To start, depression and trauma are big words, for major life events that can change emotions, family life, and safety. Now, a couple who are best friends can still have various challenges around depression. Even in marriages where there are no affairs or betrayals, depression and trauma are another set of marital stressors. For instance, having a family pet die suddenly can be a traumatic event. In general, trauma can include surviving sexual abuse, surviving domestic violence, seeing a loved one die, and even being in a hurricane or natural disaster.
How Does Depression Affect a Family?
To add, it is common for long-term couples to go through some form of depression and trauma. Sometimes, trauma is an event that happens to a family, like a car accident. Other times, trauma is something someone creates, like an affair and cheating. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 16 million American adults feel depression over the course of one year. And, depression plays a role in missing social events, lack of positive connections, and broken friendships.
Are depression and trauma connected?
Depression can be a side effect of trauma, but it can also be from different sources depending on the person. Separate of the cause, depression symptoms look similar from person to person. For some, withdrawal from social settings, a decrease in sexual interests, poor hygiene, and low energy are signs of depression. Other times, wearing pajamas all day, skipping meals, not brushing their teeth, taking naps, and lack of self-care are symptoms of depression. A loved one that has depression may have trouble to keeping up with simple, daily tasks. After a trauma, depression may persist for years without professional counseling. Overall, if you experience any of these below, holistic counseling for depression and trauma can help.
Do you or your spouse experience any of these?
First, if you have recently been fired or quit your job, these are triggers of depression. Losing a job can make a big impact on self-confidence. Being fired can lead to low self-worth and less interest in life all together. And, even having a job where you are miserable or one you dislike can lead to marriage tension and stress. As well, a decrease in interest in work overall is a sign that depression therapy would be helpful. Additionally, changes in eating habits and appetite can be signs of depression. As well, if your spouse used to talk vibrantly and converse, but now shows withdrawal and a decrease in communication, it is natural to be concerned. Any change like this is a great reason to seek marriage counseling. Often, with trauma and depression, there is an inattention to children, the marriage, and friends. Overall, your married life just seems hard with a spouse who has PTSD and depression, Wisdom Within Counseling specializes in these areas. Lastly, it is important to seek professional counseling as soon as possible, if you have less of an interest in previously enjoyed family activities.
How can affairs and betrayal impact marital depression and trauma
For instance, it is very common when one spouse has an affair and causes feelings of betrayal, that the other spouse feels low in self-esteem and gets depressed. So, marriage counseling is about putting in the hard work and communication. In couples therapy, you have a safe place to understand the reasons behind depression. Together, your marriage therapist can provide tools for staying calm in conflict. Your marriage therapist can also help give tools for playfulness and emotional intimacy. Lastly, working through challenging times together can be really rewarding.
What is family and marriage counseling for trauma and depression all about?
In marriage counseling, depression and trauma have a safe place to be released. When it comes to marriage therapy and depression, depression often affects your children and spouse in different ways. At times, when a parent has depression, children may blame themselves for their parent’s social isolation and withdrawn energy. Young children don’t understand why their parent doesn’t want to get out of bed and sleeps all day. For instance, a child who goes to therapy can learn that their parent’s depression is not their fault, and they are not to blame. And, spouses who go to marriage therapy together can learn to be each other’s friends and romantic partners again. Through therapy, families and couples get stronger, closer, and more bonded. Overall, the healing process from trauma and depression can be a family affair with a meaningful, rewarding outcome.
So, when someone has depression or has been through a traumatic event, holistic counseling can help.
Sometimes, in a couple bubble, sex, physical touch, and physical intimacy decrease as a result of depression. When experiencing depression, parents may not have interests in going to soccer games, energy to help with homework, or attention to give to children. In that case, the other parent picks up the slack, which can create marital tension and stress. At times, marriage resentment may develop because of emotional exhaustion. As you can see, family counseling and marriage counseling can both help depression and trauma.
How do depression and trauma therapy help food and mood?
For instance, counseling for trauma can improve eating habits, improve communication, and you help build new hobbies. Sometimes, with depression, you or a loved one may experience changes in eating habits. Sometimes, people feel like they are starving all the time and feel increased appetite with depression. Other times, people experience a decrease in appetite and less interest in food. Through marriage and family counseling, you and your family can learn healthy sleeping habits, self-care routines, and ways to make these fun and meaningful.
Is Depression a Sign of an Unhappy or Failing Marriage?
Well, depression is a sign that attention needs to be put into the marriage and couple bubble again. As a result of a spouse being depressed, the other partner is left filling voids. Maybe, the other partner is left to do the dishes, laundry, and vacuum. The marriage becomes more separate as this other partner chooses to go out to dinner with their friends, for self-care, leaving their depressed spouse at home alone. With depression, the joy, light-hearted moments, playfulness, connection and sense of companionship are no longer there. The love that was once previously guiding your romantic relationship feels gone.
For one, you feel alone and like your spouse isn’t there for you anymore.
Sometimes, you wonder if your marriage is officially wrecked. Yes, the absence of intimacy, support, and affection, puts a stain on a marriage. However, seeking marriage counseling can help you gain confidence and clarity around emotions. Marriage counseling can help you have the difficult conversation you are avoiding. So, if depression puts a massive strain on your romantic relationship and family unit, book a phone consult today.
How do the Wisdom Within Counseling therapists help treat trauma and depression through marriage counseling?
At Wisdom Within Counseling, marriage counseling for depression and trauma teaches positive coping tools. So, next time depression comes, you and your spouse can pick from a self-care and self-love tool box. As well, at Wisdom Within Counseling, we offer you walking therapies outdoors to help naturally alleviate depression. Going for a walk on the Niantic Bay Boardwalk can boost mood and help treat depression through movement. As well, you can choose from creative art therapies, music therapies, and traditional talking therapies. Each marriage counseling session, you can paint to express feelings that can’t be released through words. For trauma and loss, we offer trauma sensitive yoga therapy to support mind-body awareness and self-love. Trauma-informed yoga therapy is very different from going to a group fitness class. Overall, trauma sensitive yoga therapy helps a depressed person to have skills to use outside the session for social confidence. As a holistic, creative marriage and family therapy counseling practice, we would love to help your spouse and your marriage overcome trauma and treat depression!
