What is depression?
Depression, also called major depression and clinical depression, is a common, but serious mood disorder. Depression symptoms are severe and interfere with how you feel and think, and may affect your daily routine and relationships.
There are many types of depression that develop under many circumstances and may cause different symptoms.
Some types of depression include:
- Postpartum depression
- Pervasive depressive disorder
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Psychotic depression
Bipolar disorder is also considered a type of depression because it causes mood swings that fluctuate between episodes of elation (mania) and depression.
What are the symptoms of depression?
Depression causes a range of symptoms. Common symptoms include:
- Feelings of hopelessness or despair
- Persistent sadness
- Emptiness
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Guilt
- Fatigue
- Change in appetite
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Body aches and pains
- Thoughts of death or suicide
You don’t have to experience all of the symptoms to suffer from depression.
How is depression diagnosed?
The team of psychiatrists at Orlando Psychiatric Associates takes an integrative approach to care and conducts comprehensive psychiatric evaluations to diagnose depression. During your evaluation, the team asks detailed questions about your symptoms, mental health history, and medical and family history.
The team may also conduct psychiatric testing to further evaluate your mental and emotional health. If lab work hasn’t been done already, the psychiatrists may request tests to rule out an underlying medical condition that might explain your symptoms.
To be diagnosed with depression, you must be experiencing symptoms of depression daily for two or more weeks.
How is depression treated?
The experienced psychiatrists develop individualized treatment plans for depression based on age, severity of symptoms, and overall physical and mental health needs. Your treatment plan may include counseling and medication.
To help patients of all ages, Orlando Psychiatric Associates offers both individual and family treatment plans for the management of depression.
For adults with treatment-resistant depression, the doctors offer transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This noninvasive procedure stimulates the areas of your brain responsible for your mood and may help alleviate symptoms. The team only recommends TMS for depression if you’ve failed to get relief from your depression symptoms using medication and therapy.
For comprehensive care for your depression, call Orlando Psychiatric Associates or request an appointment online today.
