What is depression?
Depression is a mental health condition that causes persistent feelings of sadness, low energy, and lack of interest in activities that bring joy. This mood disorder affects how you think, feel, and behave and alters your emotional and physical well-being.
Depression is very common and affects all ages. Many factors may contribute to depression, including brain chemistry, hormonal changes, and genetics.
What are depression symptoms?
Depression symptoms vary. However, for most people with depression, the symptoms are noticeable enough to affect daily routines and relationships.
Common depression symptoms include:
- Ongoing feelings of sadness and hopelessness
- Guilt and shame
- Anxiety
- Disinterest in activities
- Withdrawal from friends and family
- Change in sleep patterns
- Change in appetite
- Thoughts of suicide or death
- Unexplained pain sensations
You don’t have to have every sign for a depression diagnosis. However, your symptoms must affect most of your day for two or more weeks.
What happens during a depression consultation?
At Unity Behavioral Health, Lexie takes a whole-person approach to care, focusing on your overall health, not your diagnosis or symptoms. During your telemedicine depression consultation, she asks detailed questions about your:
- Mental health history
- Medical history
- Family health history
- Medications and supplements you take
- Symptoms (type, duration)
- Daily routine
- Life stresses
- Lab work to assess physical health
- Check of hormone levels
Lexie aims to fully understand your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. This approach helps her create a long-lasting relationship built on trust and medical integrity.
How is depression treated?
Lexie develops personalized treatment plans for depression based on the severity of your symptoms and medical history. To alleviate your symptoms, she may prescribe antidepressant medications.
Though she believes in the benefits of prescription medication for psychiatric care, she augments your medical treatment with counseling to help you identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors that contribute to your depression and symptoms.
In some cases, Lexie may recommend hormone replacement therapy as well as nutritional supplements. A hormone imbalance contributes to mood changes, and restoring balance with hormone therapy may improve symptoms.
Depression is a serious mood disorder that usually improves with treatment. For the expert care you need, call Unity Behavioral Health, or book an appointment online today.
