Blog

• North Yorkshire Talking Therapies

We see idealistic images of perfectly decorated houses, elegantly set tables and families oozing with happiness – causing many of us to start questioning – why do I not feel this happy?

In reality, many people feel overwhelmed, anxious and tired. You’re not alone. The extra pressures from the expectations of what we ‘should do’, ‘should be’ and ‘should have’ can negatively affect your mental health.

I ‘should’ feel happy – it’s Christmas.

I ‘should’ attend as many social events as possible, otherwise I’m being miserable.

I ‘should’ create the perfect dinner, have decorations up and make sure my family have fun.

I ‘should’ be able to afford to buy my family fantastic gifts.

‘Should’ creates negative thinking patterns which then affect the way we feel (physically and emotionally) and how we behave. Of course, negative thinking can affect us at any time of year, but we can be more vulnerable to it during the Christmas and new year period.

North Yorkshire NHS Talking Therapies are here to support you with these thoughts and feelings. Feeling depressed is a very real but treatable concern.

One in six adults are experiencing depression (Office of National Statistics, 2021) and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects one in 20 people (Healthwatch, 2023). A recent poll showed a third of people find that their mental health declines during the festive period (Mental Health UK and Skipton Building Society, 2022).

Symptoms of low mood or depression include:

• Losing interest in things you would usually enjoy; feeling anxious or irritable; difficulties with sleep; low energy levels; poor or increased appetite; withdrawing from others; a decreased sex drive; difficulty concentrating; feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness.

The ‘winter blues’ or SAD is a type of depression that usually becomes more apparent during the winter. However, some people with SAD do experience the condition during the summer. Symptoms are very similar to depression.

Possible causes of SAD are

• reduced hours of sunlight, a disrupted body clock, problems with melatonin and serotonin levels, and weather and temperatures.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, please reach out for support by self-referring to North Yorkshire NHS Talking Therapies via the website or call one of our local teams on the below numbers. You can also visit your GP.

Harrogate & Ripon talking therapies service: 01423 852137,

Hambleton, Richmondshire & Catterick talking therapies service: 01609 768890,

Whitby, Scarborough & Ryedale talking therapies service: 01947 899270.

 

Hear directly from one of our patients, Penny (name has been changed)

‘I self-referred to the North Yorkshire NHS Talking Therapies service after experiencing depressive symptoms for a period of time. I’d left the Armed Forces and found out I was pregnant. My midwife recommended I get further support to ensure my symptoms didn’t worsen. There were also concerns around potential attachment due to issues from my childhood.

‘I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for the last seven years and have had various therapies with different people. Initially I had some sessions of guided self-help Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and was then stepped up for High Intensity therapy, it was here that I met Frances for an assessment. Following the assessment we agreed that I’d most benefit from interpersonal therapy, as by this time, I had given birth to a little girl and was transitioning into motherhood.

‘Frances was able to build a close therapeutic relationship with me, which is something I have always struggled with. But she took her time with me, allowed me to discuss my problems and most importantly was non-judgemental in her approach. I did wonder initially whether Frances would be able to work with me, as we both realised that my case was more complicated than expected on first look; but after working through my symptoms bit by bit, the bigger picture became easier to see.

‘The whole process was difficult for me, as the subjects we touched on were at times traumatic and I found myself in tears during each session. I felt like Frances rode the rollercoaster of emotion with me; she felt the anger and the pain and was open and honest with me throughout. Her empathetic approach made the process easier and gave me reason to keep going and be the best I could be for my baby.

‘We looked closely at my symptoms and were able to determine whether the rocky periods I had throughout the sessions were my true depressive symptoms or something else going on.

‘I was able to learn more about myself as a person and rather than seeing myself negatively, I could see myself in a positive light and believe in myself. I came out of that process stronger than when I started, and I was able to be a better mother and better partner.

‘I truly believe that if I’d not worked with Frances during this period then the outcome would have been very different. She’s one of the most caring and compassionate people I’ve ever met and is fantastic at what she does. I feel lucky to have dipped into her expertise and to have been able to work with her, despite the ups and downs I experienced during this time.

‘I’m now aware of my triggers, the symptoms I need to watch out for and how to determine whether my symptoms are my true depressive symptoms or whether something else is going on. I can’t thank Frances enough for her time.’

Hear from Frances, our High Intensity Therapist

‘In our lives, when the reality doesn’t match the expectation, we begin to question why we don’t feel a certain way and turn in on ourselves to try to find an answer. We then become more disconnected from those around us, and the black dog of depression can set up home in our heads and our hearts.

‘Penny had been able to recognise the signs of her depression and reached out for support to North Yorkshire NHS Talking Therapies. We were able to help her through interpersonal psychotherapy.

‘One of the main goals of interpersonal psychotherapy is to improve the quality of our relationships with others. You spend time exploring expectations and discussing what things ‘can’ feel like rather than what they ‘should’ feel like, which helps to realign expectations.

‘Once we understand the entanglements of the depression, we set about finding ways to evict the black dog.

‘I would imagine that many people can relate to Penny’s story, especially around Christmas and in the winter months. We all have expectations of how Christmas ‘should be’ and are influenced by our own ghosts of Christmas past.

‘Christmas can be a time of happiness and love for many people, but it won’t feel this way for everyone. It can be an incredibly sad and lonely time. The black dog of depression takes up residence in heads and hearts and steals the warmth that we once had.

‘As a clinician, it’s so rewarding to help people on their journey to recovery. Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is just one of the evidence-based forms of therapy we provide within Talking Therapies. We offer educational courses on stress and low mood management, computerised and in person Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).

‘North Yorkshire NHS Talking Therapies offer help and support through a range of talking therapies designed for people with symptoms of depression, panic, anxiety, stress, worry and scary thoughts. We usually start with easy-to-access activities that are short and available online or by phone and then go on to more one-to-one therapies as needed.

‘If you’re struggling with your mental health, then I encourage you to take that first step to reach out for help. Once you take that first step and ask for help, you’re no longer alone in your journey to recovery.’

• Find an NHS Talking Therapies service. You can refer yourself directly to an NHS talking therapies service – go to uk/mentalhealth or speak to your GP.
• Blog kindly provided by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust’s Talking Therapies service.