Depression

What is depression?

Depression is a mood disorder that causes persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and despair. Depression not only affects how you feel about yourself but also interferes with your thinking and behavior.

Depression is common and affects millions of people of all ages every year. The mood disorder may develop from biological, environmental, genetic, and psychological factors. 

You may be at risk of developing depression if it runs in your family.

What are the symptoms of depression?

Symptoms of depression vary but usually occur daily for two or more weeks. Common symptoms include:

• Sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
• Disinterest in activities or hobbies
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Angry or irritable
• Change in sleep habits
• Change in appetite
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating
• Poor decision-making
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Aches, pains, or digestive problems with no clear medical cause

Some people only develop depression once during their life. However, it’s not uncommon for people to experience multiple mood disorder episodes at various times throughout their lives.

When should I seek help for depression?

If you or someone you love has symptoms of depression, contact Rural and Health Disparities Psychiatric Services to schedule a consultation. 

Linda is an experienced and compassionate counselor and provides evidence-based treatment and therapy to help you feel more like your usual self.

For a depression diagnosis, you must be experiencing symptoms of depression every day for at least two weeks. However, if your symptoms are new or intermittent, you may still benefit from counseling at Rural and Health Disparities Psychiatric Services.

How is depression treated?

When struggling with depression, you may feel as though all hope is lost. But depression is treatable, and Linda can develop a treatment plan that improves your mood and perspective on life.

The usual reatment for depression is usually combination of medication and therapy but for many that may not be the case. It may be something simple as exploring food intake and what is going on in your life. We need to take a moment for a reset to see what is really going on.  Getting treatment early for your depression may improve the effectiveness of your treatment plan. 

Linda takes a patient-centered and integrative approach to therapy. Her goal is to identify the root cause of your mood disorder. 

Linda works closely with your health care provider to ensure continuity of care.

Depression isn’t forever, and getting help now may mean you will feel better sooner.