Depression Treatment in Jackson, WY
What is depression?
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 19 million Americans each year. Feeling sad is part of the human condition. We all have times that we struggle and feel down. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between the normal ups and downs of life and true clinical depression. Clinical depression is different than feeling sad. It is a serious condition that reflects changes in brain chemistry. Having depression is like wearing dark sunglasses that you don’t know you have on, that color your perception of everything in your life. When you are depressed, things seem dark, hopeless and empty.
What causes depression?
Like many illnesses, there seems to be a genetic component to depression, but that’s not the whole picture. Sometimes depression strikes without warning, but more often than not, depression strikes after repeated assaults to our coping mechanisms. As human beings, we can only handle so much stress. If we are exposed to chronically stressful situations or have a number of stressful things happen in a short period of time (i.e., moves, deaths, relationship problems), there is a significant likelihood that our stress apparatus will be overwhelmed and we will become vulnerable to clinical depression.
Depression Symptoms
The hallmarks of clinical depression are feeling sad more days than not, increased tearfulness, low self-esteem, inappropriate guilt, changes in appetite, changes in sleep patterns, lack of motivation, lack of enjoyment in things, irritability, fatigue and suicidal thinking.
Depression Treatment
Depression responds well to medication. About 70-80% of people will respond favorably to antidepressants. But many people don’t want to take medication. Some studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (as well as exercise!) is as effective in treating mild to moderate depression as SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medications. It is generally recommended that if you are on an antidepressant, you also engage in therapy.
Prognosis
The good news is that depression is very treatable. However, depression tends to be episodic. That means that someone may experience depression in his or her 20s, be fine for 15 years and then have another episode. Recognizing the early warning signs of depression and having a plan in place for when you start to experience symptoms are important components of a plan to deal with recurrent depressive episodes.
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting an estimated 19 million Americans each year. Feeling sad is part of the human condition. We all have times that we struggle and feel down. Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between the normal ups and downs of life and true clinical depression. Clinical depression is different than feeling sad. It is a serious condition that reflects changes in brain chemistry. Having depression is like wearing dark sunglasses that you don’t know you have on, that color your perception of everything in your life. When you are depressed, things seem dark, hopeless and empty.
What causes depression?
Like many illnesses, there seems to be a genetic component to depression, but that’s not the whole picture. Sometimes depression strikes without warning, but more often than not, depression strikes after repeated assaults to our coping mechanisms. As human beings, we can only handle so much stress. If we are exposed to chronically stressful situations or have a number of stressful things happen in a short period of time (i.e., moves, deaths, relationship problems), there is a significant likelihood that our stress apparatus will be overwhelmed and we will become vulnerable to clinical depression.
Depression Symptoms
The hallmarks of clinical depression are feeling sad more days than not, increased tearfulness, low self-esteem, inappropriate guilt, changes in appetite, changes in sleep patterns, lack of motivation, lack of enjoyment in things, irritability, fatigue and suicidal thinking.
Depression Treatment
Depression responds well to medication. About 70-80% of people will respond favorably to antidepressants. But many people don’t want to take medication. Some studies have shown that cognitive behavioral therapy (as well as exercise!) is as effective in treating mild to moderate depression as SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medications. It is generally recommended that if you are on an antidepressant, you also engage in therapy.
Prognosis
The good news is that depression is very treatable. However, depression tends to be episodic. That means that someone may experience depression in his or her 20s, be fine for 15 years and then have another episode. Recognizing the early warning signs of depression and having a plan in place for when you start to experience symptoms are important components of a plan to deal with recurrent depressive episodes.