Our Services / Depression

What is depression?

When you have depression, you experience persistent negative feelings such as sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, and emptiness.

Other symptoms may include:

• Irritability
• Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
• Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• Inability to make decisions
• Trouble sleeping, including insomnia or oversleeping
• Appetite or weight changes
• Thoughts of suicide

You might also get physical aches and pains, digestive problems, and headaches for no clear reason.

Are there different types of depression?

Depression takes nine distinct forms:

Major depression

This is the most common type of clinical depression, which usually recurs throughout your life.

Dysthymia

Dysthymia or persistent depressive disorder causes a persistent low mood for two years or more. Patients describe dysthymia as like living on "autopilot."

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

SAD (a different condition than social anxiety disorder, which is also known as SAD) is due to a lack of natural sunlight, so it typically affects people during the winter when days are shorter.

Atypical depression

People with atypical depression tend to find their worst symptoms are heaviness in their limbs, irritability, oversleeping and overeating, and relationship problems.

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder causes alternating episodes of mania and depression.

Psychotic depression

Psychotic depression episodes can sometimes be so severe that you start to hallucinate and become almost catatonic.

Postpartum depression

Postpartum depression can affect you any time after having a baby, causing extreme sadness, exhaustion, anxiety, and in some cases, concerns of self-harm or hurting your new baby.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

PMDD is a severe depression that arises after you ovulate each month. It can cause hopelessness, irritability, and anger in the second half of your menstrual cycle.

Situational depression

This type of depression follows life-changing events like divorce, bereavement, and job loss.

What causes depression?

Depression doesn't have a single cause but could be a combination of factors such as:

• Brain chemistry
• Family history of depression
• Personal history of other mental health disorders
• Traumatic or stressful life events
• Hormone fluctuations during menstruation and pregnancy
• Substance abuse

Certain medications, including sleeping pills, pain medicines, and blood pressure drugs, can also increase your risk of developing depression.

How is depression treated?

CyFair Psychiatry offers several treatment options for depression. Your provider might suggest medications like antidepressants alongside psychotherapy, a combination that helps most people overcome their depression in time.

If you have treatment-resistant depression that isn't responding to other therapies, CyFair Psychiatry offers transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a painless, non-invasive way of rebalancing the neurotransmitters in your brain.

Every person is unique, so the team always considers you as a whole person before deciding on the best way to help you. To benefit from his expertise, call CyFair Psychiatry today or book an appointment online.