Depression in Cedar Park, TX—Therapists and Counselors
Not too long ago, no one spoke about negative feelings. If someone was sad or depression, a stigma surrounded them and kept them quiet. However, things are changing, as they should. Take, for example, DeMar DeRozan, one of the best players in the NBA. During the 2018 All-Star break, he opened up about his depression and ignited a national conversation about what it is like to struggle with a depressive disorder. DeRozan reflected upon his own struggles, saying, “It’s one of them things that no matter how indestructible we look like we are, we’re all human at the end of the day.” DeRozan’s message resonated with NBA fans and beyond. Depression is a serious illness, but it is also a common illness. Many people struggle, but many people are also beginning to talk about their struggle and receive the help they need.
“One small crack does not mean that you are broken,
it means that you were put to the test and you didn’t fall apart.”
–Linda Poindexter
The therapists at Thriveworks Cedar Park have worked with many clients who are fighting depression, and we have helped them find the diagnosis and treatment they deserved.
The Many Forms of Depression
Anyone, anywhere can be affected by depression. It can look like a perfectionistic high schooler. It can look like a 20-something who hits the gym every day, trying to shake that unshakeable feeling. It can look like an individual at the peak of their career, carrying the weight of the world. Depression can also show itself in different forms. Here are only six types of depressive disorders:
1) Major Depressive Disorder
This is what most people think of when they think of depression. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) outlines its symptoms. When they have Major Depressive Disorder, people will experience a minimum of five of these symptoms, on more days than not, for two continuous weeks:
- Difficulty concentrating or thinking.
- Feelings of intense hopelessness, emptiness, sadness, despair.
- Substantial weight loss or gain.
- Lost pleasure in everyday activities.
- Disrupted sleep patterns (hypersomnia or insomnia).
- Loss of energy/fatigue.
- Appetite changes.
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or self-hatred.
- Thoughts of suicide and/or death.
- Changes in levels of activity.
2) Minor Depression
This form of depression is exactly what its name sounds like: it is a less severe manifestation of Major Depressive Disorder. Whereas Major Depressive Disorder requires five symptoms for a diagnosis, Minor Depression only requires two. At least one symptom must be either disinterest in daily activities or emotions like hopelessness, sadness, despair, or emptiness. Do not let the name fool you, Minor Depression is a severe mental illness that often requires intervention and treatment.
3) Persistent Depressive Disorder
Another name for Persistent Depressive Disorder is dysthymia or chronic depression. This form of depression, as its name suggests, can last for several years. Because its symptoms are different than Major Depressive Disorder, the two can occur at the same time. These symptoms must be present for a minimum of two years in order to be diagnosed as Persistent Derpressive Disorder:
- Lack of motivation
- Mild anxiety
- Automatic expectation of failure
- Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Loss or gain in weight of 5 percent or more within a month
- Unstable mood
- Negative self-talk
- Fatigue
- Impaired concentration
4) Bipolar Disorder
Sometimes, this form of depression is called Manic Depression because the two poles of Bipolar Disorder are mania and depression. Major Depressive Disorder’s symptoms are the symptom’s for Bipolar’s depressive state. The manic state has the following sympmtoms:
- Engaging in risky, pleasurable activities
- Increased self-esteem
- Decreased need for sleep
- Loquaciousness
- Racing thoughts
- Being easily angered
- Increased goal-directed activities
- Psychomotor agitation
5) Postpartum Depression
This form of depression is unique to expecting and new mothers. It usually develops any time in between the third trimester and the first month after childbirth. In addition to the symptoms for Major Depressive Disorder, women who have Postpartum Depression may also experience…
- Intense worry about the baby
- Negative feelings toward the baby
- Disinterest in the baby
- The inability to care for herself or her baby
- Fear of being alone with her baby
- Thoughts about harming the baby
6) Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
When people experience Major Depressive Disorder’s symptoms during dark and/or winter months, they may have a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder. When people have SAD, the symptoms will be experience in two consecutive years, but they will lift during the warmer, lighter months of spring and summer before returning again.
Appointments for Depression at Thriveworks Cedar Park
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt
As you ready through the different types of depression, did you recognize anything? If you did, you are not alone. Consider reaching out for help. Depression in any form is a serious illness, but there are treatment options for it. The mental health professionals at Thriveworks Cedar Park are ready to help. When you call our office, you may have your first appointment within 24 hours. We also offer evening and weekend sessions, and we accept many different forms of insurance. Call today.
