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Depression

We work with depression sufferers who have decided to take full ownership of their recovery. Who wants to discover the confidence, reconnection and relief that comes with resolving hyperactivity in their brain’s fight/flight/freeze system.

Most of our clients are people who understand that there’s more to depression treatment than medication and talk therapies. This is for people who believe in the value of self-care.

At Severn we believe that classic depression ‘treatments like medication and psychotherapy are valuable tools. However, they don’t form a holistic approach to depression treatment. Self-care and self-healing are important aspects of every mental health journey. Depression is a complex issue that impacts the entire person, so a flexible and holistic approach to healing is often necessary.

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Learn More About Depression Care

Severn sessions are for people who want to reclaim their nervous systems. By taking a holistic approach to healing from depression. Most ‘healing journeys’ require us to be open to various perspectives and solutions. Especially if we want to truly free ourselves from depression in the longer term. 

This is an opportunity to learn more about what causes depression to get ‘stuck’ in our nervous systems and the modern treatment options that now exist.

Depression Overview
Depression Causes
Depression Treatment

The Science

If you have ongoing depression symptoms, you may have a persistent over-activation of your limbic system. The limbic system is the part of your brain responsible for the fight/flight/freeze response. Severn sessions use gentle high-frequency light to target hyperactive nerve cells deep in the limbic system.   

From a neurological (nerdy) perspective, the effects of depression are simply a nervous system that has gone into a dissociative state. Which is a part of the limbic brain’s reaction to adverse life events (ALE’s).

The fight-flight-freeze response involves multiple brain centres and body systems. The central processors for this are all located deep in the brain’s limbic system. When the limbic system persistently signals the body that the environment isn’t safe, the body acts accordingly. As a result, physical and psychological conditions can develop.

We are discovering more and more ways to reduce hyperactivity in the limbic system. As a result, great progress is being made in the effective treatment of depression. The rise of CBT, Trauma & Stress Release Exercises, and Mindfulness are all examples of that. We offer light therapy sessions as another breakthrough in self-care for depression sufferers.

Severn Brainwave Entrainment sessions enhance mental and emotional well-being by reducing fight-flight-freeze activity in the limbic system. Brainwave Entrainment leverages the fact that nerve cell clusters deep in the brain respond to light. Many of the brain’s deep nerve clusters are every bit as responsive to light as skin and eye cells.

High-frequency LED light is gently beamed straight into the brain through light-receptive pathways to reduce the over-activation of the brain’s fight or flight centres.

Depression FAQ

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and lack of interest or pleasure in daily activities. Depression can affect a person’s mood, behaviour, and physical well-being. Depression is not a disease, and while genes play a role in everything that our brains do, it is not a hereditary condition as such. Nonetheless, depression can be passed down through families via conditioning. Most cases of depression are largely caused by unprocessed ‘Adverse Life Events’ (ALE’s), which have left a strong impression on the nervous system. Working through these ‘issues’ in a balanced and holistic way, using a variety of approaches, is the key to moving past depression.

Symptoms of depression can include feelings of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, changes in appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue or lack of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide. There is a wide range of symptom severity amongst sufferers of depression. The good news is that although the symptoms of depression are extremely difficult to go through, they are not a life sentence. For those who are willing to work at it, depression can be resolved in much the same way as issues like obesity and addiction can be resolved. It just takes time and effort.

Depression can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, life experiences, and brain chemistry. It can be triggered by major life changes, such as the loss of a loved one, trauma, or chronic stress. When we go through ‘Adverse Life Events’, ALE’s, it can seriously impact our limbic system. The limbic system regulates mood, sleep, memory formation, personality and hormone secretions. When we experience ALE’s, it can leave our limbic system in a permanently dysregulated state. That is until we get the necessary help to process and work through some of the mess our ALE’s left behind. Part of life’s mystery is that we all respond to stress in different ways; depression is one of the most common human reactions to stress.

Depression is diagnosed through a combination of a physical exam, psychological evaluation, and discussion of symptoms. A healthcare professional will typically ask about symptoms, medical history, and family history, and may use a standardized questionnaire to assess depression symptoms. While it is certainly useful to know if you meet the criteria for depression, it’s important not to think of it like you would a disease diagnosis. Depression is not an incurable disease, nor is it necessarily a reason to take medication. The road from depression diagnosis to successful depression treatment is one of mental and emotional healing, which includes professional help and self-care tools.

There are several types of depression, including major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Each type has different symptoms and treatment approaches. The number of possible ways that depression can manifest in a person’s life is essentially infinite. We are all so unique, and our life experiences are unique too. It is best to think of the subtypes of depression as specific patterns that relate to different individuals and the different challenges they have been through. 

