Nearly 9% of adults in the United States (about 21 million people) have had at least one major depressive episode. Despite these eye-opening numbers, there’s still a fair amount of misinformation out there about depression.
As experts in mental health, the team here at Vital TMS Therapy wants to set the record straight about depression by presenting the following key points.
Depression is depression
The term “depression” isn’t one condition but, rather, an umbrella for several different mood disorders, including:
- Major depressive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Postpartum depression
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Psychotic depression
- Dysthymia
Each type of depression has unique characteristics and affects people’s lives in different ways.
Depression is just temporary
While it’s true that some people experience depressive episodes that gradually subside, many people experience persistent and ongoing depression. For example, with dysthymia, also called persistent depressive disorder, people may experience ongoing depression that’s not as severe as a major depressive episode. While the symptoms may not be severe, mild depression is a constant companion.
Even for depression tied to a particular event, such as postpartum depression after delivering a baby, the symptoms can last for months or years if not treated properly.
Seasonal affective disorder and bipolar disorder can be lifelong, cyclical problems that continue indefinitely if left untreated.
Depression is simply feeling sad
While overwhelming sadness is one of the hallmarks of depression disorders, it’s far from the only symptom. Other symptoms of depression include:
- Fatigue
- Loss of interest
- Anger and irritability
- Guilt
- Self-loathing
- Restlessness
- Sleep issues
Depression can also come with physical symptoms, such as headaches and body aches.
In the worst-case scenario, depression can lead to suicidal ideation, and sadly, half of the people who die by suicide (and a person dies by suicide every 13 minutes in the US) have depression.
Antidepressants are the only way out
Antidepressant medications have certainly made their mark in terms of helping people with symptoms of depression, but they are not the only treatment avenue. Unfortunately, up to a third of people treated for major depressive disorder with antidepressants don’t respond to these medications.
Thankfully, there are other highly effective treatment avenues for depression, including ketamine therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy (TMS).
With TMS therapy, which is a noninvasive treatment, we deliver impulses into specific areas of your brain to increase neurotransmitters that can elevate your moods, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
TMS has a strong track record in our practice for helping people with treatment-resistant depression finally find relief.
If you have more questions about depression or you’d like to learn more about the benefits of treating depression with TMS therapy, please contact our office to set up a consultation.
