We are located at The Center for Integrative and Functional Health and Wellness
(630) 491-5190
1 Tiffany Pointe, Suite 114, Bloomingdale, IL 60108

Category: Depression

Do I Have Depression?

Wondering If You Have Depression?

Occasional bouts of sadness are typical for humans, but depression is when these feelings of hopelessness and intense sadness are so persistent that they just don’t go away. Depression has more symptoms, too – it deeply affects the way you think, feel, and behave. It goes on to affect your personal and professional lives in a profound way. It can become a daunting task just to make it through your everyday responsibilities.

Depression itself varies from person to person – some people describe depression as “living in a black hole,” whereas for others it may be more like a feeling of emotional numbness.

Left untreated, depression can only get worse in time. Luckily, with the right combination of treatments or lifestyle changes, you can find relief from your symptoms.

Warning Sign You May Have Depression

Despite the consistent symptoms, your experience may vary because depression can be very different from person to person.

The most common signs and symptoms of depression include the following:

  • Feeling hopeless or helpless
  • Lack of interest in hobbies or daily activities
  • Appetite or weight changes
  • Disturbances in sleep patterns
  • Irritability or anger
  • Fatigue or lack of energy
  • Self-guilt, self-loathing, or shame
  • Reckless behavior
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Unexplained physical aches and pains
Depending on your individual experience, you may be suffering from a specific depressive disorder. Types of depressive disorders include:
  • Major depression
  • Persistent depressive disorder
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
  • Psychotic depression
  • Postpartum depression
  • Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
  • Atypical depression

What Are The Causes And Risk Factors Of Depression

Unlike other conditions that can be traced back to a single identifiable cause, depression is more complicated – it is a mix of a number of biological, genetic, and environmental factors.

  • Causes of depression may include:
  • Biological differences
  • Brain chemistry
  • Hormones
  • Inherited traits

Risk factors that may increase your likelihood of developing a depressive disorder include the following:

  • Personality traits like low self-esteem or being too dependent on others
  • Traumatic or stressful events
  • Abusive experiences, especially during childhood
  • Family history of mental health conditions
  • Serious or chronic illness

What Treatments Are Available For Depression?

Despite how hopeless your condition may make you feel, there is no case of depression that cannot find relief with the right treatments or lifestyle changes.

Ketamine Treatment

Although it first rose to prominence as an anesthetic and pain reliever, ketamine is now being used to treat mental health conditions and mood disorders like depression or anxiety.

To learn more about this revolutionary new treatment for depression, schedule a consultation with us today.

Medication
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
  • Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
  • Tricyclic antidepressants
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, can be very useful for treating depression. This involves counseling sessions with a therapist or psychiatrist who can educate you on healthy coping methods for your symptoms.

Lifestyle changes
  • Exercises
  • Diet
  • Avoid substance abuse
  • Stick to your treatment plan

Learn More About How Ketamine Can Help With Your Depression

If you or perhaps someone you might know is struggling with depression, and other treatment methods have failed to provide any relief, ketamine infusion therapy may be able to help you. Ketamine treatment has shown great results in helping those who are experiencing treatment-resistant depression. Contact Premier Infusions today and request your free consultation.

Premier Infusions

1 Tiffany Pointe, Suite 105

Bloomingdale, IL 60108

Phone: 630) 980-1400

 

when-does-postpartum-depression-start

When Does Postpartum Depression Start?

New moms face enough challenges after childbirth without suffering from depression, but sometimes the symptoms happen no matter the efforts to stop them cold. If they’re mild and short-term, they’re called the “baby blues.” If they’re more severe and long-lasting, you may be experiencing the first signs of postpartum depression.

WHAT IS POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION?

“Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental health illness that affects women after giving birth. For some women, it is normal to feel the “baby blues” for a few weeks after giving birth. With postpartum depression, feelings of sadness, loneliness, worthlessness, restlessness, and anxiety last much longer than a few weeks.”

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION?

