Depression

Everyone gets low sometimes. Our mood is meant to go up and down. Low mood is considered to be depression when the person no longer gains pleasure from things they once enjoyed and they feel down, depressed or hopeless consistently for two weeks or more.  Further symptoms of depression relate to;

Difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual
Change in appetite
Negative thinking
Difficulty concentrating
Decreased motivation
Feeling bad about yourself
Feeling numb
Difficulty getting out of bed
Not attending to your appearance in the same way

Depression is very common, with many studies stating that depression affects 1 in 4 people (e.g. APA, NICE UK). That’s a lot of people!

Sometimes there are obvious causes to depression. Perhaps this change in mood follows an event such as relationship breakup, redundancy or bereavement. In other circumstances, the trigger is less clear, and part of the work with your psychologist will aim to identify triggers to help avoid or reduce the impact of further occurrences.

Our team is well placed to provide internationally recommended treatments for depression. We commonly use CBT or psychodynamic therapy to help people get on top of the depression. When you meet with your psychologist, you will work together to decide upon the best approach for you. 

What should I look for in someone who provides counseling for depression in Dubai?

It is essential that the person you see is licenced to practice as a psychologist or counselor, and that they are a member of a professional body. This helps ensure the psychologist is held accountable to high levels of ethical and professional standards.

In some (but by no means all) cases, medication is necessary in the treatment of depression. In fact, international guidelines recommend a combination of medication and cognitive behaviour therapy as the gold standard for treatment of moderate to severe depression. As such, it is helpful for your treating psychologist to have good connections with psychiatrists to ensure there is clear communication amongst the professionals involved in your care.

At Vivamus, we follow international guidelines and offer depression counseling accordingly. Our well-trained psychologists and counselors are experienced in providing depression counseling and work in English, Arabic and French.