Depression Archives - BCS Counseling.

In recent months, doctors and mental health professionals have raised a red flag: more young people are turning to chatbots like ChatGPT for emotional support and even therapy. While AI tools can provide quick responses and a sense of comfort in the moment, experts warn that relying on them for mental health care comes with serious risks.

Why Young People Are Turning to Chatbots

It’s easy to see why chatbots have become appealing. They’re available 24/7, free to access, and provide instant replies without judgment. For teenagers and young adults navigating stress, loneliness, or anxiety, an AI that “listens” may feel safer than opening up to friends, family, or even a therapist.

But that accessibility creates a false sense of security. Unlike licensed professionals, chatbots cannot diagnose, provide personalized treatment, or respond to crises effectively.

The Risks of AI “Therapy”

Doctors highlight three major concerns:

Inaccurate or harmful advice – AI models are trained on vast amounts of text, but they do not truly understand human emotion or mental illness. Their responses may unintentionally reinforce harmful thoughts or spread misinformation.
Lack of crisis response – If someone expresses suicidal thoughts, a chatbot cannot intervene, call for help, or provide emergency resources in the way a trained counselor can.
Delayed real treatment – Relying on chatbots can prevent people from seeking professional care when it’s most needed, prolonging suffering and worsening symptoms.

Why Human Connection Matters

Therapy is more than conversation. It’s a relationship built on trust, empathy, and expertise. A therapist doesn’t just listen, they notice patterns, challenge destructive thinking, and provide strategies tailored to a person’s unique history and struggles. AI can not replicate that. It can simulate empathy, but it cannot genuinely care, adapt to complex emotions, or guide someone through the nuanced journey of recovery.

Training yourself to be a better listener is the best way to drastically improve the quality of your relationships, from your spouse and children to bosses or coworkers.

Stop giving advice and always trying to fix it.
Ask open-ended questions that will encourage more communication.
Reflect back to understand what you’re hearing.
Validate their emotions even if you think they are misguided.
Validate your own emotions, but remember you are there to listen, not talk about how you are feeling.

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in our own thoughts and agendas. However, true communication doesn’t just involve talking—it hinges on the skill of being a good listener. When we listen well, we build stronger relationships, foster mutual understanding, and create an environment of respect and trust.

Good listening involves more than remaining silent while the other person speaks. It’s about active listening—giving our undivided attention and showing genuine interest in the speaker’s words, emotions, and concerns. Simple but powerful actions—maintaining eye contact, nodding in acknowledgment, and asking follow-up questions—demonstrate empathy and make the speaker feel heard and valued.

Listening is also about resisting the urge to interrupt or formulate responses prematurely. Instead, we should pause to reflect on what’s being shared, then respond thoughtfully. By doing so, we improve both personal and professional interactions, as people feel more comfortable sharing their ideas and feedback.

Becoming a better listener won’t happen overnight, but consistent effort goes a long way. Set aside distractions, focus on the speaker’s perspective, and seek to understand rather than simply to reply. Over time, these habits strengthen connections, resolve conflicts more effectively, and enrich every conversation you have.

Everyone feels sad from time to time. It’s a natural response to difficult experiences, disappointments, or loss. But when does sadness cross the line into something more serious, like depression? Understanding the difference is crucial for recognizing when you or someone you love may need support.

What Is Sadness?

Sadness is a temporary emotional state that arises in response to a specific event, such as the loss of a loved one, a breakup, or a failed opportunity. It’s a normal and healthy emotion that allows us to process difficult experiences.

Signs of Sadness:

Triggered by a specific event or situation
Typically temporary, lasting hours to a few days
Still able to enjoy moments of happiness
Does not significantly interfere with daily life
Improves with time or positive distractions

Sadness can feel overwhelming, but it usually fades as circumstances change or as we find ways to cope.

What Is Depression?

Depression, on the other hand, is a mental health condition that extends far beyond temporary sadness. It affects thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, often without a clear cause. Depression can persist for weeks, months, or even years and significantly impact daily life.

Signs of Depression:

Persistent sadness or emptiness lasting more than two weeks
Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
Changes in sleep patterns (insomnia or excessive sleep)
Appetite changes (eating too much or too little)
Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, or worthlessness
Fatigue and low energy, even with adequate rest
Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
Physical symptoms like headaches or unexplained pain
Suicidal thoughts or self-harm tendencies

Depression is not just a reaction to a bad day or a rough patch—it’s a serious condition that requires attention and, often, professional support.

How to Tell the Difference

The key distinction between sadness and depression lies in duration, severity, and impact on daily life. Sadness is usually short-lived and linked to a specific event, while depression lingers and affects multiple aspects of a person’s well-being.