Mood swings starting a few weeks after childbirth are normal, sometimes paired with short bursts of anxiety, sadness, and irritability – these are all part of what some people call the “baby blues.” Symptoms that are more severe and last for several months could be the first signs of postpartum depression. In most cases, the symptoms begin anywhere from a few weeks to six months after giving birth – but have started during pregnancy, which is rare. In other cases, postpartum depression may not happen until a year after childbirth. Some cases are treated with new therapies like ketamine infusion.
Symptoms of postpartum depression include:

  • You feel sad, hopeless
  • You feel worried, scared, panicked
  • New moms sometimes blame themselves unnecessarily
  • You cry a lot
  • Feelings of moodiness
  • Abnormal sleeping patterns, too little or too much
  • Changes in eating habits
  • Problems concentrating
  • Removing yourself from your family or social events
  • Feeling detached from your baby

WHAT CAUSES POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION?

Like other mental illnesses, postpartum depression has more than one cause. Some are similar to causes for other kinds of depression, but others are unique to women during and after pregnancy, including:

  • Hormonal changes that a woman experiences after a baby is born
  • Environmental and other changes, some of which you can manage (dieting) and some you can’t no matter how hard you try (loss of sleep due to a newborn babies eating and sleep patterns, and the stress of taking care of a newborn)
  • Previous episodes of postpartum depression
  • Depression not caused by pregnancy
  • Severe premenstrual syndrome
  • A stressful relationship or marriage
  • Lack of social support
  • Stressful events during or after pregnancy like being severely ill during pregnancy, premature birth, or a problematic delivery)

ARE THERE OTHER KINDS OF POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION?

Decades of careful research and patient interaction have taught us there are several kinds of depression, each with their own categories and often unique symptoms. The same holds for postpartum depression, which is why the medical community has sub-categorized it into smaller types with symptoms ranging from acute to severe, short to mild:

  • Postpartum Blues (also known as “baby blues”) is the most widespread postpartum mood disorder, affecting about 50 to 85 percent of women who give birth. Symptoms are normally short-term and don’t hinder a woman functioning day today
  • Postpartum Anxiety is sometimes misdiagnosed or brushed aside because people assume new moms have anxiety no matter what. It’s characterized by high tension and stress, and the inability to take it easy or relax.
  • Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder surfaces when a new mom is obsessed with cleanliness and compulsively scrubs down the baby’s crib or changing station, among other examples.
  • Postpartum Panic Disorder is characterized by severe stress levels in about 10 percent of women after childbirth. It may include symptoms like shortness of breath and heart palpitations.
  • Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder affects about nine percent of women after pregnancy and involves a perceived threat of danger to the mom or baby. Symptoms may include a difficult pregnancy, delivery by C-section, or the baby ending up in a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

Finally, postpartum psychosis is very rare, affecting only about one percent of all women following pregnancy. It’s often characterized by delusional thoughts, hallucinations, extreme agitation, confusion, hyperactivity, and poor judgment. Women who suffer from postpartum psychosis nearly always require medication like ketamine or hospitalization to learn to control their symptoms.

TREATMENT FOR POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

In many cases, a gynecologist, general practitioner, or therapist will diagnose postpartum depression and recommend treatment which often begins with psychotherapy. Sometimes the symptoms can be controlled with ketamine infusion therapy. In the worst-case – postpartum psychosis, where imaged threats of danger or violence have materialized; you can expect hospitalization.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Postpartum depression and its various sub-types indicate a serious mental health illness which too often goes without treatment. The consequences of heroically brushing it aside can be severe for the new mom, her baby, and family and friends. If you think you’re suffering from depression or another disorder, get help.
If you or a loved one have questions about the clinical use of ketamine we can help. Contact us today to learn more about the innovative new treatments available at Premier Infusions.

what-to-know-when-you're-depressed

What To Know When You’re Depressed

Depression’s not easy to live with, especially now. America’s been hit harder than any other country by COVID-19 and its effect, with nearly 200,000 dead and millions unemployed. There’s been a spike in depression cases since June, but knowing about the illness will help you make informed decisions regarding treatment.

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Depression is a serious medical illness. It’s more than just a feeling of being sad or ‘blue’ for a few days. If you are one of the more than 19 million teens and adults in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away.”
Depression is an illness of the brain. There is a range of causes, including biological, genetic, environmental, and psychological triggers.

WHO DOES IT AFFECT?

