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Depression Symptoms and Treatment

Depression typically includes the following symptoms:

• sad or empty mood
• loss of interest in pleasureable activities
• anxiety
• insomnia or excessivesleep
• weight gain or loss
• irritability
• feeling worthless, hopeless and/or guilty
• fatigue
• problems concentrating
• recurring thoughts about death or suicide

If you have five or more of these symptoms, inccluding at least one of the first two, you should seek a consultation with a mental health provider.  People experience depression in different ways; some are overwhelmed by intense ,disabling states of mind while others may have a “low grade fever” of depression which has lasted for years.

Fortunately, treatment for depression has a very high rate of success.  In my twenty-six years in private practice, time and again I have seen clients return to a healthy, normal mood--often accompanied by personal growth and improved relationships.

Successful treatment includes a combination of treatment approaches including cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal and psychodynamic.  Sometimes mindfulness and meditation techniques also prove helpful.  Treatment is geared to the unique needs of each client.  Anti-deperessant medications can play an important role in the treatment of some clients, and research confirms that for them the best outcome is achieved by combining medication with counseling.  When I determine that a medication consultation is indicated, I refer clients to their primary care physician or to one of the excellent psychiatrists I collaborate with.

When depression strikes,  people often wonder if they will  they ever feel themselves again.  Please know that relief for your painful symptoms through thoughtful, skilled and compassionate treatment is within reach.

William Edwards, Psy.D.