Depression Specialist

What is depression?

Depression, also called major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that affects how you feel and how you think. If you have depression, it can heavily influence your decision-making and lead to major life changes like break-ups or job loss. Thankfully, no matter how hopeless you feel, depression is highly treatable.

The team at Personal Touch Medical Center dedicates themselves to helping you improve your quality of life and your outlook with clinical treatments, therapy, and lifestyle changes to adopt at home. Factors that might contribute to your depression include:

• Chronic disease
• Chemical imbalances
• Genetic predispositions
• Major life events or changes
• Stress Low self-esteem
• Trauma

It’s important to note that, even if your life seems perfect by normal standards, you can still experience severe depression.

What are the symptoms of depression?

Many people mistakenly believe that depression is nothing more than a heavy sadness. However, depression can affect you in many ways and result in symptoms you might not expect. Common symptoms of major depressive disorder are:

• Feelings of hopelessness
• Lack of interest or pleasure in activities that usually interest you
• Insomnia
• Hypersomnia
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Weight gain
• Trouble concentrating
• Physical pain T
• Thoughts of suicide or death

In order to get a diagnosis of depression, symptoms like these must persist for two weeks or longer. You might only get a few symptoms, or you might experience every symptom on the list.

Does depression need treatment?

All patients with depression who seek treatment for their condition experience at least some symptom relief. The earlier you seek treatment, the more likely your treatment is successful.

You should book an evaluation at Personal Touch Medical Center if you or a loved one experiences depression symptoms for two weeks or longer. The team may perform diagnostic testing to diagnose or rule out physical causes like thyroid issues.

How is depression treated?

With an individualized treatment plan and ongoing monitoring from the team at Personal Touch Medical Center, you can manage or overcome your depression. The most successful depression treatment typically comes from a combination of:

Medications

Antidepressant medications can help balance your brain chemistry. You typically start to show noticeable results within a couple of weeks of taking them. While you take antidepressants, you won’t feel sedated or stimulated.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy can help you consolidate your thoughts and feelings. If you have mild depression, the team at Personal Touch Medical Center might recommend psychotherapy without medications.

Self-care

You can implement changes at home to help improve your depression. This looks different for everyone and might include cutting back on alcohol consumption, exercising more often, or cleaning your living space.

If you or a loved one has symptoms of depression, call Personal Touch Medical Center, or book an evaluation online today.