The Trouble With the Word “Depression” – And Why It Matters
Am I depressed or just going through a rough patch?
It’s a question that many people silently carry—especially when their inner experience doesn’t quite match the language offered by modern mental health systems. Before we explore the answer, it’s worth pausing to consider what we really mean by “depression.”
Today, depression is used to describe everything from deep emotional despair to temporary sadness or burnout. It’s often medicalised—turned into a diagnosis, a checklist, or something to be treated and “fixed.” But what if that language doesn’t quite fit what you’re going through?
At Thrive Together Psychotherapy in Weybridge, we take a different view.
From an existential-analytic perspective, what many people call depression is often a natural response to something in life that has become unliveable, unbearable, or profoundly disconnected from who you are. Your struggle may not be a clinical condition—it may be a message, not a malfunction.
Mind UK’s guide to depression offers a mainstream view—one that can be useful but not always complete.
Am I Depressed or Just in a Rough Patch?
It’s a meaningful, human question. While we don’t pathologise emotional pain, here are signs that what you’re feeling may go deeper than a passing difficulty:
1. Emotional Exhaustion That Won’t Lift
When even rest, breaks, or lifestyle changes don’t ease the emotional weight, you may be experiencing more than a rough patch.
The British Psychological Society highlights the importance of understanding emotional distress in context.
2. Feeling Disconnected From Yourself
You may feel numb, emotionally flat, or like you’re going through life on autopilot. Even joy can feel out of reach.
The School of Life’s take on depression is a powerful philosophical lens on this experience.
3. Loss of Meaning and Purpose
Existential depression often includes thoughts like: What’s the point? or a sense that your goals no longer reflect your truth.
4. Withdrawing from Others
Not because you don’t care—but because expressing yourself feels impossible. Or pointless. This kind of isolation is common in existential struggle.
Existential Therapy: Beyond Labels and Quick Fixes
At Thrive Together Psychotherapy, we don’t offer a checklist or a formula. We offer space. Time. Presence. A relationship in which your inner world is taken seriously.
From an existential-analytic perspective, therapy isn’t about removing your pain—it’s about relating to it differently. Not every form of suffering is a disorder. Sometimes it’s a sign that something in you needs attention, grief, or change.
Psychology Today’s guide to existential therapy is a helpful overview of this way of working.
You Don’t Need a Diagnosis to Ask for Help
Whether you’re feeling depressed, emotionally lost, or simply out of step with your life, you don’t need a label to begin healing. You just need somewhere to begin.
At Thrive Together Psychotherapy, we offer a free 2-hour consultation to explore what lies beneath the surface—with honesty, depth, and care.
📍 Based in Weybridge, Surrey
🌿 Existential Therapy for Depression, Burnout, and Emotional Disconnection
👉 Book Your Free Consultation Today
