Depression Treatment

What Is Depression?

Depression is a serious mental health disorder that includes intense sadness with feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, and hopelessness that can last for days to weeks at a time, and keeps an individual from functioning normally.  Without a depression treatment plan, it can have a lasting, devastating effect.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an estimated 16 million adults (7%) in the United States suffered from at least one depressive episode in the past year.  Although depression affects people of all ages, races, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds, women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression, and young adults ages 18-35 are 60% more likely than people over 50 years old.

A combination of factors likely causes depression, including genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. Depression can be hereditary; however, it an also occur in individuals without family history of depression. Triggers like trauma, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or other stressful situations can also cause a depressive disorder.

There are no lab tests that effectively diagnose depression, so a doctor must speak with the patient regarding their specific symptoms to diagnose it. However, clinical depression can be hard to diagnose as it can manifest in many ways.

What Are the Symptoms of Depression?

Symptoms and side effects of depression can be different for each person, but for many, a depressive disorder changes their daily functioning, and typically for more than two weeks.

Common symptoms include:

  • Changes in sleep
  • Changes in appetite
  • Lack of concentration
  • Loss of energy
  • Lack of interest in activities
  • Hopelessness or guilty thoughts
  • Changes in movement (less activity or agitation)
  • Physical aches and pains
  • Suicidal thoughts

How Is Depression Treated?

The most common treatments for depression are medication and psychotherapy. At Pasadena Villa, we treat individuals with depression with the most advanced evidence-based methods available, always ensuring the client’s needs are the number one priority.

Using individualized depression treatment plans we help clients in relieving the stress that comes from assimilating back into everyday life and help them achieve the highest levels of functioning and independent living once they leave treatment. In conjunction with our Social Integration ModelTM, we use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to defuse negative thoughts and treat depression. A type of psychotherapy, CBT changes mood patterns by stopping negative, hypercritical, and other types of thinking that can lead to depression, anxiety, and other conditions

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To learn more about our treatment programs for depression, call us today at 407.574.5190 or complete our contact form.