As one of the most common mental health issues in the nation, depression affects more than 17 million adults. Since it is such a major and wide-spread mental health disorder, it’s vital to be able to identify the signs of depression.
Depression’s symptoms can be quite debilitating. It isn’t something that you should just live with. Far from it, in fact. If left untreated, depression can lead to substance abuse, addiction, and even death in the form of suicide. At Springfield Wellness, our expert staff knows the consequences of depression. As a result, we are dedicated to improving mental health through a variety of treatments.
Don’t let depression take over your life. If you have signs of depression and need help, please don’t hesitate to call us today at 844.334.4727 for our depression treatment program.
Identifying the Signs of Depression
Simply feeling sad is not the same thing as depression. In fact, depression is a mood disorder. It drastically alters an individual’s thought process, emotions, and behavior. While individuals with depression may seem as though they aren’t affected by the disease, its symptoms can arise suddenly. Often, more suddenly than some would imagine.
While there are numerous triggers of depression, such as trauma, stress, brain chemistry, or the environment, some conditions are triggered by events. For example, seasonal depression occurs in the winter months and is usually due to gloomy conditions affecting one’s mood. Another example would be postpartum depression. This can arise in women after giving birth and the effects can be severe in some cases.
However, there doesn’t need to be a trigger present for depression to affect an individual. Therefore, knowing the signs of depression is the best way to care for yourself and others.
It is important to distinguish between what would be considered normal depression that virtually anyone may experience and an actual disorder. If you are clinically depressed, you may exhibit some of these symptoms of depression:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Sudden overwhelming and irrational feelings of guilt or helplessness
- Isolation
- Suicidal thoughts or acts
When these signs of depression show themselves, it’s important to seek professional help without delay. Unfortunately, depression doesn’t go away on its own. Instead, it grows and festers, making nearly every aspect of an individual’s life a challenge.
It is understandable then why some individuals make the decision to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. To them, it seems like the easiest solution at the time. Unfortunately, this does more harm than good. By leaving the condition unchecked, the situation will invariably get worse, not better.
Depression and Substance Use Disorder
Often, depression triggers addiction. By taking drugs, abusing alcohol, or misusing medications, individuals attempt to treat their symptoms. It’s an act of desperation, and it doesn’t work. What they fail to realize is that in following this course of action, they create a dependency.
Fortunately, depression and its frequent partner anxiety are highly treatable. What matters is noticing the signs of depression early, so treatment addresses your symptoms. This enables you to make your life manageable once again.
Treating depression means treating the accompanying substance use disorder as well. Sometimes individuals will have to go through medically supervised detoxification before they can begin a treatment program. However, once the body is clear of substances, it’s time to address mental health.
Springfield Wellness Can Help
At Springfield Wellness, we can identify the signs of depression. Our team excels at treating mental illness and restoring individuals to full, positive mental health. Our forward-thinking BR+NAD treatment has been very successful in treating a number of mental health disorders.
Find out if Springfield Wellness Center is right for you. Call us at 844.334.4727 to get more information and stay on the road to good mental health.