ISTDP for Depression: When You’ve Tried Everything and Still Feel Stuck

If you’re struggling with depression, you’re not alone. And if you’ve tried different types of therapy, maybe even medication or CBT, but still feel stuck or numb, you’re really not alone.

Many people describe depression as a kind of invisible weight: a heaviness, a flatness, or a fog that’s hard to explain and even harder to shift. That’s where ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy) can offer something different.

This isn’t just about coping. It’s about getting to the root of what’s keeping you stuck and working through it, together.

What Is ISTDP?

ISTDP isn’t your usual talk therapy. It’s a structured yet compassionate approach that helps you uncover emotions you may have had to shut down, feelings like sadness, anger, grief, or longing.

In many cases of depression, those feelings have been pushed down for years. Over time, that emotional suppression can lead to numbness, chronic fatigue, or a sense of being disconnected from yourself and the world.

ISTDP helps you safely access those deeper emotional layers so that healing becomes possible, not by analysing, but by feeling. With support. At your pace.

“I Just Feel Numb All the Time” – Sarah’s Story

Sarah was in her early 30s, with a steady job and good friends. But inside, she felt blank. “I guess I should be happy,” she told me, “but I’m not really living.”

Instead of rushing to fix it, we explored her numbness together. What was it protecting her from? What feelings had she learned not to show?

Slowly, Sarah began connecting with a sadness she had buried long ago, grief and frustration she’d suppressed as a child trying to keep the peace at home. When she finally allowed herself to cry, it wasn’t dramatic. It was just real. And from there, her energy started to return.

When Depression Is a Defence, Not a Fault

In ISTDP, depression isn’t seen simply as a chemical imbalance or a flaw to fix. Often, it’s understood as a protective response, your mind’s way of shielding you from overwhelming feelings that once felt too dangerous to face.

It might be anger you were never allowed to feel. Or grief you had no space to process. Over time, that emotional suppression can lead to a shutdown, not because you’re weak, but because you adapted.

ISTDP helps you listen to what the depression is telling you. Not as a problem to erase, but as a signal to understand.

David’s Story: “It’s Like Walking Through Fog”

David, in his late 40s, described his depression as feeling like “walking through fog.” He’d never thought much about his past. “Nothing dramatic,” he said, except that he’d always been the strong one. The dependable one. The one who didn’t complain.

In therapy, David started to recognise the cost of that role. He hadn’t just silenced his sadness — he’d silenced his needs altogether. As we worked through that together, something lifted. He no longer felt invisible, even to himself.

And that’s when the fog began to clear.

Why ISTDP Works for Depression

ISTDP isn’t a quick fix, but it is focused and intentional. It doesn’t just help you manage your symptoms. It helps you understand and resolve what’s underneath them.

This therapy helps you:

• Notice how you block or avoid certain emotions

• Gently access feelings you’ve had to bury

• Understand how early experiences shaped your emotional patterns

• Break the cycle of depression by working through what was once too much to feel

And most importantly, it happens in relationship. Your therapist is there with you, present, responsive, and committed to helping you heal.

Is This the Right Therapy for You?

If you’ve tried therapy before and still feel stuck…

If you want to understand your depression instead of just managing it…

If you’re looking for something deeper than CBT or standard talking therapy…

Then ISTDP may be the next step.

I offer one-to-one therapy based in Nottingham and online across the UK and Europe. If you’re curious about how this approach might help, I’d be happy to talk it through.

contact: benjonespsychotherapist@gmail.com