What is depression?
Depression is a serious illness that affects your mood, causing persistent sadness. Symptoms associated with depression often interfere with normal day-to-day activities, and include:
- Fatigue
- Consistent feelings of sadness
- Loss of interest in favorite activities
- Feeling empty
- Changes in appetite and eating patterns
- Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
- Physical aches, pains, digestive problems, or cramps
- Angry outbursts or irritability
- Feeling worthless
- Thoughts of suicide, death, or self harm
Depression is ongoing and is much more serious than just feeling sad. Women have a higher risk of experiencing depression, but depressed men are more likely to die of suicide.
What are the risk factors for depression?
Numerous, often unavoidable, factors that increase your risk of depression include:
- Family history of depression
- Hormone fluctuations from childbirth or premenstrual syndrome in women
- Seasonal depression due to long, cold winters
- Another mental health disorder, such as anxiety
- Taking certain medications
- Low self-esteem
- A traumatic life event or death in the family
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- A serious chronic illness
In many cases, depression cannot be prevented. Fortunately, Dr. Cardin helps find the root cause of depression and establishes an appropriate treatment to get your life back on track.
Are depression and anxiety related?
Depression and anxiety often go hand in hand, though one doesn’t necessarily cause the other. People with anxiety have intense, persistent fears and worries about everyday situations. Anxiety often interferes with normal day-to-day activities and is difficult to control.
Social anxiety, or social phobia, involves feeling anxious or fearful around others – especially in situations with large groups of people. Many people with depression have a history of anxiety or suffer from both disorders at the same time.
What is the treatment for depression?
Dr. Cardin asks you a series of questions and goes over your medical history to accurately diagnose your depression. He may also complete a physical exam and lab tests to find out if depression is linked with an underlying health problem. Treatment options might include:
- Group or individual counseling
- Support groups
- Online therapy sessions
- Brain stimulation therapies
- Antidepressant medications
- Treating an underlying medical condition
- Alternative medicine
Examples of alternative medicine that may help ease depression include massage therapy, acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, meditation, spirituality, and getting regular exercise.
When you’re ready to beat depression once and for all, call Dr. Cardin’s office or book an appointment online.
