Depression can be a debilitating mental health challenge that interferes with nearly every aspect of your life. Yet as troubling as this mental health condition can be, there are several evidence-based treatment options that can help you achieve a full and lasting recovery.
Understanding the symptoms and causes of depression is often the first step in seeking out effective depression treatment in Portland. This process can help guide you toward the treatment options that will work best for you, and help you understand the path to recovery.
Could you or a loved one use help with depression treatment in Portland? Contact us today to see how we can help.
Defining Depression
Depression isn’t just feeling sad. It is a pervasive and often severe mental health condition that saps your energy, makes it difficult to focus or concentrate, and interferes with living life as you see fit. It can affect people of all genders, ages, ethnicities, and cultures, and often requires professional mental health services in order for people to recover.
There are multiple different types of depression, but major depressive disorder is the most common diagnosis. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, over 22 million adults in the U.S. experience a major depressive episode each year, making it one of the most common mental health conditions in the country.
Causes of Depression
There is no single cause of depression, but instead a constellation of contributing factors. This includes:
- Genetics: People with a family history of depression are more likely to experience depression.
- Major Life Events: Stressful life changes such as getting divorced, retirement, or job loss can all increase your risk of depression.
- Social Isolation: Not having a strong social support network can make experiencing depression more likely.
- Medical Conditions: Serious illness can often trigger a depressive episode.
People may experience some, none, or all of these risk factors and go on to develop a depressive disorder.
Symptoms of Depression
While different types of mood disorders have unique symptoms, there is a common thread of depression symptoms that ties them together. Common symptoms of depression include:
- Perpetually feeling sad, hopeless, or empty
- Irritability or frustration
- Chronic fatigue or feeling slowed down
- Trouble thinking or focusing
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Unintentional weight changes
- Thoughts of death or suicide
- Aches and pains, headaches, or digestive problems
- Loss of interest in hobbies or activities
If you’re experiencing symptoms such as these for more than two weeks, you’ve likely developed depression. Seeking treatment at a comprehensive mental health services center can provide you with actionable tools to overcome these challenges and achieve a lasting recovery.
Evidence-Based Depression Treatment
Active Path Mental Health’s depression treatment centers offer several scientifically proven treatments to help people break free from their mental health symptoms, find relief, and live healthier and more fulfilling lives. Some of the most effective tools for overcoming depression include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a time-tested talk therapy approach that can vastly reduce depressive symptoms. CBT is built upon a simple principle: that your thoughts, emotions, and behavior are all interconnected. As a result, changing the way you think can change the way you feel, and changing your behavior can change the way you think.
Working with a CBT therapist can help you understand how your mental health issues fit into these categories, provide you with targeted treatment methods to help break free from maladaptive thought patterns, and support you in building a fulfilling and meaningful life in recovery.
Medication Management
Medication management is a treatment approach that uses psychiatric medication to relieve symptoms of depression. But it’s more than just a prescription: it’s working with you to make sure that you’re taking the right medication for your specific needs, that you’re making good progress in treatment, and that you have a team of professionals to support you if you need to make any changes to your individualized treatment plan.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a cutting-edge approach to treating depressive disorders that focuses on treating the source of depression in the brain itself. People living with depression often have certain regions of their brain that are underactive, which plays a major role in experiencing severe symptoms of depression. TMS uses a completely noninvasive technology to stimulate these brain regions, making them more active and relieving a host of negative symptoms.
TMS is an FDA-approved, evidenced-based treatment option. It can even help people with treatment-resistant depression finally find symptom relief.
Start Depression Treatment in Portland with Active Path
Active Path is your trusted provider when looking for Portland mental health services. Ready to learn more about how our mental health experts treat depression and other mental health conditions and start your journey toward recovery?
