Depression

Depression saps your energy, reduces self-esteem, and leaves you in despair for prolonged periods. Chima Asikaiwe, MD, and Cecilia Chanda, PMHNP, provide expert care for people with depression at Greathope Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services in Garland, Texas. Talk therapy combined with antidepressant medication when necessary can boost your mood and help you regain the joy in life that depression takes away. For an effective solution to your depressive disorder, call the office today or book an appointment online.

What is depression?

Depression (major depressive disorder) lowers your mood, energy levels, and self-esteem. Some people struggle to sleep and have little interest in food. In contrast, others retreat into sleep and derive comfort from eating.

The primary symptom of depression is the overwhelming stream of negative emotions that occupies your mind. These feelings might include:

• Hopelessness
• Guilt
• Shame
• Worthlessness
• Sadness
• Despair
• Self-loathing

These emotions require help to overcome, but many people with depression blame themselves for their inability to improve their mood. Struggling with symptoms of depression is exhausting, and people often suffer chronic fatigue. You might develop aches, pains, or frequent headaches.

What causes depression?

It’s unclear why some people get depressed when others don’t. You’re more likely to struggle with depression if other people in your family have, so there’s probably a genetic link. Your environment, stress levels, and even your diet and lifestyle could also have an influence.

Depression often sets in after a traumatic experience like a bereavement, job loss, or relationship breakdown, but not everyone who goes through these experiences develops depression. Depression is also common in people with long-term and incurable medical problems.

One commonality in people with depression is a lack of activity in areas of the brain controlling mood and emotions. Connections between your brain’s neurons (nerve cells) that keep things functioning normally break down without enough neurotransmitters (brain chemicals that enable neurons to communicate).

What treatments can help with depression?

Greathope Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services uses two forms of treatment to help patients with depression:

Medication

Antidepressant medicines like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work by increasing levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. This helps to restore communication between neurons and reactivate areas of the brain that aren’t functioning as they should.

Therapy

Talk therapies are invaluable for patients with depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) often helps with mild to moderate depression by showing you how to adapt negative thoughts. You might benefit from interpersonal psychotherapy, where you share your problems and traumatic experiences with your therapist.

Group therapy can help by enabling you to talk to others who understand how hard it is to live with depression. At Greathope Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services, the therapists’ expertise means that patients with mild depression might not require medication.

With skilled care and treatment, you can recover fully from depression, even when it’s severe. To find out how, call Greathope Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services today or book an appointment online.