How To Manage Your Depression By Changing Your Self-Concept
Let me ask you something: Do you think your “Self-Concept” is important when it comes to managing depression?
What would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10? Would you give it a 9… or more like a 3?
Does it make that much of a difference in the grand scheme of things?
Personally, I think your Self-Concept is an important key when it comes to managing depression…
Why? Because if someone walks around with the idea in their head that they’re a “depressed person,” then it’s going to be very hard to stop feeling like everything is overwhelming… even if they use some kind of “quick fix” to feel better in the short-term.
Why’s that?
Your Self-Concept Is Key To Your Experience Of Life
Well, maybe you’ve heard about people who only seem to get romantically involved with partners who hurt them…
And this may not happen just once or twice… but over and over.
Maybe you heard this and thought something like: “Really?… How do they keep ending up with someone who messes everything up like that.?”
I admit I was also confused the first few times I heard stories like this. But then I talked to some people who experienced or studied the topic… and I read books about it.
I came to find out this happens to a lot more people than you might guess. I even learned most people with this problem are trying to get their emotional needs met as adults that they never got met during childhood.
What’s happening here? My answer is that a lot of this is explained by self-concept.
Deep inside their minds, these people have a sense of identity that says they’re a person who gets abandoned… who’s unwanted… who receives anger (or neglect) from significant others. That identity is older and has deeper roots than their current reality… the reality of trying to make an adult romantic relationship work.
So they only get into relationships with others who fit this picture. Their self-concept is so true to them that they find it in the real world.
And another thing: most people who get into these kinds of romantic relationships never experienced safety, acceptance, or connection before… so they have no idea what to do with it when they come across it.
Put differently, they never learned how to recognize, attract, or value a healthy relationship… So they make all kinds of mistakes when they’re honestly trying to do what’s right. It makes me sad to see.
So what’s this got to do with managing your depression? Everything.
This Is Actually Your Best Secret Weapon For Managing Depression…
All you have to do is put some time into developing your self-concept.
I mention my plan for 12 sessions of depression treatment to you a few times on my website. Here’s a few more things I’d like to share that I don’t think I mentioned anywhere else…
The first thing I want to tell you is I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from what a man named Epictetus said a long time ago: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
I specifically designed the 12 sessions to address how we react to problems we’re facing. One of the things we’ll work on is how to change your self-concept… by working with you on how you react once you do face challenges in your life. One example is “negative thinking.”
If someone finds themselves thinking negatively, like about why things aren’t working or why they can’t help but fall apart, then they need to go inside and do something about it now. It’s not helping.
Depression Therapy Can Heal Your Self-Concept
If you’re someone who needs therapy for depression, then looking into your self-concept is key. It branches out and connects to many other parts of how you’re experiencing life.
Did I mention that this look at your self-concept is just one of many things we’ll work on? Because it is. Self-concept is a piece of the total 12 sessions—because putting all of them together is the real “secret key.”
A major focus of our 12 sessions is on helping you get an in-depth understanding of the self-concept that a person with depression typically brings to therapy. When you understand why and how you feel something, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to react to that feeling in a later situation.
For example, many people with depression believe the future is bleak. Psychologists say this view of the future feels “hopeless.”
In our sessions, I’ll work to understand what future you see for yourself and if there’s anything you’d like to experience differently, plus manage the relationship this has to your self-concept. The way you view how your life is going to turn out is directly related to the way you view yourself.
If you’d like to work with me on therapy for depression, please reach out!
Find out more about Depression Treatment.
About The Author
John Younes, JD, MA, LPCC, NCC is a trained counselor who owns a private practice in Denver, CO. In general, he specializes in depression treatment using existential and cognitive therapy practices.
Lastly, if you’re thinking about suicide and are in immediate danger, please call your local emergency number… so for Denver, Colorado, call 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.