Major Depressive Disorder is treatable and is a very common condition seen in young adults today. The symptoms could differ drastically in individuals. Some will show all the classic signs of the disorder while others can appear completely normal in their mood and activities and yet silently suffer from a major depressive disorder.
Identification of the symptoms is very critical to ensure that they get treatment on time before the symptoms worsen.
Getting medical help from experienced clinicians such as those found in A Mission for Michael health center in Orange County can help you in living a good quality life by providing treatment plans that are catered to meet your individual needs. Major depressive disorder treatments include combination therapy.As the symptoms vary in each individual, so do the treatment plans as everyone responds differently to various classes of antidepressant drugs.
Symptoms of Clinical Depression
Warning signs that could signal clinical depression are:
- Trouble in falling asleep and even getting out from the bed in the morning.
- Always feeling tired.
- Appetite changes can include loss of desire to eat or episodes of excessive hunger.
- Focusing on tasks becomes difficult.
- Guilt and hopelessness can consume you all the time.
- No interest in activities that used to feel joyful before.
- Low mood and suicidal ideation.
- Some people especially children and adults in their 20s will appear very irritable all through the day.
- Inability to feel pleasure associated with any activity including sex or meeting friends.
- Feeling restless or tensed at all times.
- Slow speech and body movements.
- Sudden change in weight profile.
- Withdrawal from activities.
The risk of depression and reported cases are higher in women. Women also seek medical help more often than men.
Risk factors associated with depression include:
- sedentary lifestyle,
- obesity, cancer,
- heart diseases, and
- Diabetes
Substance abuse or chronic pain can also increase your chances of developing severe depressive episodes.
There are different forms of Clinical depression. Diagnosing the right type can change the course of treatment.
Some common types are:
- Seasonal effective disorders peak winter months and are often treated by giving light therapy.
- Psychotic depression involves hallucinations and needs immediate treatment with anti psychotics and antidepressants in combination.
- Postpartum depression which is experienced after parturition and is 100% treatable.
- In Melancholic depression, person can feel extreme sadness in the absence of any obvious external trigger.
There are many other forms of depression as well like premenstrual dysphoric disorder or alcohol-induced depression which requires different forms of management techniques.
Treatment of Major depression or MDD
Treatment is provided as a combination of medicines and psychotherapy. Clinicians often use SSRIs or MOAIs or benzodiazepines for treating all the major cases of MDD. Meditation and exercise can be added to one’s routine to increase their feeling of self-worth and calmness.
Early treatment has better rate of prognosis and also lower rates of relapse and hence, reaching out for medical treatment early on can make your symptoms manageable faster.