Depression

Depression is often as disabling as any physical illness. If you’re unsure where to turn for help when nothing is easing your depression, call Grace Muthami, PMHNP-BC, of Brightmind Wellness, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Grace helps you confront depression, fostering healing to rekindle your inner light and illuminate your path from despair to hope. Call Brightmind Wellness today from anywhere in Pennsylvania or book a telehealth appointment online to get relief from the misery of depression.

What is depression?

Depression (major depressive disorder) affects your feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and outlook on life. When you have depression, you’re overcome by sadness and despair. You feel hopeless, blame yourself for everything, and struggle to get through the day.

These negative emotions are so intense you feel constantly weighed down by them. You might struggle to sleep at night, or you might sleep too much through fatigue and an effort to escape the mental anguish. Some people have no interest in food when they have depression, while others use it for comfort.

All the activities you usually enjoy fail to interest you, and your relationships with friends and family suffer. You might be unable to work as the depression gets worse. Without expert help, depression can result in suicidal thoughts and attempts to end your life. However, treatments are available from Brightmind Wellness to help you recover from depression.

Why would I have depression?

The root cause of depression is difficult to pin down and could involve several things.

Patients with depression usually have less dopamine and serotonin in their brains. These chemicals are neurotransmitters that regulate your mood. Low neurotransmitter levels could cause depression, or lacking these chemicals might be a consequence of depression.

You’re more likely to get depression if other people in your family suffer from mental health problems. Therefore, a genetic cause is possible.

Many people find a distressing experience triggers their depression. The death of someone you love, a relationship breakdown, or suffering abuse are some examples. But for others, depression seems to have no trigger.

How is depression treated?

Patients with depression usually benefit from talk therapy. Processing traumatic experiences and learning to manage problematic behaviors can significantly improve your symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches you to identify thoughts that worsen your depression and analyze them logically so you can correct them.

Antidepressant medication helps correct imbalances in your brain chemistry, but you might need to try several kinds before finding one that works for you.

Talk therapies help you cope with the challenges everyday life presents, and some patients recover from depression using psychotherapy alone. However, medication can be vital for many patients, especially those with moderate to severe symptoms.

If you have depression and find life hard to bear, contact Brightmind Wellness today. Call the office or book a telehealth appointment online.