Depression Treatment
CALL NOW TO
SPEAK WITH A PHYSICIAN
888-777-9672
Special Financing
and
Scholarship Options
Living with Major Depression -
How has this disease affected you and/or your family?
Before you read any further, please take a quick minute to help determine if you or your loved one have this problem.
Symptoms of depression
- Ongoing sad, anxious or empty feelings
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Feeling irritable or restless
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies that were once enjoyable, including sex
- Feeling tired all the time - Energy loss
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, or difficulty making decisions
- Not able to go to sleep or stay asleep (insomnia); may wake in the middle of the night, or sleep all the time
- Overeating or loss of appetite
- Thoughts of suicide or making suicide attempts
- Ongoing aches and pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not go away.
If you have any of these symptoms, please call our 24/hr Toll Free Treatment Center Hotline at 888-777-9672 now, where you will be helped by a qualified admissions specialist.
Summit Malibu's combination of experienced, licensed therapists trained in substance abuse and mental disorders along with a nationally recognized board certified addiction psychiatrist gives us the gold standard in treating the clinical or major depressed individuals, dually diagnosed drug and alcohol addicts.
Summit Malibu also utilizes the Cognitive behavioral therapy (Matrix model) and specialized in integrated treatment for co-occurring psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar, eating disorders, ocd). With the use of adjunctive services such as yoga, massage, meditation and motivational enhancement therapy, Summit Malibu is able to offer comprehensive psycho-social assessments for your depression treatment. Furthermore, we offer individualized treatment plans (with medical, psychological and social focus).
What is Depression?
(Also called: Clinical depression, Major depressive disorder)
Depression is a serious medical illness that involves the brain. It is a common medical condition and is nothing to be ashamed of. It's more than just a feeling of being "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. If you are one of the more than 20 million people in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life.
The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) lists nine symptoms for major depression, five or more which must be present over the same two-week period, including one of the first two: 1) Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day, or 2) Markedly diminished pleasure.
The other seven symptoms include: 3) Significant weight gain or loss, 4) Insomnia or hypersomnia, 5) psychomotor agitation or retardation, 6) Fatigue or loss of energy, 7) Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt, 8) diminished ability to think or concentrate, 9) Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thinking, and suicide attempts.
Depression can run in families, and usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30. It is much more common in women. Women can also get postpartum depression after the birth of a baby. Some people get seasonal affective disorder in the winter. Depression is one part of bipolar disorder.
How is depression treated?
Treatments for depression exist and are very effective. Medications and counseling are the cornerstones of depression therapy. Reacting to depression as soon as it is noticed is important. With prompt treatment, a depressed person can return to a happier lifestyle and more balanced outlook on life. There are effective treatments for depression, including antidepressants and talk therapy. Most people do best by using both.
What is psychotherapy?
In psychotherapy, you talk with your family doctor, a psychiatrist or a therapist about things that are going on in your life. The focus may be on your thoughts and beliefs or on your relationships. Or the focus may be on your behavior, how it's affecting you and what you can do differently. Psychotherapy often lasts for a limited time, such as 8 to 20 visits.
How long will the depression last?
This depends on how soon you get help. Left untreated, depression can last for weeks, months or even years. The main risk in not getting treatment is suicide. Treatment can help depression lift in 6 to 8 weeks, or less.
Reasons to get help for Depression
Other Types of Depression
Dysthymic disorder, melancholic depression, atypical depression, bipolar depression, psychotic depression, catatonic depression, seasonal affective disorder,and postpartum depression)
Dysthymia is chronic mild to moderate chronic depression, as opposed to major depression. The DSM-IV mandates the same symptoms as for major depression, except for suicidality, but requires only three symptoms in all, so long as they have persisted over two years. Mild to moderate is a misnomer, as dysthymia can make a person’s life as miserable as major depression.
What is melancholic depression?
Melancholic depression is major depression with an emphasis on lack of pleasure or lack of reactivity to pleasure. Other characteristics include (three or more): Depressed mood, depression at worst in the morning, early morning awakening, psychomotor agitation or retardation, significant weight loss, and inappropriate guilt.
What is atypical depression?
Atypical depression is a misnomer, as more outpatients suffer from atypical depression than from other forms of depression. Atypical depression is major depression that differs from melancholic depression in that patients react positively to external events, plus (two or more): Significant weight gain (as opposed to weight loss), hypersomnia (as opposed to insomnia), leaden paralysis, and sensitivity to personal rejection.
What is bipolar depression?
Bipolar depression is a feature of bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, an illness characterized by mood swings from depression to mania. The diagnostic criteria for bipolar depression are the same as for major depression, but bipolar patients tend to have atypical features. Bipolar patients who rapid cycle can be up and down in a matter of minutes, and in mixed states depression and mania are present at once.
What is psychotic depression?
Psychotic depression is a rare form of depression characterized by delusions or hallucinations, such as believing you are someone you are not and hearing voices.
What is catatonic depression?
Catatonic depression is a rare form of major depression characterized by (at least two): Stupor, excessive motor activity, extreme negativism, peculiarities in voluntary movement, and repetition of other people's words or actions.
What is seasonal affective disorder?
Seasonal affective disorder is major depression that appears in the fall or winter and goes away in spring, thought to be caused by lack of sunlight.
What is postpartum depression?
Postpartum depression occurs within four weeks of a women giving childbirth. Most new mothers suffer from some form of the “baby blues.” Postpartum depression, by contrast, is major depression, thought to be triggered by changes in hormonal flows associated with childbirth.
What if I have depression and a substance/alcohol problem?
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommends treating both illnesses simultaneously, ideally in an integrated setting in the same facility, at the very least with the different treatment providers working together.
Just how serious a problem is depression?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 18.8 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the US population age 18 and older in a given year, have a depressive disorder. According to the World Health Organization, depression is presently on track to becoming the world's second-most disabling disease (after heart disease) by the year 2020. In addition, depression is responsible for some $87 billion a year in lost productivity in the US (a conservative estimate. Additionally, one million people worldwide die by their own hand, most as a result of a mood disorder. Finally, the linkage between depression and a host of physical illnesses makes it arguably the world's greatest killer.
Final Thoughts
Depression may be one of the worst illnesses we know, but it is highly treatable. Finding what works may involve weeks or months - and sometimes even years - of frustration and heartbreak, but with the range of choices we now have, your prospects are excellent. Moreover, we are not helpless bystanders. The decisions we make regarding our lifestyles can dramatically improve the odds in our favor. To those of you, who are depressed, please seek help - you shouldn't have to suffer one day longer than you have to. For those of you struggling with your treatments don't give up hope. A brighter future lies ahead.
Disclaimer: This assessment is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or emotional condition. It is advised that you consult your physician with any concerns regarding this questionnaire.
Call our 24-hour confidential information line at 888-777-9672.