It’s normal to feel sad or get the ‘blues’ occasionally. However, persistent depression impacting your daily life can be a warning sign. Depression is a mental health disorder that can profoundly affect how you act and think, impact your relationships, interfere with work, and cause problems with your physical health. At Novacare Medical, we can support patients experiencing depression daily through medications and mental health therapy.
What is depression?
Depression is a disorder that makes you sad, but it is different than normal sadness. Depression can make it hard for you to work, study, or do everyday tasks.
Understanding Depression And Its Impact On Our Lives
Depression is a mood disorder defined by elongated periods of sadness or general unhappiness. While feelings like sadness are normal occasionally, when these emotions become chronic and occur without an initiating event, it’s time to seek help. Some of the common symptoms of depression include:
- Persistent feelings of sorrow or general sadness
- A lack of interest in favorite activities
- Weight loss or changes in appetite that are unexplained
- Persistent fatigue and general lack of energy
- Crippling feelings of guilt
- Trouble making decisions
Also called a major depressive disorder, depression can lead to various physical and emotional problems that decrease your ability to function at work or home. Depression can come and go, but major depressive disorder symptoms must last at least two weeks and cause changes in your level of functioning before it can be considered chronic. Its causes can vary from notable events to medical conditions such as thyroid problems and other undiagnosed conditions.
One aspect to remember about depression is that it’s different from sadness and grief. Being sad isn’t the same as depression; those grieving will experience similar symptoms to depression but with a recognizable cause. Notable events such as losing a pet, ending a serious relationship, or losing a job can produce these feelings. These feelings become a source of concern when the following indicators are present:
- Rolling waves of depression that come and go for those who grieve or experience sadness from a tragic event, but depression can lead to long-lasting, constant waves of symptoms persist daily.
- A sense of feeling worthless or having self-loathing is common in major depression, but during feelings such as sadness and grief, self-esteem can be better maintained.
- Positive experiences are mixed with painful feelings, unlike major depression, which causes a drop in interest in daily life for over two weeks.
- When referring to thoughts about death, those grieving or experiencing sadness may experience those thoughts in waves and see death as an eventuality. Still, those with major depression may experience thoughts about death constantly or see it as a relief from feelings of worthlessness.
Most of all, it’s important to remember that depression can be treated. Your depression may cooccur from other conditions or be a primary condition. Still, treatments such as medications and psychotherapy can help alleviate your depression symptoms and provide more individualized treatment.
Depression can also make you:
- Lose or gain weight
- Sleep too much or too little
- Feel tired or like you have no energy
- Feel guilty or like you are worth nothing
- Forget things or feel confused
- Move and speak more slowly than usual
- Act restless or have trouble staying still
- Think about death or suicide
If you think you might be depressed, see your doctor or nurse. Only someone trained in mental health can tell for sure if you are depressed.
Get help right away if you are thinking of hurting or killing yourself!
If you ever feel like you might hurt yourself or someone else, help is available:
- In the US, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:
- To speak to someone, call or text 988
- To talk to someone online, go to www.988lifeline.org/chat
- Call your doctor or nurse and tell them it is urgent
- Call for an ambulance (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1)
- Go to the emergency department at the nearest hospital
What are the treatments for depression?
People who have depression can get 1 or more of the following treatments:
- Medicines that relieve depression
- Counseling (with a psychiatrist, psychologist, nurse, or social worker)
- A device that passes magnetic waves or electricity into the brain
People with depression that is not too severe can get better by taking medicines or talking with a counselor. People with severe depression usually need medicines to get better, and might also need to see a counselor.
Another treatment involves placing a device against the scalp to pass magnetic waves into the brain. This is called “transcranial magnetic stimulation,” or “TMS.” Doctors might suggest TMS if medicines and counseling have not helped.
Some people whose depression is severe might need a treatment called “electroconvulsive therapy,” or “ECT.” During ECT, doctors pass an electric current through a person’s brain in a safe way.
When will I feel better?
Both treatment options take a little while to start working.
- Many people who take medicines start to feel better within 2 weeks, but it might be 4 to 8 weeks before the medicine has its full effect
- Many people who see a counselor start to feel better within a few weeks, but it might take 8 to 10 weeks to get the greatest benefit
If the first treatment you try does not help you, tell your doctor or nurse, but do not give up. Some people need to try different treatments or combinations of treatments before they find an approach that works. Your doctor, nurse, or counselor can work with you to find the treatment that is right for you. They can also help you figure out how to cope while you search for the right treatment or are waiting for your treatment to start working.
How do I decide which treatment to have?
You and your doctor or nurse will need to work together to choose a treatment for you. Medicines might work a little faster than counseling. But medicines can also cause side effects. Plus, some people do not like the idea of taking medicine.
On the other hand, seeing a counselor involves talking about your feelings with a stranger. That is hard for some people.
Is depression the same for teenagers?
No. The symptoms of depression are a little different for teenagers than they are for adults. Some teenagers are moody or sad a lot of the time. That makes it hard to tell when they are really depressed. Teenagers who are depressed often seem cranky. They get easily “annoyed” or “bothered.” They might even pick fights with people.
Also, when treating a teenager, doctors and nurses usually suggest trying counseling first, before trying medicine. That’s because there is a small chance that depression medicines can cause problems for some teenagers. Even so, some depressed teenagers need medicine. And most experts agree that depression medicine is safe and appropriate to use in teenagers who really need it.
What if I take medicine for depression and I want to have a baby?
Some depression medicines can cause problems for an unborn baby. But having untreated depression during pregnancy can also cause problems. If you want to get pregnant, tell your doctor but do not stop taking your medicines. Together, you can plan the safest way for you to have your baby. It’s also important to talk with your doctor if you want to breastfeed after your baby is born. Breastfeeding has lots of benefits for both mother and baby. Some depression medicines are safer than others to use while breastfeeding. But having untreated depression after giving birth can also cause problems, so do not stop taking your medicines. Your doctor can work with you to plan the safest way for you to feed your baby.
How Novacare Medical Can Provide Treatment For Depression
When you’re struggling with ongoing depression, our team is here to help. We can guide getting the proper care and help provide long-term solutions. If you’re experiencing suicidal ideation or a desire to harm yourself, dial 988 to reach the Suicide Hotline for immediate help. Contact our clinic to schedule an appointment for help with your depression.
