We all have bad days. However, if you are consistently feeling down and hopeless, you may be struggling with clinical depression. Clinical depression, left untreated, can significantly reduce your health and quality of life for the worse. From fracturing relationships with loved ones to negatively impacting your performance at work or school, clinical depression can significantly hurt virtually all aspects of your life. That’s why if you’ve been feeling down and wondering, “What are the signs and symptoms of clinical depression” it’s important to recognize the varying symptoms of depression to understand if you may be struggling with depression.
If you are struggling with depression or any other form of mental or substance use disorder, our team at Rise in Malibu can help. Rise in Malibu is a luxury drug rehab that provides a variety of traditional and alternative therapies so patients can receive the best possible care on their recovery journey. From drug and alcohol treatment services to dual diagnosis treatment, we provide several different treatment programs.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you on your road to recovery.
What is Clinical Depression?
Clinical depression, otherwise referred to as major depressive disorder, is a common mental health condition that negatively impacts a person’s health and quality of life. Depression does not discriminate. In other words, anyone, regardless of age, race, gender, or socioeconomic status, can struggle with depression. While depression is more common among women than men, it’s important to recognize that men are less likely to talk about their depression symptoms, which results in leaving their depression untreated.
While everyone experiences feelings of sadness from time to time, if you’ve experienced depression symptoms for at least two weeks, you may be struggling with depression. Keep reading to learn about the different common signs of clinical depression you need to be aware of.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Clinical Depression
If you’ve been asking yourself, “what are the signs and symptoms of clinical depression” it’s important to recognize that there are varying symptoms of depression, some of which are more obvious than others.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, below are some common symptoms of depression to look out for:
- Persistently feeling sad, anxious, or “empty”
- Persistently feeling hopeless or pessimistic
- Loss of interest in hobbies or activities you once enjoyed
- Decreased energy, or constantly feeling tired
- Difficulty concentrating or having trouble making decisions
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Significant weight loss or weight gain
- Physical unexplained aches or pains
- Suicidal thoughts or attempts
While you likely won’t experience all the above clinical depression signs, if you do experience several signs of clinical depression above, it’s important you seek a professional diagnosis and treatment to better manage your depression symptoms.
Treatment Options For Depression
If you’ve been asking yourself “What are the signs and symptoms of clinical depression” and you’ve experienced several depression symptoms listed above, it’s important to seek a professional diagnosis from a mental health professional. If you receive a diagnosis of clinical depression, several treatment options can help you better manage your symptoms and regain control over your life for the better.
Some common treatment options for clinical depression include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Antidepressants
- Healthy lifestyle changes (i.e., diet & exercise)
- Light therapy
- Relaxation techniques
Oftentimes, many patients struggling with clinical depression benefit from a range of treatments to safely and effectively manage their symptoms long-term. For example, someone may benefit from taking both antidepressants and attending routine CBT sessions.
Leading Drug Rehab in Malibu
Sometimes, it can be difficult to spot the difference between having a bad day or struggling with signs of depression. Yet, if you’ve been struggling with depression symptoms for weeks if not months, or years on end, it’s important you seek professional treatment to better manage your symptoms. This is because depression, left untreated, can significantly interfere with your health, happiness, and quality of life.
At Rise in Malibu, we provide a range of comprehensive treatment programs so patients can receive tailored treatment to best help them on their recovery journey. You should never feel like you need to hide, ignore, or feel ashamed about asking for help when it comes to managing your depression symptoms. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you lead a healthier, happier life.
