Depression and Anxiety

Physically, depression may manifest through stomach pains, headaches, disrupted or excessive sleep, and motor control difficulty. Emotionally, it shows a sad mood and a flat affect. When we are in it, the impression is that, under the surface, there is a distress hard to pinpoint because it is not a fully conscious process—one factor can come from what just happened to us, and another can stem from something deeply rooted in our past—even our childhood.

While we are in that confused state, when we are depressed, we feel something additional to feeling like a funeral: we want to punch ourselves—aggression inward. Like at a funeral, we feel a loss, but unlike at a funeral, we blame ourselves for some failure that we cannot clearly pinpoint—leading to feelings of worthlessness and self-reproach.

While the causes of depression are multifaceted, a predisposition for it runs in families—perhaps due to genetics, or perhaps because we breathe in the depressive material a family member breathes out at home, or perhaps both; as early family dynamics seem to leave a mark. And from that family milieu, depression can, even years later, be reawakened by trauma and adverse life circumstances.

Depression is diagnosed more frequently in women and tends to display differently in men, possibly due to differing socialization patterns and internalized coping mechanisms.
People tend to suffer higher rates of depression after giving birth (postpartum depression) and in late fall (seasonal affective disorder).

Anxiety and depression often exacerbate each other, and those suffering may struggle with a lack of concentration as the unconscious mind attempts to resolve underlying conflicts. Some individuals resort to substance abuse or compulsive behaviors as a means of defense against unbearable mental pain. The risk of self-harm can be seen as an expression of deep-seated internalized rage and unresolved mourning.

Depression is characterized by prolonged emotional symptoms including:
• Apathy (a possible defense against overwhelming emotions),
• Sadness (potentially linked to unconscious grief or repressed memories),
• Guilt (often stemming from feeling conflicted and pressured to “do the right thing”),
• Exhaustion (which may result from the continuous struggle to repress painful material),
• Irritability (a displacement of self-reproaches).

Diagnosis requires professional assessment to rule out other medical conditions. Dr. Piccolo’s approach to treatment involves talk therapy to uncover repressed emotions, explore past relationships, and make deep-seated confused sources more conscious. Additional interventions include medication and lifestyle modifications to support mental health.