Depression affects people of all ages, regardless of gender, religion, politics, money, or social standing. Who is affected by depression?

  • More than 264 million globally.
  • In the U.S., more than 17 million adults.
  • The risk of depression is greater for women (8.7 percent) than men (5.3 percent).
  • People between 18 and 25 years-old have the highest rate of depression (13.1 percent) by age group.
  • Depression is most prevalent among adults reporting a multi-racial heritage (11.1 percent).
  • About 3.2 million children in the U.S. between 12 and 17 years-old have depression, with more among girls (20 percent) than boys (6.8 percent).

DEPRESSION IN MEN

Symptoms in men include the following:

  • Regular feelings of hopelessness, sadness, or emptiness
  • Feel very fatigued
  • Have problems sleeping or sleep more than average
  • Little or no satisfaction from activities once enjoyable
  • Escapist behavior, like devoting considerable time at their job or on sports
  • Physical symptoms, like headaches, digestive trouble and pain
  • Trouble with drug use or alcohol
  • Controlling, abusive, abhorrent, or violent behavior
  • Irritability or unacceptable anger
  • Risky behavior, like reckless driving
  • Problems controlling their temper or arguing unnecessarily
  • Depression is less prevalent in men than women, unfortunately, and men are more known for violent episodes related to mental illness.

DEPRESSION IN WOMEN

Depression can happen to any woman, anytime, despite age, income, or race, but it’s a treatable illness. Symptoms include:

  • Sadness, anxiety, “empty” moods
  • No longer interested in pleasurable activities including sex
  • Excessive crying, restlessness, irritability
  • Guilt, helplessness, pessimism
  • Abnormal sleep patterns, either too much or not enough
  • Appetite changes followed by weight loss or gain
  • Low energy, fatigue, feeling “slowed down”
  • Thinking of death or suicide
  • Trouble concentrating, remembering, decision-making
  • Physical symptoms that are treatment-resistant – headaches, digestive ailments, chronic pain

DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN AND TEENS

Depression in children and teens shows up in many ways.

  • Irritability, sadness, or socially withdrawn
  • No longer interested in pleasurable hobbies
  • Changes in weight
  • Sleeping problems
  • Hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt
  • Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions
  • Thinking about death and suicide
  • Low energy
  • Shows little emotion
  • Complaints of headaches and stomach pain
  • Anxious or “clingy” with a caregiver

Teens may sleep, move, or speak more slowly than normal to the point where it’s noticed by others. Severe depression in young adults and children can manifest in symptoms like seeing or hearing things that aren’t there (hallucinations) or holding onto false beliefs (delusions).

WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU’RE DEPRESSED

  • Self-tests for depression. Everybody, it seems, are armchair psychologists with intractable opinions on what constitutes depression. If you think you’re depressed, you can try and identify classic symptoms discussed above, or try an online self-assessment. Beyond self-help, though, there is no path for psychotherapy or medicine without a formal diagnosis.
  • Clinical & medical testing for depression. In order to be formally diagnosed following criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, you have to be examined by a medical doctor or licensed mental health professional. A doctor or therapist will try and uncover what’s causing your symptoms.
  • Treatment options for depression include a combination of psychotherapy, self-help, or medicines like antidepressants. Over the last several years, researchers have discovered an innovative new use for the anesthetic ketamine, repurposing it to treat symptoms of mental disorders including depression.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Depression is a serious mental health disorder harming millions of people globally. Its symptoms are infamous and treatable, so if you need help, reach out to your partner, family, doctor, or therapist for more information. Drugs like ketamine can reduce symptoms and build confidence within you for controlling the disorder.
If you or a loved one have questions about the clinical use of ketamine to help treat the symptoms of depression we can help. Contact Premier Infusions today to learn more about the innovative new treatments that are available.

Ketamine for Depression Treatment

Depression is a significant but treatable medical condition affecting how a person thinks, feels, and acts. More than 17 million U.S. adults suffer from it, while nearly two million children under 17 also experience its symptoms. It’s usually characterized by sadness, but symptoms can appear as apathy or irritability. Occasionally other medications or ailments can trigger or simulate the symptoms, so it’s crucial to seek care, which may involve therapy including the use of ketamine.

Read More