Major Depressive Disorder

What is major depressive disorder?

Major depressive disorder causes feelings of despair that are impossible to shake off. Getting through the day when you have major depressive disorder can be a challenge that seems impossible.

People with major depressive disorder often believe there’s no hope of recovery and start thinking about suicide. However, with expert treatment at Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group, you can recover from major depressive disorder.

What symptoms does major depressive disorder cause?

The clinical depression you experience with major depressive disorder is severe and persistent. It bears little resemblance to the low mood you might feel when having a bad day. You’re likely to suffer a range of intense, harmful emotions that include:

• Extreme sadness
• Guilt
• Shame
• Self-loathing
• Hopelessness
• Desperation
• Emptiness
• Loneliness

Many people suffering from major depressive disorder often find themselves in tears.

There’s little you can do to relieve these feelings. Your view of life becomes increasingly distorted and damaging as the depression deepens. You’re likely to lose interest in the activities you normally enjoy when you have depression. A lack of energy and problems concentrating are common symptoms too.

Every person’s experience of depression is different. For instance, appetite changes are a common symptom of major depressive disorder. However, while some people lose interest in eating, others find food comforting and overeat. In the same way, some people have difficulties sleeping with depression, and others sleep far more than usual.

How is major depressive disorder treated?

Treating major depressive disorder is likely to include a combination of medication and psychotherapy.

Antidepressant medicines help regulate your brain chemistry, which is often out of balance when you suffer major depressive disorder. Psychotherapy with Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group’s psychiatrist can find the underlying problems causing your depression. Talk therapy can also help you manage your condition better.

If your major depressive disorder symptoms don’t improve despite these treatments, you could benefit from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

How does TMS help with depression?

TMS is an FDA-approved treatment that could relieve your depression if other approaches aren’t working. It’s noninvasive, safe, and doesn’t require an anesthetic or sedative.

Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group uses the NeuroStar® advanced transcranial magnetic stimulation technology from Neuronetics Inc. NeuroStar effectively treats major depressive disorder.

The NeuroStar TMS device sends pulses of magnetic energy into the areas of the brain that control mood. TMS treatments activate chemical messengers called neurotransmitters in your brain that relieve the symptoms of major depressive disorder.

NeuroStar TMS sessions take 37 minutes. You need to visit Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group five days a week for 4-6 weeks. After your TMS, you might have a little discomfort at the treatment site but no other unpleasant effects.

To find the right treatment for your major depressive disorder, call Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group today or book an appointment online.