Feature	Sadness	Depression
Duration	Temporary, fades with time	Persistent, lasting weeks or months
Cause	Triggered by a specific event	May not have a clear cause
Effect on Life	Still able to function and find joy	Significant disruption in daily activities
Mood Changes	Improves with time or positive events	Constant or worsening feelings of despair
Physical Symptoms	Usually none	Fatigue, appetite changes, sleep disturbances

When to Seek Help

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of depression, seeking professional help is important. Therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes can all be effective in treating depression.

Signs You Should Reach Out for Help:

Symptoms last more than two weeks
Struggles with daily responsibilities and relationships
Loss of interest in life
Feelings of hopelessness or thoughts of self-harm

How to Support Someone with Depression

If a friend or loved one is showing signs of depression:

Listen without judgment – Let them express their feelings.
Encourage professional help – Suggest therapy or a doctor’s visit.
Check in regularly – Small gestures can mean a lot.
Be patient – Recovery takes time.

Final Thoughts

Sadness is a normal part of life, but depression is a serious condition that should not be ignored. If you’re unsure whether you’re dealing with sadness or depression, pay attention to the duration, intensity, and impact on daily life. Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness, and the right support can make all the difference.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, don’t hesitate to reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional. You are not alone, and help is available.

Sadness is an emotion often defined as a ‘transient emotional state’ which can include feelings such as disappointment, grief, hopelessness and disinterest. Like other emotions, sadness is something we all experience from time to time. but when we experience prolonged or severe sadness that is when it can turn into depression.

Depression differs from sadness in its intensity, frequency, and duration.

Intensity; While the event would make most people sad, you respond with a much deeper level of sadness. It is too intense. Your sadness moves outside the normal range of response. Frequency; Your sadness may not be out of proportion, but it is recurrent. You seem to get over it, and then it comes back. This repetitive cycle becomes a pattern in your life. Duration; Your sadness comes and it stays and stays. The sadness lasts much longer than it does for most other people in similar circumstances.

People with depression do not all experience the same symptoms. How severe, frequent, or how long they last will vary, depending on the individual and circumstances.

Here are common symptoms people with depression experience:

Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
Fatigue and decreased energy, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness
Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
Irritability, restlessness, loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex

If you feel you might be suffering from Depression, mild or otherwise, contact us now to see if talking to a therapist might help you.

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The 5 stages of grief:

1. 1. 1. Denial
    2. Anger
    3. Bargaining
    4. Depression
    5. Acceptance

Denial

Denial is a normally an immediate and temporary response, that carries you through the first wave of pain, you might even doubt the reality of the loss at first. But when you are ready, the feelings and emotions you have denied will surface, and your healing journey will commence.

Anger

It is common to feel anger toward the situation or person you lost. In reality, you understand the person isn’t to blame, but emotionally, you may feel like you resent them for leaving you.

Bargaining

Guilt might rear its head during this stage, your emotions might be trying to regain some control. Non of this is uncommon and as hard as it might feel, this helps you face the reality of your loss.

Depression

Depression, or sadness, is a natural and appropriate response to grief. As you start to face the reality of your loss, the realization may lead you to feel varying degrees sadness to great despair.

Acceptance

An important stage. Accepting the loss you’ve experienced, learning to live with it, and how you will readjust your life accordingly. This may not be the end of your grief, moving back-and-forth between these stages is natural and a part of the healing process. Everyone is different, don’t try to rush it.

Everyone experiences grief differently, you might feel your own grieving process isn’t going “according to the norm” but there is no such thing as a right or wrong way to grieve while of coping with loss.

If you feel you might need a little extra help dealing with grief, contact us now to schedule an appointment with a fully trained and compassionate therapist: APPOINTMENTS

We all go through periods of low energy or feeling tired, multiple days of feeling overly tired is not uncommon, but most people can tell when their fatigue feels like something more serious. If that’s the case, or your fatigue gets worse or lasts longer than a week or two, it’s time to get some help.

Psychological causes of tiredness are much more common than physical causes:

Stress
The strains of daily life can feel like they are wearing you out, remember that even positive events, such as moving house or getting married, can cause exhausting stress.

Emotional shock
A bereavement, redundancy or a relationship break-up can make you feel tired and exhausted. Getting professional help to make this grief or shock can help you understand and manage your mental responses.

Depression
If you feel continued sadness and you wake up tired, you may have depression. Sadness is an expected human feeling, but if the sadness extends past 2 to 3 weeks, they it maybe be something more serious. Keep a diary, monitor your feelings. And get help if your sadness persists.

Anxiety
Anxiety can be exhausting! and a perfectly normal human emotion. But if you have regular, excessive feelings of anxiety, you may have Generalised Anxiety Disorder. GAD characterized chronic, exaggerated worry and tension that is more severe than the normal anxiety most people experience. As well as feeling worried and irritable, people with GAD often feel tired.

If you think your tiredness may be a result of one of the above, and you’d like to talk to a professional, contact us now – we will match you with the right therapist for you.

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You should never underestimate the affect that stress can have on your body and your mind.

