Major Depression Disorder – Healthy Mind Psychiatry

Major Depression Disorder is a mental health disorder when an individual has a persistently low or depressed mood, or a decreased interest in pleasurable activities, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, lack of energy, poor concentration, appetite changes, psychomotor agitation, sleep disturbances, suicidal thoughts, postpartum depression, seasonal affective depression, causing significant impairment in daily life.

Symptoms and Diagnosis
• Emotional and cognitive (thinking) symptoms include a depressed mood, lack of interest or motivation in things you typically enjoy, problems making decisions, irritability, excessive worrying, memory problems and excessive guilt.
• Physical symptoms include fatigue, sleep problems (such as waking too early, problems falling or staying asleep, sleeping too much), changes in appetite, weight loss or gain, aches and pains, headaches, heart palpitations, and burning or tingling sensations.
• Behavioral symptoms include crying uncontrollably, having angry outbursts, withdrawing from friends and family, becoming a workaholic, abusing alcohol or drugs, cutting or otherwise hurting yourself, and, in the worst cases, considering or attempting suicide.

Depression can be classified as:
• Major depressive disorder (MDD), which includes depressed mood and/or reduced interest and pleasure in life, considered “core” symptoms, and other symptoms that significantly affect daily life.
• Dysthymia, (dis-THI-me-a), a milder form of depression that can progress to MDD.
• Postpartum depression, which occurs within weeks of giving birth.
• Psychotic depression, which comes with delusions and/or hallucinations.
• Seasonal affective depression, which occurs as the days get shorter and improves with spring.
 If you are resistant to anti-depression medications, here at Health Mind Psychiatry we offer other treatments for depression. Please call our office.
For more information please contact Healthy Mind Psychiatry at (661) 481-0022.