Depression

What is depression?  

Depression, clinically known as major depressive disorder, is an illness that causes feelings of intense sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness. 

Depression is sometimes caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain in which you have insufficient levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. This imbalance negatively impacts your mood and thoughts, leading to behavioral changes. Other causes of depression include environmental, psychological, and social issues, and negative thinking and behavior patterns.

What are the symptoms of depression?

Depression causes a wide range of emotional and physical symptoms, including:

• Sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness
• Feelings of guilt, shame, or self-loathing
• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
• Disturbed sleep
• Changes to your appetite or weight
• Fatigue
• Poor concentration and indecisiveness
• Slow movements, thinking, and speech
• Restless, purposeless movements
• Frequent thoughts of death or suicide

If you are thinking of suicide or harming yourself, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room for immediate help.

Depression can also impact your performance at work or school and disrupt your relationships. You may want to avoid social interaction or have trouble keeping appointments and deadlines.

How is depression diagnosed?

The team at My Psych Health begins treatment for depression with a thorough assessment. They use evidence-based screening tools to assess the level of your depression and make treatment recommendations. 

During your evaluation, you talk about your personal and family medical history as well as your current symptoms, lifestyle, and concerns. This assessment helps her gauge your depression and identify some areas for you to focus on in your counseling sessions.

Some people may benefit from medication in addition to psychotherapy. Your My Psych Health provider can also teach you mindfulness skills to better manage negative moods, thoughts and ideations to enhance your positive experiences and get back on track to living a more fulfilling life.

How is depression treated?

Emerging research shows that the various types of depression respond to different interventions. My Psych Health provides customized therapy sessions via telehealth to help you explore your thoughts and feelings and resolve underlying issues that contribute to your depression. Many patients benefit from specialized therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

CBT is a specialized form of therapy where you learn to recognize your negative thoughts and feelings and respond to them differently. During your sessions, you work on identifying triggers for your feelings and exploring how you react to them mentally and behaviorally. Then, you learn techniques to regain control over your responses. You practice those techniques at home between appointments, changing your habits.

Call My Psych Health or make an appointment online for expert and compassionate counseling for depression.