Depression

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders that can adversely effect almost every aspect of your life. The team at Northern Virginia Psychiatric Group specializes in providing personalized care that improves your mood and restores balance to your mental, emotional, and physical health. If you struggle with depression, don't wait to seek help. Call the office in Fairfax, Virginia, or book an appointment online today.

When should I get help for depression?

Many people wait too long to get help for depression. They often think it's like the blues, and they will get better. They may feel embarrassed or uncomfortable seeking help for something they think they should be able to "snap out of."

Clinical depressive disorders differ from "the blues" as normal affective dysthymia lasts only for a day or two but clinical depressive disorders last for much longer. Depressive disoders may begin for many reasons, including life events that make you sad or unhappy. Per the currently prevalent clinial hypotheses depressive disorders may arise from imbalances in brain chemicals and can improve with treatment.

Depressive disoders mostly will remit in a span of weeks to months but on occasions can persist for years. As a general guideline, you should seek help at Northern Virginia Psychiatric Group when symptoms last two weeks or longer.

What symptoms develop due to depression?

Depression causes the following symptoms:

• Feeling sad, worthless, and hopeless
• Avoiding your partner, friends, and family
• Losing interest in the activities you usually enjoy
• Experiencing changes in your weight and/or appetite
• Sleeping more than usual or being unable to sleep
• Feeling extreme fatigue or lacking energy
• Having a hard time concentrating or making decisions
• Needing to move (like pacing) or moving very slowly
• Thinking about or creating a plan to commit suicide

You may not have all of these symptoms, but you'll have several.

How is depression treated?

During your first appointment, your psychiatrist/psychotherapist learns about your symptoms, reviews your medical and psychological history, and does a clinical evaluation.

That may sound like a lot of talking when you're depressed, but the basic information is essential for choosing from many possible medication treatments and types of therapy to make the best choices for you.

Medication

People with moderate to severe depression often benefit from antidepressants. These medications enhance the brain chemicals that regulate and improve your mood.

Antidepressants help many people but not all people, their beneficial effects can be appreciated as early as after a week or two of initiation of the treatment but may take 4-6 weeks for full effect. If your symptoms don’t improve in that time, your clinician may adjust your dose or prescribe a different type of antidepressant.

Psychotherapy

Several psychotherapy (talk therapy) techniques improve depression, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and problem-solving therapy. Therapy can help you understand what contributes to your depression, change negative thoughts, and teach you new skills for managing the life challenges that may trigger depression.

To schedule an appointment for depression, call Northern Virginia Psychiatric Group, or book an appointment online today.