Symptoms of Depression

Depression affects people in different ways. Common experiences include:

• a persistent low or flat mood

• loss of motivation or enjoyment

• inability to experience positive emotions

• fatigue or reduced energy

• difficulty concentrating or making decisions

• withdrawal from others

• feelings of emptiness or numbness

• questioning the point or purpose of things

Not everyone feels overtly sad. Many people describe depression as a sense of heaviness or like a thick fog over their mind.

Depression and Identity

For some, depression is closely tied to identity.

This can include:

• feeling disconnected from who you used to be

• uncertainty about direction or purpose

• loss of confidence or self-respect

• feeling out of sync with your values

• negative views of yourself, the world, and the future

These experiences are especially common during periods of transition, long-term stress, burnout, or after meeting external goals that don’t bring the expected sense of fulfilment.

Existential Themes in Depression

Existential depression often involves quieter but more persistent questions:

• “Is this it?”

• “What’s the point?”

• “Does any of this actually matter?”

Rather than being purely cognitive, these questions are often felt deeply, accompanied by a sense of emptiness, disorientation, or lack of meaning.

Ignoring or pushing these questions away rarely helps. When left unaddressed, they can fuel low mood, disengagement, and despair.

What Keeps Depression Going

Depression tends to persist through a combination of patterns, including:

• withdrawal and inactivity

• avoidance of emotions or difficult thoughts

• harsh self-judgement

• loss of structure or routine

• disconnection from values and goals

• rumination and overthinking

Over time, depression can lead to a sense of learned helplessness, where all hope is lost for things improving in the future.

Depression in High-Functioning Individuals

Many people experiencing depression are capable and responsible, with full lives on paper.

They may:

• meet expectations but feel empty

• push through without enjoyment

• feel disconnected despite success

• struggle privately with meaning or purpose

In these cases, depression isn’t a failure — it’s often a signal that something important has been neglected, compromised, or outgrown.

When It’s Worth Seeking Support

It may be helpful to reach out if:

• low mood or emptiness has lasted weeks or months

• motivation continues to decline

• you feel disconnected from yourself or others

• questions about meaning feel overwhelming

• you’re no longer living in line with your values

How I Help With Depression

My approach to working with clients experiencing depression focuses on evidence-based principles and draws from various psychological interventions that I tailor to your specific needs and goals.

This generally involves:

• understanding how depression operates for you

• identifying patterns that reinforce withdrawal or low mood

• gradually rebuilding structure and engagement through behaviour

• addressing self-critical thinking

• exploring values, meaning, and direction

• reconnecting with a sense of identity and agency

If you’d like to arrange a session to discuss your specific situation and see what I can do to help, please get in touch using the form below.

Telehealth sessions are available Australia-wide.