You can better understand the nature of Depression by looking both at what it is and what it is not.
Depression is not a few days of passing ‘blue’ mood or transient sad feelings, which are typical and appropriate reactions to sad news, disappointments, and unhappy situations.
Depression is a serious disorder that needs a careful diagnosis. It can be a response to a significant life event, a chemical imbalance of brain chemistry, or a response to a physical diagnosis or a medication problem. Depression is a more intense fluctuation in mood that can last for weeks, months, or years.
Depression is characterized by several of the following:
- deep feeling of emptiness and sadness,
- low self-esteem,
- guilt,
- irritability,
- low energy level,
- low motivation to do things,
- difficulties concentrating,
- and sleep and eating disturbances.
Depression can hinder the individual’s ability
- to make decisions,
- act and interact socially
- lose interest in various fun activities
- find it difficult to function well at work
- Suicidal thoughts may occur in one’s mind, perhaps not so much as a wish to die but as a perceived solution that can relieve the pain they feel.
Treatment
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) includes both cognitive and behavioral strategies. Cognitive procedures are aimed to teach patients how their own negative thought processes produce negative mood and behaviors. Using various techniques, the patient learns to recognize, monitor, and alter their negative patterns. Behavioral strategies are used to help patients recognize how their negative behaviors help maintain their depression. Patients learn alternative coping skills to produce more positive outlook on their lives, as well as more positive mood and behavior.
Some patients require a combination of CBT and medication. Dr. Ilani refers these patients to a primary care physician or a psychiatrist depending on their needs. With your written consent, Dr. Ilani maintains open communication with your prescribing physician, so your treatment of depression is effectively coordinated.
