Depression Treatment
Do I have depression? Am I ready to seek depression treatment?
Have you lost the joy and enthusiasm for life that you used to have? Have you gone from hitting the ground running each morning to barely being able to drag yourself out of bed? Does it feel like every little thing requires monumental effort? Are your thoughts filled with hopelessness and guilt knowing you just aren’t the person you used to be? Do you sometimes wish you could just go to sleep and not wake up?
Clinical depression is the most common mental disorder, occurring twice as frequently in women than it does in men. It affects 1 in 10 Americans at some time during their lives. Signs of depression include depressed or irritable mood, loss of pleasure, changes in body weight and appetite, fatigue, lack of motivation, poor concentration, sleep disturbance, feelings of extreme guilt or worthlessness, hopeless and suicidal ideation. Causes are linked to genetics, stress, inflammation and physical disorders such as thyroid disease. Is it any wonder that many of us are struggling with how to deal with depression?
The good news is there is help for depression. Depression treatment is much more common than you might think and connecting with a professional who knows how to treat depression effectively is much less exhausting than the symptoms of depression themselves. Therapy in conjunction with medication is the gold standard in depression treatment and we offer both. First, we will rule out any physical cause to your symptoms. Then we will complete a thorough assessment of the genetic, psychological and social contributors to your well-being. Using cognitive behavioral strategies, supportive approaches, and systemic interventions all within a holistic framework, we will develop a personalized treatment path to address your symptoms of depression. From depression counseling techniques to medication management, we have the skills and experience to help you get back into your life. Allow us to assist you in answering the question of how to overcome depression.
But I’m not the kind of person who gets depressed…
Many people dealing with depression describe themselves this way. Depression is non-discriminatory. It isn’t a commentary on your character. As a matter of fact, genetics can play an enormous role in whether you become depressed or not. Strong people know when they need help and aren’t ashamed to get it. Coping with depression is not a solo endeavor. You can expect that we will partner together in coming to understand how depression uniquely impacts your life and how to best reconnect with the pieces of yourself that have been blunted by depression. Whether there are concrete life circumstances that contribute to your experience of depression or it hits you like a freight train on a day like any other, there is no reason to suffer when support and solutions through depression treatment are available to you.
But I don’t want to go on medication.
Good! So let’s talk about the lifestyle changes you can make including adding exercise and a nutritious diet as first line treatment for depression. Let’s talk about your relationships and how you can lean on your supports. Maybe there are well-researched supplements that could be helpful in treating depression. Perhaps tapping back into a creative outlet that has been dormant for a while will break through the layer of fog that depression can bring with it. We will thoroughly explore all that is available to you, both internal and external resources in combatting symptoms of depression. In the end, it’s about getting better and making sure that depression doesn’t deprive you of your life. Medication has a place in depression treatment and together we can figure out what that place is, with your safety as our number one priority.
Still feeling uncertain or uninspired or have questions that we haven’t answered? Please send us an email so we can arrange an opportunity to meet with you. We want to help you get the depression treatment you deserve.