Depression

What is depression?

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a long-term illness where you feel intense negative emotions, such as:

• Sadness
• Worthlessness
• Guilt
• Shame
• Self-loathing
• Hopelessness

You stop enjoying the events or activities you usually enjoy, and everything in life seems pointless. You feel little or no happiness and suffer from fatigue and problems thinking clearly.

Not everyone with depression has precisely the same symptoms. For instance, some people lose their appetite while others turn to food as a source of comfort. Sleeping patterns may change, so you could get insomnia (struggle to sleep) or spend much of the day asleep.

Depression symptoms tend to worsen over time without treatment. They can become so overwhelming that people self-harm or reach a stage where ending their lives seems the only solution.

What causes depression?

Chemicals in your brain (neurotransmitters) like dopamine and serotonin influence your mood. Levels of these chemicals will likely be low when you have depression, but whether that’s the illness’s cause or an outcome of the condition is less well understood.

Traumatic experiences like death, relationship breakdown, or job loss can trigger depression for some people. Even something that should be a happy event, like moving to a new home or getting a better job, can lead to depression. In many cases, there’s no identifiable cause.

What treatments might help relieve my depression?

Bowman Family Medicine Clinic, LLC uses two main treatments to help people with depression.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves discussing feelings, challenges, and problems with a trained counselor. It’s an invaluable tool for most patients with depression. Psychotherapy helps you understand your condition better and address any traumas or emotional pressure points that underlie your condition.

Medication

Medications like antidepressants correct the chemical imbalances in your brain. They often take several weeks to start working, so you must stick with it while your brain chemistry adjusts.

The most common classes of antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants. As they work in different ways, one class of medication might work for you when another doesn’t. Various drugs within the same class can also affect you differently.

To find a treatment combination that relieves your depression, call Bowman Family Medicine Clinic, LLC, or request an appointment online today.