Depression

Struggling with depression every day for months can severely impact your mental health, and you might wonder if it’s worth carrying on. At Sincere Psychiatry in Delray Beach, Florida, board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Reginald J. Sincere, PMHNP-BC, and his team offer comprehensive, compassionate care to patients engaged in a daily battle with depression. Learn more about depression treatment by requesting an in-person or telemedicine appointment over the phone or online today.

What is depression?

Depression is a mood disorder. It causes persistent sadness, despair, and loss of interest in activities you usually enjoy.

Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, this potentially life-threatening condition affects how you think, feel, and behave. It can lead to various emotional and physical problems, such as:

• Changing sleep patterns
• Difficulty focusing
• Appetite changes
• Chronic fatigue
• Headaches
• Frequent weepiness
• Irritability
• Random aches and pains
• Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and guilt

You may have difficulties doing normal day-to-day activities and come to feel that life isn’t worth living. Far more than just an attack of the blues, depression isn’t a weakness. You can’t simply “pull yourself together” as you might when not suffering from depression.

Why would I have depression?

Depression often develops in response to a trigger. This could be trauma of some kind or a life change. Examples include:

• Losing a loved one
• Relationship breakdown
• Job loss
• Moving home
• Excessive work stress
• Chronic illness
• Severe injuries
• Frightening experiences like auto accidents
• Personal assault
• Bullying
• Abuse

Depression is also a symptom of many other conditions, particularly those that involve a hormone imbalance, like hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels) and menopause. Some people have depression without experiencing a trigger.

What most patients with depression have in common is changes in their brain chemicals. Neurotransmitters enable nerve cells (neurons) in your brain to communicate. If you have insufficient neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, the mood center in your brain stops functioning correctly.

Depression could be the result, the cause, or a combination of the two.

How is depression treated?

Depression often requires long-term treatment, but most people feel better with medication, psychotherapy, or both.

Antidepressant medications for depression include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Most people start with SSRIs, which increase the levels of neurotransmitters in your brain. If they aren’t helping, the Sincere Psychiatry team might try a different type of antidepressant.

Psychotherapy helps you identify and process negative experiences and trauma that might have triggered your depression or made it worse. Techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be helpful for patients with mild to moderate depression, showing them how to overcome challenges in daily life.

The Sincere Psychiatry team understands how hard life can be with depression. They offer telemedicine appointments over a secure internet connection to relieve the stress that in-person visits might cause some patients.

To learn more about recovering from depression, call Sincere Psychiatry today or book an in-person or telemedicine appointment online.