Depression

Are you or a family member experiencing unmanageable sadness and struggling to find joy?  Here at Insight Psychiatry, compassionate care tailored to every patient individually is provided to all patients. Whether you’re interested in supportive therapy, medication, or helpful lifestyle tools, reach out to Insight Psychiatry & Counseling to start your journey to a better self. 

What is depression?

Depression is a psychiatric disorder that leaves you feeling sad, hopeless, and unmotivated. If these feelings are overwhelming and last longer than two weeks, you may be battling depression and need psychiatric services.  

Depression can begin at any age and often operates in cycles during your lifetime — improving but then returning. We refer to this as depression episodes.  

For women, changes in hormone levels during puberty, pregnancy, after giving birth, after experiencing a miscarriage, or menopause may create a higher risk of depression. 

What are the symptoms of depression? 

Common mental and physical signs of depression in adults and teens include: 

• Persistent sadness or hopelessness 
• Isolation 
• Avoiding personal grooming
• Trouble concentrating 
• Having constant fatigue
• Loss of interest in favorite activities 
• Distancing yourself from loved ones 
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Lack of sex drive 
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Significant weight loss or gain 
• Thoughts of harming yourself

Someone struggling with depression may not be experiencing all of these symptoms mentioned, but only have a few. If you or a loved one has thoughts of suicide, please call 911 or 988 (suicide hotline) to reach immediate access to help. 

What are my depression treatment options? 

Before developing a treatment plan, Insight Psychiatry conducts a comprehensive psychiatric assessment. During that assessment you will discuss psychiatric history, social history, and your current situation that has led you to seek out treatment.

Your provider may have you fill out the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a test that’s helpful in screening, diagnosing, monitoring, and measuring the severity of your depression.

After the information is gathered during your assessment, you and your provider will develop a treatment plan that fits your comfort level. 

|MEDICATION|

There are many medications that can help with your depression. It is important to know that everyone responds to psychotropic medications differently, due to body chemistry, tolerance, chemical imbalance levels, and genetics. Keeping an open mind as you and your provider find the right fit for you is important. It takes time for these medications to take full effect, so patience is important. While you are adjusting to the medication, you will not be left to wait. You and your provider will discuss lifestyle changes and other ways to help treat your depression.

Can I just stop my medication if I don't like it?

Most of the psychotropic medications will need to be tapered when discontinuing and under a provider's supervision to prevent withdrawal symptoms. This can usually be accomplished over a couple of weeks. Remember to update your provider before stopping or changing your medication. 

Will I have to be on medication forever?

Most individuals who have experienced a single depression episode will be on an antidepressant for about 8-12 months. If episodes are recurrent, you may be on it for longer. Sometimes a combination of medications is the most effective to help with your depression. The length and course of treatment is patient dependent and will vary from person to person. 

|THERAPY|

During in-person or telehealth sessions, your provider may combine medication management with supportive therapy. Studies have shown that a combination of these two treatment modalities is most effective when treating depression.

Therapy can help you understand the cause of your depression, make healthy changes, set boundaries in relationships, and learn helpful coping skills. 

If you are seeking a specialized type of therapy, such as trauma therapy, your provider can help you find a great match to provide this service to you.

|LIFESTYLE| 

Medication and therapy are only part of the road to depression recovery. Your provider will help you with adding some easy to achieve lifestyle changes into your treatment plan. Sometimes change can feel overwhelming, especially if we already are feeling overwhelmed, stressed and unmotivated. Your provider will be there to help you make small attainable goals, cheering you on one baby step at a time. 

If you feel like you are suffering from symptoms of depression, book an appointment online with access to your provider's weekly calendar for your scheduling convenience.