Depression

Depression is not just feeling “sad” – it is a mood disturbance that goes beyond feeling sad. It affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physical health. It can lead to isolation and withdrawal from activities someone used to enjoy. Depression is a medical illness and not a sign of personal weakness. 

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Without treatment, the severity and frequency of the symptoms can increase over time. If left untreated, a person may face serious impairments in their ability to function at home, work, and in their personal or social lives. These may include difficulty concentrating, making decisions, moving and talking slower, loss of appetite, and a general lack of motivation. 

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Symptoms of Depression may include the following:

• Feeling sad or depressed

• Loss of interest in activities that was once enjoyed

• Irritability or restlessness

• Increased need for sleep (hypersomnia) or decreased ability to sleep (insomnia)

• Feelings of helplessness

• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions.

• Feelings of hopelessness

• Moving or talking a lot slower (psychomotor retardation) or quicker (psychomotor activation) than is typical

• Low energy

• Fluctuations (increases or decreases) in appetite

• Lack of motivation

• Having thoughts of suicide or death

 

These symptoms can occur for different periods of time. Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize as they may have been present for our whole lives, or we may have just gotten used to them. Sometimes they can wax and wane (increase and decrease in severity) over the course of time.

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Contrary to what some may say, Depression does not always have a clear or obvious precipitating factor. It can occur due to any of the following:

• Learned behaviors (e.g., upbringing)

• Genetic predisposition (e.g., family history)

• Chemical imbalance

• Trauma or stressful circumstances

• Psychosocial factors (e.g., social issues, various stress, anxiety)

• Substance use/abuse

• Medication

 

Similar to several other mental health issues, Depression can be treated in a number of ways. While individual cases vary, research shows:

• no treatment yields the worst results,

• medication alone yields better results,

• therapy alone yields even better results,

• and therapy and medication together consistently yield the best results.

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Our clinicians have had years of training and experience in diagnosing and treating depression and related mood disorders. Reach out to us to learn about coping skills, problem solving, and to better understand the underlying issues contributing to your depression to help overcome and manage it successfully.