What Is Depression?
Depression is a common but serious mood disorder that causes a person to feel sad, depressed, and hopeless, often with no identifiable reason. It can also cause a person to lose interest in activities that were previously enjoyable and can affect eating habits, causing an individual to overindulge or avoid eating altogether, leading to a whole host of negative health complications. Depression is often a taboo topic as people commonly avoid the topic; however, it is not a sign of weakness or a character flaw and can be treated with a wide number of effective therapies. There are a variety of types of depression, each with its causes, symptoms, and treatments. For further details and knowledge please check out our Depression treatment clinic in Golden Valley and Minneapolis, MN.
Depression is most often caused by a complex network of biological factors, some of which are controllable. If depression is causing problems in day-to-day life, it is important to seek help from a mental health professional, such as a depression treatment specialist.
What Are the Signs of Depression?
It’s normal to feel sad sometimes, but if you feel sad or down on most days for more than 2 weeks at a time, you may be depressed. Depression affects people differently.
Some signs of depression are:
- Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy
- Feeling hopeless or empty
- Forgetting things or having trouble making decisions
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Gaining or losing weight without meaning to
- Thinking about suicide or death
Treatment
The treatment begins with a comprehensive consultation. During the visit, the provider collects a detailed history of your problems and symptoms, as well as your family and medical history. The provider works with the patient to formulate an individualized treatment plan to bring the depressive symptoms into remission.
While the treatment plan is customized to address specific needs, the programs often combine medication and psychotherapy. The provider chooses a particular type of psychotherapy, medicine, and other interventions following careful consultation.
The provider discusses treatment options with the patient in detail. For example, if medication is required, the patient would have a detailed discussion of how it works and any potential side effects. Moreover, the providers at Ample Grace Psychiatry are advocates of exercise and mindfulness-based practices for patients with significant depressive symptoms. If you are seeking help please visit our Depression treatment clinic in Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Saint Paul MN, Rochester MN and Portland, OR to get a depression-free life.