Depression Treatment in Connecticut
Need Someone to Talk To?
Please contact Contemporary Care to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors or other behavioral healthcare professionals.
However, if you are feeling suicidal or are considering harming yourself, call 911 or go to your local emergency room immediately.
What is depression?
Depression is more than “the blues.” The common but serious mood disorder also known as major or clinical depression causes severe symptoms that deeply influence how you feel, think and function.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of depression vary but may include persistent feelings of hopeless, sadness, anxiety or worthlessness, irritability, fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, restlessness, lost interest in usually pleasurable activities and thoughts of death or suicide. You may also experience physical symptoms such as headaches, digestion problems and cramps. If symptoms carry on for 2 weeks or longer you could be diagnosed with depression.
What are the types of depression?
There are numerous types of depression differentiated by factors such as how long or severely you experience symptoms or when they occur. These types include:
- Dysthymia, or persistent depressive disorder: Lasts for at least 2 years
- Prenatal depression: Derives from and follows childbirth
- Psychotic depression: Depression plus a form of psychosis such as hallucinations or delusions
- Seasonal affective disorder: Coincides with a particular season, most commonly winter
What about bipolar depression?
Bipolar disorder isn’t technically a form of depression but it can cause episodes called bipolar depression in which you experience severely low moods that meet the depression criteria. Bipolar disorder may also cause extreme, euphoric highs known as mania or more moderate highs called hypomania.
What causes depression?
The latest research findings suggest that a combination of biological, environmental and psychological factors cause depression. Depression can also co-occur with other illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, eating disorders and heart disease. Certain medications, family history of depression, trauma, stress and major life changes can also be contributing factors.
How is depression treated?
All types and severities of depression can be treated. Commonly effective options involve antidepressants, psychotherapy or both. Contemporary Care provides these treatments and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS, which uses a magnetic field to stimulate brain areas that control moods and which may be under-active in depressed individuals. If an underlying cause is at play such as an eating disorder, treatment for that condition will also likely improve your depressive symptoms.