There’s More to Depression Than Meets the Eye

Resisting, Rationalising or Repressing Won't Work. Here’s the Advice I Give as a Therapist.

Depression sucks.

I’m a therapist. But before that, I was someone who struggled with depression.

In fact, that’s part of what led me to therapy in the first place.

Feeling low, numb, or hopeless isn’t a personal failure—it’s part of being human. Yet most people try to fight it or run from it. They bury themselves in work, procrastinate endlessly, or turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms just to get by.

The problem is, none of that truly works.

Because the moment you're alone... quiet... still…
That feeling creeps back in like a ghost.

It doesn’t just vanish. It lingers.
You might feel it in fleeting moments throughout your day—
A heavy sense of hopelessness. A lack of desire to do anything.
A quiet numbness where joy used to be.

So here’s the truth:

Depression isn’t something you can fight or “fix” with tips, tricks, or to-do lists.

And it definitely isn’t something to hide like a dirty sock under the bed.

Depression is a signal.
It’s your mind and body trying to tell you:
Something’s wrong.

More often than not, that something is unresolved trauma.

And before you think, “But I don’t have trauma—I haven’t been to war or experienced abuse,”
Let me stop you there.

Trauma isn’t just what happened to you.
It’s what happened inside you as a result.

It’s your body’s response to pain, fear, or emotional neglect.
And everyone experiences it differently.

So what do you do?

That’s the big question. And the honest answer? It’s not simple.

You might wonder, “Can’t I just take a pill and make it go away?”

Yes—you can. And for some people, medication can help.

But medication often quiets the symptoms without addressing the root cause.
It can numb the pain, but it doesn’t heal it.

That’s where therapy comes in.

In my practice, I help clients not only explore their emotional distress, but also understand how their trauma shows up in the body.

It’s a process of curious, compassionate, and judgment-free exploration.
It’s not about rationalising the pain or reframing it so it “hurts less.”
It’s about giving your emotions the space and attention they’ve been denied.

Because here’s the surprising thing:
When you observe your pain without trying to fix it immediately—
You begin to understand it.
You start noticing the patterns, the triggers, the beliefs that keep you stuck.

And that’s when real healing begins.

This is more than mental.

Trauma lives in the body too.

Numerous studies have shown that trauma can lead to physiological conditions like body aches, digestive problems, heart conditions, and even autoimmune conditions.

That’s why I also use somatic therapy approaches—
Helping clients notice and work with how their emotional pain shows up physically.

Because the body remembers what the mind tries to forget.

You don’t have to live like this forever.

I’ve seen clients go from numbness and misery to creativity, joy, and deep self-connection.

It doesn’t happen overnight. But it’s possible.

If you’ve read this far, maybe you—or someone you care about—is struggling.

If there’s one thing I want to leave you with, it’s this:

Depression isn’t a weakness. It’s a call for help. And that help exists.

Warmly,
Fatima Tahira
Psychotherapist | Somatic & Trauma-Informed Healing