Depression

Approximately 17.3 million American adults and 1.9 million children and adolescents live with depression. If you or a family member is experiencing overwhelming sadness and struggling to manage daily tasks, you may benefit from depression care. Michelle Mottern, PMHNP, FNP, and the team at Mosaic Brain Health in St. Petersburg, Florida, offer comprehensive depression treatments to adults and older children. Whether you’re interested in therapy, medication, or innovative ketamine infusion treatments, call the friendly staff today or schedule an appointment online. 

What is depression?

Depression, or major depressive disorder, is a chronic psychiatric disorder that leaves you feeling hopeless, sad, and unmotivated. If these feelings are uncontrollable and last longer than two weeks, you may be living with depression. 

Depression can make it difficult to find joy and adversely affect your relationships, job, or performance in school.  

Depression can begin at any age and often operates in cycles during your lifetime — getting better but then returning. Some women experience depression during their pregnancy or after giving birth.

What are the symptoms of depression? 

Common mental and physical signs of depression include: 

• Persistent sadness 
• Anxiety, fear, or ongoing worry 
• Trouble concentrating 
• Loss of interest in favorite activities 
• Distancing yourself from loved ones 
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Lack of sex drive 
• Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
• Changes in appetite
• Muscle aches and pains 

It’s vital to dial 911 if you or a loved one has thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

What are my depression treatment options? 

Although there is no cure for depression, 80%-90% of people eventually respond successfully to treatment and gain relief from their symptoms. 

Before developing a treatment plan, the team performs a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and discusses your medical and family history. 

Medications 

You may benefit from antidepressants like Zoloft®, Lexapro®, Desyrel®, and Oleptro™. These medications work by changing how your brain uses and produces the chemicals that affect your stress and mood levels. 

Antidepressants can take 4-6 weeks to work, so it’s vital to stay in communication with your provider before stopping or changing your medication. You can try multiple medications before deciding which is most effective. 

The team will also be offering ketamine infusions for treatment-resistant depression.

Psychotherapy 

In-person or telehealth sessions combine motivational and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). During sessions, your provider encourages you to identify and cope with your specific challenges, which may involve:

• Journaling
• Supportive apps
• Dream/nightmare analysis
• Confronting uncomfortable thoughts and feelings
• Creating positive replacement thoughts

Therapy, which can produce long-lasting results, inspires you to set boundaries in relationships, in school, and at work.

For compassionate depression care, call Mosaic Brain Health today or book a consultation online.