Is it Just Sadness, or Something More Serious?
“Sadness is a normal, healthy emotion; depression is a disease,” according to Dr. David Fassler. So how can you tell the difference between the two? What are critical factors that help determine whether your condition is only a temporary period of feeling low, or a significant problem impacting your health and your life?
The best way to determine whether or not you have depression is to meet with a mental health professional. The Brain Health Clinic helps people with depression on a regular basis and our trained staff is here to assist you. In the meantime, to help you recognize the signs of depression, here are some critical factors.
Depression is Intense
Depression is an emotional illness that affects your ability to function normally. It can lead to social isolation, a lack of interest in activities that used to bring joy to life, altered sleep behaviors, and feelings of worthlessness, potentially leading to thoughts of suicide. Anniversaries of negative events or unresolved family trauma connected with the holidays can aggravate the symptoms.
Depression Lasts a Long Time
It is normal to feel depressed after a significant loss. The death of a loved one, the loss of a cherished job, a difficult life change — all of these can lead to a period of deep sadness. After about six months, however, the mind should start to overcome the feeling of depression and adapt to the new circumstances. If you find yourself still experiencing intense sadness, you may have gone beyond being depressed into clinical depression.
Without a significant life change, experiencing more than two weeks of steady feelings of isolation, sadness, guilt, and lethargy can be indicative of depression.
Get Treatment for Depression
The Brain Health Clinic offers neurofeedback coupled with psychotherapy to help treat depression. In addition, we discuss habits and behaviors that can contribute to a state of depression. It may be that certain behavioral modifications can play a large role towards improving your health and well-being.
You can start on the road to improving your mental health and wellness with a free, no-obligation consultation with a staff member at the Brain Health Clinic. If our initial discussion indicates that your situation is serious enough to warrant a regular consultation, our therapists are here in a relaxing, friendly environment.
Find out more about how you can feel brilliant by calling the Brain Health Clinic or contacting us via our online request form.