Depression Counselor in Boulder

Depression can arise from a single or complex interplay of factors. Environmental, psychological, and biological factors all play a role in its development. Depression can be tricky, as mild, adaptive levels of depressive symptoms, known as dysphoria, are normal. Let's say you encounter repeated failures in achieving a significant goal. Initially, you might increase your efforts, but if the obstacles remain insurmountable, you might experience dysphoria. This mild depressive state helps you recognize the futility of persisting in the same unproductive path, encouraging you to take a break and reassess your strategy, ultimately conserving your mental and physical resources.

Unfortunately, we often take this process a step further, creating more issues for ourselves than warranted. Fusion occurs when we treat our thoughts as absolute truths, like believing "I'm worthless" without question, which overshadows our direct experiences. Experiential avoidance involves trying to escape or suppress these negative thoughts and emotions, which often backfires and creates additional emotional distress. Rumination keeps us stuck in a cycle of endlessly replaying past mistakes and worrying about the future, preventing us from being present. Further, attachment to a myopic conceptualized self leads to rigidly identifying with negative self-perceptions, such as "I am incompetent," making it difficult to see ourselves in a more flexible and positive light. These processes collectively trap us in a cycle of depression, reinforcing and deepening our suffering.