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Depression

OUTPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC LOCATED IN CORDOVA AND GREATER MEMPHIS, TN

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Depression services offered in Cordova and Greater Tennessee , Greater Tennessee, TN

Depression affected more than 20 million adults in the United States in 2020, according to the most recent National Institute of Mental Health estimates. Unfortunately, those numbers have likely increased due to the COVID pandemic. The team at WellMind Behavioral Health & Wellness in Cordova and Greater Tennessee , provide comprehensive care for adults, teens, and children experiencing newly developing or long-term depression. Schedule an evaluation today by calling the office or requesting an appointment online.

Depression Q & A

What is depression?

Depression is a chronic condition that can affect your mood, behavior, and physical health. Symptoms vary but commonly include:

  • Persistent and sometimes overwhelming sadness
  • Feeling hopeless or worthless
  • Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
  • Irritability
  • Overeating or not eating enough
  • Changes in sleep patterns, sleeping too much or too little
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Problems remembering appointments
  • Lack of motivation to accomplish goals or complete tasks
  • Headaches, back pain, abdominal pain
  • Fixating on previous failures
  • Difficulty planning, organizing, or problem-solving
  • Slowed speech or movement (psychomotor retardation)
  • Avoiding social interactions
  • Anxiety
  • Suicidal thoughts

Other warning signs of depression include changing behavior patterns. For instance, younger children with depression may become increasingly clingy or fearful of routine activities such as attending school. Teenagers and adults may begin self-medicating with recreational drugs or alcohol.

What causes depression?

Researchers haven’t yet discovered why some people develop depression but others don’t. However, common depression triggers include:

  • Genetics: more common in individuals with a family history of depression
  • Stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one or job loss
  • Physical, mental, or sexual trauma
  • Social isolation or lack of supportive relationships
  • Chronic pain
  • Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other life-altering conditions
  • Side effects of certain prescription meds
  • Poorly managed anxiety disorder

Individuals assigned female at birth may experience depression related to pregnancy, which may develop during pregnancy (peripartum) or weeks to months after pregnancy (postpartum).

What are my treatment options for depression?

The team at WellMind Behavioral Health & Wellness designs personalized treatment plans based on the results of an intake assessment that includes a discussion of your symptoms, medical history, and other relevant issues.

Your plan may include traditional antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications to reduce co-occurring anxiety. For severe or treatment-resistant depression, your provider may recommend ketamine infusions. Ketamine has proven highly effective in quickly relieving depression symptoms. It also shows significant promise in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorders.

A mainstay of depression treatment is psychotherapy (talk therapy). During therapy sessions, your provider helps you identify underlying thoughts, behaviors, or experiences contributing to your depression. You then work together to develop a plan for replacing negative thoughts and behaviors with healthy responses.  

Schedule an evaluation at WellMind Behavioral Health & Wellness today. Call the office or request an appointment online.