Depression Specialist

What is depression?

Clinical depression is far more than the temporary feeling of sadness that everyone experiences now and again. If you have clinical depression, the feelings of hopelessness, despondency, and self-criticism are unrelenting, affecting every aspect of your life and interfering with your ability to carry out everyday activities.

Stressful life events can trigger depression in some cases, or it may develop out of the blue for no apparent reason.

If left untreated, depression can become so severe that people start to form thoughts of self-harm or suicide, but with treatment, even people with the most serious cases of depression can recover.

What are the symptoms of depression?

If you have depression, you may feel one or a combination of persistent negative emotions:

• Extreme feelings of sadness, emptiness and hopelessness
• Tearfulness
• Anger and irritability
• Frustration
• Self-loathing and guilt
• Anxiety
• Feeling agitated or restless
• Worthlessness
• Self-blame

As a result of these feelings, it’s likely that you feel disinterested in aspects of your life that you usually enjoy, and you may feel that you’re slowing down both physically and mentally.

Some people have trouble falling asleep, and others find they’re sleeping too much. Likewise, some people lose interest in food while others turn to comfort eating. You may have more headaches, start having digestive problems, or develop muscular pain.

Depression is a serious health issue that requires compassion and expert help. If you identify with these symptoms, make an appointment with Dr. Perijoc as soon as possible.

What treatments are available for depression?

To stabilize your mood and rebalance the chemicals in your brain that are a likely factor in your depression, Dr. Perijoc prescribes antidepressants. There are several types of antidepressants available, and you may need to try different kinds before finding the one that works for you, so if the first course of treatment doesn’t work, don’t give up.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are some of the safest and most effective antidepressant medications, but they can take 3-4 weeks to start to work. If SSRIs aren’t working for you, Dr. Perijoc discusses other kinds of antidepressant options with you.

In addition to medication, talk therapies are almost always beneficial for people with depression. Dr. Perijoc can explain the different types of talk therapies available so you can decide together what might help best.

For compassionate support and effective treatment options, call North Texas Internal Medicine Specialists today or book an appointment online.