Depression is most commonly treated through a combination of medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes. Antidepressant medications can help balance brain chemicals that contribute to depression, while therapy can help individuals address underlying issues and develop coping skills. Lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and a healthy diet, can also support depression treatment. An increasing number of people are choosing to bypass medication and treat depression without drugs. It is vital to understand that for many of us, something as simple as a daily run can be as effective in elevating mood as antidepressants. If you are the type of person who would prefer to use exercises and diet to reduce weight over weight loss pills, it is worth considering that the same principles may apply to your depression under professional supervision.

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is a form of treatment that involves talking with a mental health professional about depression symptoms and related issues. Types of psychotherapy commonly used for depression include cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT). Psychotherapy is an excellent tool for managing depression, yet it is important to support it with as many other tools and approaches as possible. There are a growing number of experts advocating exercise, sleep hygiene and therapies that target the body (as well as the brain) for depression.

CBT is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to depression. It involves identifying and challenging negative thoughts and developing coping strategies to improve mood. CBT is an excellent option for depression because it has an extremely practical bias, and most depression sufferers need tools that they can use to work their way out of chronic depression, and that’s what CBT excels at.

Recovery time for depression can vary depending on the individual and the severity of the symptoms. The recovery time from depression can be influenced by the severity of symptoms, the duration of symptoms and the effectiveness of the tools you are using to get yourself back into a happy, reconnected place. Treatment may take several weeks or months, and recovery can involve ongoing maintenance and management of symptoms. However long it takes you to get past your depression, it will be worth it. We only get one shot at this life, and there isn’t a single one of us who thrives in a depressed state.

While depression cannot always be prevented, there are steps individuals can take to reduce their risk. This includes maintaining a healthy lifestyle, managing stress, seeking support from friends and family, and seeking treatment for depression symptoms as soon as they arise. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), keeping depression at bay can be a bit like keeping excess belly fat away. If you make an honest effort and use the right tools, it is highly likely that you will have success. If, however, you make mistakes along the way, you may leave yourself open to relapses of depression.

In some cases, mild depression may improve on its own over time. However, moderate to severe depression typically requires treatment to manage symptoms and improve quality of life. There are times in life when depression is a natural consequence of our situation. If you are in a genuinely awful job, place or relationship, depression may just be a fairly natural response to your situation. If that is the case, your depression symptoms will most likely subside when your life situation changes for the better.

Depression can have a significant impact on relationships, including increased conflict, decreased intimacy, and decreased social interaction. Living with or being close to someone with depression can be almost as difficult as being depressed yourself. And for those who have not experienced depression themselves, it can be a very difficult thing to understand. All this inevitably places great strain on relationships. We all have a deep desire to connect in a healthy and happy way with those we love, and this can be very difficult when you have ‘shut down’ emotionally. Treatment and proper self-care for depression can help improve relationship dynamics.

Untreated depression can most definitely increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours. It is important to seek urgent help if you (or someone you know) are experiencing depression symptoms that have started to trend towards suicidal thoughts.

It can be very distressing to have a loved one who is suffering from depression. Supporting someone with depression can involve offering emotional support, encouraging them to seek treatment, and providing practical assistance with daily tasks or responsibilities. The best way to help someone with depression is to approach everything you do in terms of supporting rather than fixing. When we mistakenly think we can ‘fix’ things for others, they often feel pressured by our offerings. This tends to create tension and can be extremely counterproductive. Sufferers of depression need support, and they need to progress in their own time.

Sadness and grief are normal emotional experiences that arise in response to difficult life events. Depression, however, involves persistent and pervasive feelings of sadness and lack of interest that interfere with daily functioning. In some sense, persistent sadness and grief can be an integral part of depression, but the depression itself is a failure to cope with, or a reaction to, the sadness and grief. Depression is a response to strong negative emotions and is nearly always caused or triggered by ‘Adverse Life Experiences’ (ALE’s).

Depression can have profound physical effects on the body, including changes in appetite and sleep patterns, fatigue, and pain. Science has shown that sleep, pain and movement levels have a profound effect on health and even longevity, which means that being depressed long-term is a serious health issue for many sufferers. It is not so much depression itself but its impact on behavioural patterns over time that affect the health of the body.

Our Team

Tobias Hall

DC BSc. Hons. IIst Nat. Dip. NZCA

Kade Christensen

BHSc. (Paramedicine) EMT, CERT. ST

Zabad Michael

DPT (Doctor of Physiotherapy)
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