Understanding and Healing Situational Depression Through Havening
Disclaimer: I am a Havening practitioner and trainer, not a medical doctor. The information in this article is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice. If you're experiencing symptoms of depression, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Life has a way of throwing curveballs when we least expect them. Job loss, relationship breakdowns, health crises, financial strain, or the death of a loved one can knock us off balance in ways that feel insurmountable. When these circumstances create a fog of sadness, hopelessness, and disconnection that persists beyond the initial shock, we may be experiencing situational depression.
What is Situational Depression?
Unlike clinical depression, which often has biochemical roots, situational depression emerges directly from life events that overwhelm our current coping mechanisms. It's a natural response to extraordinary circumstances, yet it can feel anything but natural when you're living through it.
Situational depression typically develops after specific triggering events such as:
Loss of employment or financial security
Relationship breakdowns or divorce
Death of a loved one or pet
Serious illness or injury
Major life transitions (moving house, retirement, empty nest syndrome)
Academic or professional failures
The hallmark of situational depression is its clear connection to external circumstances. While the symptoms may mirror those of clinical depression, the root cause lies in our environment rather than solely in brain chemistry.
Recognising the Signs
Situational depression can manifest in various ways, and symptoms often develop gradually over weeks or months following the triggering event. Common signs include:
Emotional symptoms: Persistent sadness, feelings of hopelessness, irritability, anxiety, or feeling emotionally numb
Physical symptoms: Changes in appetite or weight, sleep disturbances, fatigue, headaches, or unexplained aches and pains
Cognitive symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, indecisiveness, memory problems, or negative thought patterns
Behavioural symptoms: Withdrawal from social activities, neglecting responsibilities, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, or changes in daily routines
It's important to note that experiencing these symptoms doesn't indicate weakness or failure. They represent your mind and body's attempt to process and cope with overwhelming circumstances.
Understanding Situational Depression Through a Trauma-Informed Lens
From a trauma-informed perspective, situational depression isn't just about feeling sad about difficult circumstances. It's about how our nervous system responds when we feel trapped, helpless, or unable to process overwhelming experiences. Our brains are wired to protect us, but sometimes that protection mechanism gets stuck in overdrive.
When we experience significant life stressors, our amygdala (the brain's alarm system) can become hyperactivated. This creates a cascade of stress hormones that, over time, can lead to the symptoms we recognise as depression: persistent sadness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, loss of interest in activities, and feelings of worthlessness or guilt.
The trauma-informed approach recognises that these symptoms aren't character flaws or signs of weakness. They're adaptive responses to overwhelming situations. This understanding shifts us from asking "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" A perspective that opens the door to healing rather than shame.
What Makes Havening Particularly Effective
Havening Techniques represent a breakthrough in trauma therapy because they work directly with the brain's encoding of traumatic experiences. Developed by Dr Ronald Ruden, Havening uses gentle touch, eye movements, and distraction to help deactivate the emotional charge stored in traumatic memories.
Here's why Havening is particularly powerful for situational depression:
It's Body-Based: Depression isn't just in our heads; it lives in our bodies. The heavy feeling in your chest, the knot in your stomach, the exhaustion in your limbs - these are all part of how trauma gets stored. Havening works with the body's natural healing mechanisms through safe, nurturing touch.
It's Accessible: Unlike some therapeutic approaches that require extensive verbal processing, Havening can be learnt and self-applied. This gives people agency in their healing process, which is especially important when situational depression has left them feeling powerless.
It Works Quickly: While traditional talk therapy can take months or years, Havening often produces noticeable results within sessions. For someone in the grip of situational depression, this rapid relief can be life-changing.
It's Gentle: Havening doesn't require you to relive traumatic experiences in detail. Instead, it works by changing how those experiences are stored in your brain, reducing their emotional impact without having to endure the pain of full re-experiencing.
Self-Havening: Tools for Daily Use
The Importance of Professional Support
While self-Havening can be incredibly helpful, situational depression often benefits from professional guidance. A trained Havening practitioner can help you navigate complex emotions, identify patterns, and ensure you're processing experiences safely.
Look for practitioners who understand trauma-informed care, those who recognise that healing happens in relationship, at your own pace, and with your nervous system's capacity in mind.
Hope in the Darkness
If you're reading this whilst in the grip of situational depression, please know this: your pain is real, your struggle is valid, and healing is possible. The circumstances that overwhelmed you don't define you, and the depression you're experiencing isn't a life sentence.
Situational depression, by its very nature, is responsive to change. As you develop new tools for processing difficult experiences (like Havening) and as circumstances shift, your brain can learn new patterns of response. The neural pathways that currently lead to despair can be rewired to lead to resilience.
You are not broken. You are not weak. You are a human being responding to overwhelming circumstances, and with the right support and tools, you can find your way back to yourself.
Taking the Next Step
Healing begins with a single step, and that step is often simply acknowledging that you deserve support. Whether that's learning self-Havening techniques, reaching out to a trauma-informed therapist, or simply talking to someone you trust, you don't have to navigate this alone.
Your nervous system learnt to respond to overwhelming circumstances with depression as a form of protection. With gentle, consistent care, it can learn new responses - ones that leave room for hope, connection, and the possibility that even in difficult circumstances, you can find your way to peace.
Remember: If you're experiencing thoughts of self-harm, please reach out immediately to a mental health professional, your doctor, or a crisis helpline. You matter, and help is available.