Sadness is a normal emotion, and everyone feels depressed from time to time. Clinical depression is much more serious—it’s a condition that affects the brain and body in significant ways. Long periods of depression can affect your relationships, your work, and your overall well-being. Fortunately, the condition responds to depression treatment like therapy and medication, but it’s important to know when to reach out for medical help.
Physical Symptoms of Depression
Mental health affects physical health, and depression can change the way your body feels. Even minor health issues may seem much more severe because of your depressed mood. You might notice some of these symptoms:
- Constant fatigue
- Insomnia or trouble sleeping
- Headaches, body aches, and cramps
- Digestive problems
- Changes in appetite
- Moving and speaking slowly enough for others to notice
Untreated depression can also increase the risk of other illnesses, like cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure.
If your symptoms don’t have a physical cause and don’t seem to respond to treatment, a depression recovery center can address the underlying depression and work to heal your body and mind.
Behavioral and Emotional Symptoms
When you’re depressed, you may have overwhelming negative thoughts and fears, or feel unusually irritable around others. If you’ve experienced several of these symptoms for at least two weeks, you may benefit from mental health treatment:
- A loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
- Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
- Feeling like a failure or a disappointment
- Trouble concentrating and making decisions
- Excessive worry and anxiety
- Increased use or abuse of alcohol or drugs
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Thoughts of dying or harming yourself
You might experience depression following an upsetting or traumatic event, or your mood may change for seemingly no reason. In each case, pay attention to your symptoms and take them seriously.
When Should I Seek a Depression Treatment Program?
You might have depression if you’ve experienced several of the physical, behavioral, and emotional signs every day, most of the day, for at least two weeks. Not everyone who has depression will have every symptom since each individual is different.
A doctor can diagnose clinical depression and work with you to find the best mental health treatment. Doctors can also point you to therapists or depression recovery centers for programs tailored to your condition.
Usually, treatment combines counseling and therapy with some form of antidepressant medication (if you and your doctor decide medication is a good choice). Since depression alters the brain, medication works to restabilize your brain chemistry. You won’t feel the effects of medication right away, but eventually, your symptoms should improve.
Excessive substance use can be a symptom of severe depression. Addictive substances, as well as taking a toll on your physical health, can ultimately harm your mental health and make you more depressed. Dual diagnosis treatment, which is offered at our depression treatment programs, addresses both mental health diagnoses and addiction recovery.
Mental Health Treatment at Lotus Recovery Centers
Depression and addiction often go together. Clients stand a better chance of long-term recovery when both conditions are treated at once. If you’re noticing signs of depression and substance abuse in yourself or someone you love, Lotus Recovery Centers will help you take the first step to a happier, healthier life.
Our West Virginia and Delaware depression treatment programs offer individual and group therapy as part of dual diagnosis treatment plans. Medical professionals provide primary care, which may include medication to manage depression. Reach out to us at 833.922.1615 or through an online form. Help is available, and you’re not alone.
