Once you learn to manage your thoughts and feelings, you will be better able to prioritize your tasks and commitments, allowing you to feel accomplished.

Wrapping Up

Depression is a serious mental health condition. It can lead to devastating effects for individuals if timely action is not taken. However, a study conducted on dental students revealed that life coaching positively reduced their psychological distress, including depression and anxiety.

Many people seek treatment for depression through counseling and medication. However, depression coaching is fast emerging as an alternative method of coping with depression. Can a life coach help with depression in an early phase or when recommended by a therapist? Absolutely. There seems no harm in trying if a one-on-one approach based on talking helps you understand yourself better and find your vision in life.

As you work with a life coach for depression towards your goals and enhance your behaviors for the better, you can regain your sense of self and pride that will help you develop positive feelings.

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