Depression is a Common Experience
Everyone feels sad or overwhelmed at times, depression can cause severe symptoms that affect how a person thinks, feels, and manages everyday tasks. Depending on the person, depression can present different symptoms. A depressive episode can be devastating, hindering daily life, and typically for more than two weeks. Depression can also occur in a less severe yet chronic form that may last for two years or longer.
For Women, different types of depression can occur at specific points in a woman's life. For some, the hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy, the postpartum period, the menstrual cycle, and menopause can bring on depressive episodes.
For men, similar life challenges around pregnancy and postpartum periods and parenting also lead to stress, feelings of inadequacy and chemical changes in the brain.
All people experience physical changes around aging, illness, and hormonal shifts throughout their lives that can exacerbate risk of depression.
Recognizing Common signs of Depression
- Sadness or agitation
- Changes in sleeping such as trouble falling asleep, waking too early, or oversleeping
- Changes in eating patterns or unexpected weight changes
- Difficulty concentrating and remembering
- Hard time making decisions
- Feeling less active and fatigued
- Lack of interest or motivation
- Isolation from family or friends
- Hopelessness or guilty thoughts
- Low self-esteem
- Physical aches and pains, headaches, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause that do not go away with medical treatment.
- Thoughts of harm or suicide *While thoughts of death or self-harm are not uncommon, if you have a current, active suicidal intent, it is crucial to contact the nearest emergency room rather than wait for an outpatient appointment.
There's Good News about Depression Treatment
It is important to begin with a thorough evaluation and treatment plan, which may include psychotherapy, medication, or both. Psychotherapy can teach new ways of thinking and behaving as means of changing patterns that may contribute to depressive symptoms. Effective therapies teach lasting skills for improving mood symptoms.
We recognize that everyone's experience is unique, and together we will develop a treatment plan and recommendations that may incorporate the following:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This is a type of therapy that focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviors associated with depressed mood. It helps individuals learn coping strategies and develop skills to manage their symptoms.
- Interpersonal therapy (IPT): This type of therapy delves into the connection between personal relationships and emotional well-being. It focuses on communication skills, strengthening social connections, and creating realistic perspectives to address and improve factors contributing to depression.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT combines mindfulness techniques with acceptance of one's thoughts and feelings. It helps individuals learn to accept their range of emotions and commit to actions that align with their values.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Psychodynamic approaches, such as Jungian psychotherapy, explore the influence of the unconscious processes within the inner self or psyche, past experiences, and early relationships on current thoughts and behavior. Research demonstrates sustained improvements in self-acceptance, depressive symptoms and overall functioning well after therapy has ended.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR can be used to treat depression by targeting and reprocessing distressing memories that have as a result formed negative belief patterns contributing to depression. EMDR treatment can reduce emotional impact of these memories and alleviate depressive symptoms.
- Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS): IFS is a therapy approach that helps individuals understand the internal "parts" or traits within themselves, addressing conflicts within these parts, fostering a collaboration and wholeness leading to self-compassion and emotional well-being.
- Lifestyle changes: Small modifications with nutrition, sleep, and physical activity may bolster mood changes.
