The author Judy Blume once doled out this sage advice: “Stay aware, listen carefully, and yell for help if you need it.” If you fall down and can’t get back up again, you yell for help. If your car goes into a ditch, you yell for help. And if your brain is stuck in the rut of depression, you yell for help as loudly as possible. Sometimes this means reaching out to your support system or practicing self-care. But other times the depression is more severe and unmanageable. In these cases, professional therapists can truly be of service.
The licensed depression counselors at Thriveworks in Kingwood, TX are recruited from the top 4% of mental health providers in the Houston, TX area. This means that they have the expertise to help clients recover from the symptoms of depression–and help clients manage this mental health issue in the long-term. Depression treatment can include in-depth counseling, psychotropic medication, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), or a blended approach. Each client is different, thus depression treatment protocols need to be tailored to individuals. After all, the mental health providers at Thriveworks in Kingwood, TX don’t just treat the diagnosis; they treat the entire person.
What Are the Symptoms of Depression?
In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which psychiatrists and other mental health providers use to diagnose and treat mental health conditions, eight symptoms are listed for depression:
- A depressed mood lasting two weeks or more
- Anhedonia, which is a loss of interest or pleasure in activities you used to enjoy
- Shifts in appetite, often leading to unintentional weight changes
- Psychomotor retardation (slowed-down movements and thoughts)
- Fatigue and/or exhaustion
- Overwhelming feelings of sadness, guilt, or worthlessness
- Problems concentrating or remembering
- Suicidality (If you’re ever considering harming yourself, call a crisis hotline immediately.)
But not everyone experiences depression in the same way. For example, some men may display more externalizing symptoms like anger or irritability, while women tend to withdraw when they’re depressed. And substance abuse can often disguise the symptoms of depression. It’s also possible for a person to experience unexplained physical pain when they’re depressed, sometimes leading to misdiagnosis by a primary care physician. That’s why it’s important to seek out quality mental health services like depression counseling offered at Thriveworks in Kingwood, TX.
What Are the Best Treatments for Depression?
Depression can interfere with work, relationships, and daily functioning. But fortunately depression is highly treatable. At Thriveworks in Kingwood, TX, fully licensed mental health providers have a variety of effective, evidence-based treatment options at their disposal. For example:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a first-line treatment which aims to modify maladaptive thought patterns and beliefs to enhance mental health
- Dialectical behavior therapy, which is a type of CBT that helps regulate emotions
- Supportive therapy, which enables a person to use their own resources to improve general functioning
- Psychodynamic therapy, which uses self-reflection and self-examination in talk therapy to bring awareness to the origins of distress
- Holistic remedies like meditation, muscle relaxation, and mindfulness
- Family therapy or couples therapy, which helps support and include loved ones in depression recovery
- Behavioral activation, which focuses on a person’s behavior and environment
- Substance abuse therapy
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, which is a type of psychotherapy
- Psychiatric medications prescribed by a Thriveworks psychiatrist
Are Any of the Types of Depression Lifelong?
None of the types of depression have to be lifelong. That being said, someone who has already experienced one or several bouts of depression should learn to recognize the signs so they can seek professional intervention before symptoms worsen and begin to adversely affect daily life. Forms of depression include the following:
- Postpartum depression or postnatal depression (PPD)
- Manic depression (bipolar depression)
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Major depression (clinical depression)
- Mixed depression with anxiety disorder
- Situational depression
- Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
The mental health providers like depression counselors and psychiatrists at Thriveworks in Kingwood, TX may use different treatment protocols for the variations of mood disorder.
Find Premium Treatment for Depression at Thriveworks in Kingwood, TX
Therapy for depression can be highly affordable and effective. At Thriveworks in Kingwood, TX, depression counseling seeks to put clients on the road to recovery and help them achieve their goals in life. They do this by getting clients seen quickly–usually within 24-48 hours of their initial call–and getting them seen by experts. Thriveworks offers in-person counseling sessions at the modern office in Houston as well as online counseling sessions. Clients can choose whatever treatment is more comfortable and convenient for them. Thriveworks providers accept most forms of health insurance, helping to make premium mental health services accessible to all who need them.
Get help for your depression before your symptoms begin causing damage to the life you’ve worked so hard for. Reach out to Thriveworks today and get your recovery started.
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