Many times depression and anxiety come from not living your life authentically. It is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. You try to fit in but no matter how hard you try it never feels exactly right. You seem stuck. The effort can be exhausting, draining all your energy. It can be emotionally painful. Depression sets in.
Just the thought of looking for a 'square hole', somewhere, doing something, that better fits who you are, is scary. It can mean going against what others expect of you or believe is the "right way", the "only way". Anxiety can set in.
Being authentic means being your true self. This is hard given all the messages we receive starting at birth.
We start to live our lives as others want us to live, not only from early childhood messages at home, but also from your experiences and teachings in school, in religion, on the play ground, the cultural and societal norms, gender norms. Messages you have received through direct teaching, from observations, from reinforcement, from movies, billboards, music, social media, and it goes on and on. . . .
Psychotherapy can help support you as you connect to your true self, understand yourself better, explore options, work through dilemmas, and make challenging, yet more authentic, life decisions.