Treatment for Depression

People meeting the full formal diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) will have some combination of:

• a low mood or lack of interest in pleasurable activities

• sleeplessness or oversleeping (i.e., insomnia or hypersomnia)

• appetite decrease or significant weight loss

• feelings of worthlessness or guilt

• fatigue

• feeling slowed down

• and suicidal ideation

There are different flavors and forms of depression. MDD, as described above, is diagnosed when these symptoms last more than two weeks. Dysthymia (also known as persistent depressive disorder) is a milder form of depression and persists for years. There is also normal depression. That is depression which may last a few days or weeks. It may, or may not, have a significant impairment on your functioning in day-to-day life and may not require any treatment. Depressive symptoms may also occur in response to a significant life stressor but do not meet the full criteria of MDD and can be part of an adjustment disorder. 

There are many causes of depression. To name a few: inadequate sleep, financial or work stress, health conditions (e.g., injury, disease), lack of physical movement or activity, seasonal changes in weather, death of a loved one, or lack of contact with one’s purpose or meaning in life, withdrawal, and isolation or lack of familial and social support. Many of these behaviors and circumstances tend to feed each other. For example, inadequate sleep and a health condition may present barriers (i.e., increased fatigue) to engaging in physical activity or make it hard to garner the mental energy to go out and socialize; yet the lack of engagement in these types of activities are likely to keep you stuck in a depressive state or make it worse.

So how do we treat depression? Some depression might actually go away on its own. This is not always the case, however, and it frequently requires treatment. Often people will come to therapy saying something like “I am too depressed to go on a walk (or hang out with friends, exercise, try out a new hobby, etc.).” A major part of our treatment will be to learn how to do activities that you care about anyway. Many times, behavior has to change before your mood or feelings will change. We’ll also learn strategies, skills, and for adopting new perspectives in order to relate to unwanted thoughts and feelings that show up for you in the context of your depression. I utilize evidence-based treatments and depending on your lifestyle behaviors, initially, our focus might be addressing the basics (e.g., improving sleep, relationships, and engaging in more physical activity) and then on helping you fully live the life you want to live even when symptoms of depression are present for you.

Get effective treatment for depression from the comfort of your own home with online counseling in Nevada, Oregon, California, or any of the 33+ PsyPACT states. My online platform provides a secure and confidential way to access therapy, and flexible scheduling options make it easy to fit therapy into your busy schedule. Don't let depression control your life any longer, schedule your online counseling session now and start living your life. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression and want to get started working on it right away, visit the self-help section of my website or, if you are interested in individual therapy, contact me with the contact form or give me a call at (702) 530-6134 to get started.