You can go for weeks or months with depression before realizing that this isn’t your usual state of mind. At Personal Touch Medical Center in Fairburn, Georgia, Latasha Burgess, MD, and the team can help you implement a personalized treatment plan to improve your mood, sleep, and functioning. Book an appointment by phone or online at Personal Touch Medical Center to find out more about the treatment of depression today.
Depression, also called major depressive disorder, is a mood disorder that affects how you feel and how you think. If you have depression, it can heavily influence your decision-making and lead to major life changes like break-ups or job loss. Thankfully, no matter how hopeless you feel, depression is highly treatable.
The team at Personal Touch Medical Center dedicates themselves to helping you improve your quality of life and your outlook with clinical treatments, therapy, and lifestyle changes to adopt at home. Factors that might contribute to your depression include:
It’s important to note that, even if your life seems perfect by normal standards, you can still experience severe depression.
Many people mistakenly believe that depression is nothing more than a heavy sadness. However, depression can affect you in many ways and result in symptoms you might not expect. Common symptoms of major depressive disorder are:
In order to get a diagnosis of depression, symptoms like these must persist for two weeks or longer. You might only get a few symptoms, or you might experience every symptom on the list.
All patients with depression who seek treatment for their condition experience at least some symptom relief. The earlier you seek treatment, the more likely your treatment is successful.
You should book an evaluation at Personal Touch Medical Center if you or a loved one experiences depression symptoms for two weeks or longer. The team may perform diagnostic testing to diagnose or rule out physical causes like thyroid issues.
With an individualized treatment plan and ongoing monitoring from the team at Personal Touch Medical Center, you can manage or overcome your depression. The most successful depression treatment typically comes from a combination of:
Antidepressant medications can help balance your brain chemistry. You typically start to show noticeable results within a couple of weeks of taking them. While you take antidepressants, you won’t feel sedated or stimulated.
Psychotherapy can help you consolidate your thoughts and feelings. If you have mild depression, the team at Personal Touch Medical Center might recommend psychotherapy without medications.
You can implement changes at home to help improve your depression. This looks different for everyone and might include cutting back on alcohol consumption, exercising more often, or cleaning your living space.
If you or a loved one has symptoms of depression, call Personal Touch Medical Center, or book an evaluation online today.