Depression

The despair that takes over when you have depression isn’t something you can shake off. If you’re drowning in the negative emotions depression generates, Careen Tetuh, PMHNP-BC, at Psych Health and Wellness, PLLC, in Katy, Texas, offers compassionate help and support. Careen delivers personalized, holistic care to people struggling with depression, helping them regain joy and purpose. To benefit from her expertise, call Psych Health and Wellness, PLLC, today or book an appointment online.

What is depression?

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a long-term illness in which you feel intense negative emotions such as:

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

You stop finding pleasure in events or activities you usually enjoy, and everything in your life seems dark and gloomy. You feel little or no happiness but suffer from constant fatigue and problems thinking clearly.

Not everyone has the same symptoms, though. Some people lose their appetite when they have depression, while others turn to food as a source of comfort. Sleeping patterns may change, so you may get insomnia (find it hard to sleep) or spend much of the day asleep.

Depression symptoms tend to worsen over time without treatment. They can become so overwhelming that people self-harm or reach a stage where ending their lives seems the only solution.

What causes depression?

Chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters influence your mood. Dopamine and serotonin are ones you may have heard of. When you have depression, levels of these chemicals are likely to be low, but whether that’s the cause of depression or an outcome of the condition is less well understood.

For some people, a traumatic experience triggers depression. It could be a death, relationship breakdown, or job loss. Even what should be a happy event, like moving to a new home or getting a better job, can lead to depression. There’s no identifiable cause in many cases.

What treatments help with depression?

Psych Health and Wellness, PLLC uses two main treatments to help people with depression.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is where you talk about your feelings, challenges, and problems with a trained counselor. It’s an invaluable tool for most patients with depression. Psychotherapy helps you understand your condition better and address any traumas or emotional problems that underlie it.

Medication

Medications like antidepressants work by correcting chemical imbalances in your brain. They often take several weeks to start working, so you do need to stick with it while the brain chemistry adjusts.

There are several classes of antidepressants, the most widely used being selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclics. As they work in different ways, one class of medication might work where another doesn’t. Various drugs within the same class can also affect you differently.

To find the treatment that relieves your depression, call Psych Health and Wellness, PLLC, today or book an appointment online.