Depression

What is Depression?

Depressive episodes occur when someone has a persistently low mood and/or loss of pleasure along with a number of other symptoms, including feelings of hopelessness, sleep disruptions, difficulties concentrating, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Depression is not the same as feeling sad. While sadness is an emotion we all experience in response to loss, depression involves a prolonged episode often including sadness or numbness that is accompanied by other changes that cause significant distress or impairment.

What is Major Depressive Disorder?

Major depressive disorder is a mental health condition characterized by the presence of one or more depressive episodes. It can affect the way you think, feel, and function in various aspects of your life, including school, work, and relationships.

Symptoms of depression can include:

  • Persistent feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness

  • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that once brought joy

  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much

  • Increased or reduced appetite, resulting in weight gain or loss

  • Restlessness, or slowed thinking, speech, and movement

  • Fatigue or low energy

  • Feelings of worthlessness and excessive or inappropriate guilt

  • Trouble concentrating or making decisions

  • Thoughts of death or suicide

How Do We Treat Major Depressive Disorder?

Depression can be a very debilitating and isolating experience, but there is support available to help you manage this condition and mitigate the impact of depressive symptoms on your life. Major depressive disorder is normally treated with a combination of medication and psychotherapy. Psychotherapy can help individuals with depression to address their unhelpful thought patterns, such as excessive guilt, feelings of worthlessness, and self-blame.

In addition to getting professional support, lifestyle changes can help with managing symptoms of depression. Doing meaningful activities, exercising, regulating eating and sleeping habits, practicing self-compassion and gratitude, meditation, and connecting with other people are some ways to improve mood. There are many options for treating depression and remember that you don’t have to go through this alone.

The Depressive Disorder Treatment Team