The symptoms of large amounts of stress include tiredness, illness, and the inability to concentrate or think clearly. Sometimes, prolonged periods of stress can even cause a mental breakdown. If you suffer from extreme stress or are stressed for a long period of time, your body will eventually wear itself down.

But sometimes a small amount of stress can actually be good in that it can help you gather yourself and take action. For example, when you have an important task to perform, stress can kick in and motivate you to meet your goals. During times of crisis, stress can send you into “automatic pilot” mode where you are able to block out the chaos around you and react effectively in the situation.

Some common stress factors include academic demands; moving house; being on your own in a new environment, new responsibilities; a new job or promotion; changes in family relations and your social life; financial responsibilities, and of course, a global phenomenon such as COVID-19, where our way of life has changed completely and the future is uncertain.

Whether in school or employment, pulling an “all-nighter” can lead to stress-driven exhaustion the following day. Caffeine starts with a temporary energy boost and ends in a crash, which can leave you feeling worse than you did originally. Waiting until the very last minute to get something done which forces your body to run on adrenaline.

Some ways to manage stress relief would start with managing your time wisely and staying organized. Try to get some form of exercise daily and eat healthily. A very important consideration when you are going through a stressful time, get enough sleep, it may seem a simple answer, but it’s also works.

If we just push through, things will eventually get better.

I’m not sure where that mindset came from, but I am certain that it was learned – and that it’s wrong.

Many people don’t seek therapy until things have become so unmanageable that they can no longer function properly. Somewhere in the craziness of life, we have stopped listening to our bodies, minds, and spirits when they tell us we are doing too much, or that our lifestyle is not sustainable.

As with most medical conditions, early diagnosis usually leads to better outcomes. Getting the help you need as soon as possible can help you prevent things getting worse. Treatment can help you avoid the negative effects on your daily life, from strained relationships to difficulty managing work and finances.

So, what are the issues that eventually push women to find a good therapist?

Depression and Anxiety
Life Adjustment Disorders
Difficulty in Relationships
Addiction
Mood Instability
Disordered Eating
Grief
Personal Growth

Talk to us, we are a team of friendly, fully qualified and experienced therapists, from all walks of life and backgrounds. We will pair you with the therapist that suits you best.

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We asked our experts for advice about ways to minimize stress and help everyone in the family feel as good as possible about this unusual holiday season.

1. Don’t wait to make plans

Give everyone time to make good decisions and get comfortable with them, especially if they represent a big change in family traditions.

2. Discuss house rules in advance

You need clear communication, maybe with everybody getting on a call beforehand and laying out who’s comfortable with what.

3. Stay the course

It can be helpful have a script to use if someone isn’t respecting the rules: “My mom says I’m not allowed to give you a hug this year but we can wave!”

4. Give the kids a voice

What would they like to cook?
What games do they want to play?
Do they want to set aside time for favorite movies or listen to special music?

Being part of that decision-making process helps offset some of those negative feelings.

5. Create a safe space to express disappointment

Things will be different this year, family and friends of all ages have expectations for the holiday, many of which will not happen and so create disappointments. Keeping everyone, including your kids in the conversation and letting them know they are heard, can help them feel respected even in situations that don’t go the way they want.

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BCS recognizes and understands the feelings of anxiety, distress and concern many people may be experiencing in relation to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and offers the following well-being advice.

Working from home:

Be realistic about what can be achieved.
Keep the hours you work in check and be mindful of work-life balance.
Stay in touch with family and friends.
Eat well and prioritize sleep
tay physically fit, there are many home fitness YouTube’s you can follow
Try and find time to switch off from Coronavirus infomation overload on tv.
Monitor warning signs of poor mental health.
Reach out to mentors and colleagues for support.
Maintain interests outside work.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:

Excessive worrying or fear
Feeling excessively sad or low
Problems concentrating
Mood changes, including excessive highs
Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger
Avoiding calling or face time with friends
Difficulties understanding or relating to other people
Changes in sleeping habits
Feeling tired and low energy
Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite
Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress

If you feel you need a little extra help – Online Counseling is convenient, private and it works.

Why Young People Are Turning to Chatbots

The Risks of AI “Therapy”

Why Human Connection Matters

What Is Sadness?

Signs of Sadness:

What Is Depression?

Signs of Depression:

How to Tell the Difference

When to Seek Help

Signs You Should Reach Out for Help:

How to Support Someone with Depression

Final Thoughts

Depression differs from sadness in its intensity, frequency, and duration.

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

Everyone experiences grief differently, you might feel your own grieving process isn’t going “according to the norm” but there is no such thing as a right or wrong way to grieve while of coping with loss.

You should never underestimate the affect that stress can have on your body and your mind.

We asked our experts for advice about ways to minimize stress and help everyone in the family feel as good as possible about this unusual holiday season.

1. Don’t wait to make plans

2. Discuss house rules in advance

3. Stay the course

4. Give the kids a voice

5. Create a safe space to express disappointment

For Appointments:

718 313 4357