Depression

Definition: Depression, AKA major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is considered a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. Patients with depression may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities and sometimes may feel as if life isn’t worth living.

Symptoms

Although depression may occur only once during your life, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day, and may include:

  • Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness, or hopelessness
  • Angry outbursts, irritability, or frustration, even over small matters
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies, or sports
  • Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
  • Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
  • Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
  • Anxiety, agitation, or restlessness
  • Slowed thinking, speaking, or body movements
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
  • Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
  • Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, or suicide
  • Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
  • For many people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities, or relationships with others. Some people may feel generally miserable without really knowing why.
  • In younger children, symptoms of depression may include sadness, irritability, clinginess, worry, aches and pains, refusing to go to school, or being underweight.
  • In teens, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling negative and worthless, anger, poor performance or poor attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and extremely sensitive, using recreational drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping too much, self-harm, loss of interest in normal activities, and avoidance of social interaction.

Treatment:

Lifestyle:

  • Regular practice of aerobic or anaerobic exercises most days of the week.
  • Encourage activities that will increase social connection and enhance meaningful relationships.

Nutrition

  • Eliminate caffeine and simple sugars from the diet.
  • Consume a Mediterranean-style or whole foods (low–processed, low-carb foods) diet.

Medications: Many medications such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors/ SSRIs (such as Prozac and Zoloft) can be helpful in the treatment of depression

Supplements such as certain vitamins and herbal products can help in the management of depression.

Other therapies such as massage, yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, music therapy etc. can also be helpful.

To schedule an appointment please contact us

Carolina Integrative Clinic

254 Towne Village Dr, Cary, NC 27513, United States

Email: office@ciclinic.com

Tel: (919) 869-6661

Fax: (919) 301-9349