Telemedicine
Depression Treatment
High-quality, affordable, and patient-centered depression treatment for depression in the state of New Mexico and Kansas.
What Is Depression?
Depression is the second most common mental health disorder; anxiety is the most common. It tends to be chronic with relapses and can develop at any age but most often begins in early adulthood. Women are twice more likely to be diagnosed than men. Approximately 1 in 10 men struggle with depression, but only 50% seek mental health care. Men often underreport or underplay their symptoms due to societal expectations to “man up”. Depression is not a normal part of the aging process, although 7% of the geriatric population experience depression.
Depression Symptoms
Symptoms of depression are often distressing and debilitating and cause significant impairment in important areas of life.
Individuals with depression may experience a depressed or irritable mood, lack of interest in pleasurable activities, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, or worthlessness, appetite problems (over-eating or decreased appetite), sleep alteration (over-sleeping, difficulty falling asleep, or difficulty staying asleep), decreased concentration, decreased energy, and suicidal thoughts. Approximately 10% to 15% of depressed patients will commit suicide; two-thirds contemplate suicide.
Depression Treatment
Without treatment, a depressive episode usually lasts 6 to 13 months. With treatment, patients with depression often start feeling better within 4 to 6 weeks of starting a medication and psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is very effective for depression. This therapy guides individuals in identifying negative thinking (cognitive distortions) and helps them evaluate other effective alternative ways of thinking. CBT could be used alone or in combination with medications. However, research shows that a combination of psychotherapy and medications is usually more effective than either alone.
Medications
There are multiple medications used to treat depression. Medications could take 4 to 6 weeks to be effective, but some individuals may start seeing a positive difference in their symptoms after 2 weeks. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) are the first line treatment of choice for depression due to their relatively safe profile and efficacy.
They work by increasing the availability of the chemical known as serotonin in the brain which is implicated in the development of depression. Examples of SSRIs used to treat depression include sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (paxil), escitalopram (lexapro), citalopram (celexa), fluoxetine (prozac).
Another common group of medications used to treat depression is called the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). They are as effective as SSRIs but may have a higher side effect profile as they target two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and norepinephrine. Examples include venlafaxine (Effexor), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and desvenlafaxine (pistiq).
Other classes of drugs that may be used are tricylic antidepressants (TCA) and monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) which are not commonly used anymore due to their side effects. Some other medications include bupropion (Wellbutrin) which can also be used for patients with depression who desire to quit smoking. Trazodone and Remeron could be useful in patients who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Vilazodone and Vortioxetine are newer antidepressants. Although they are very effective for depression with possible fewer side effects, they could be very expensive.
Possible Side Effects
Antidepressants may cause nausea, headaches, abdominal pain, appetite changes leading to either weight loss or weight gain, dizziness, and drowsiness.
Except for Bupropion (Wellbutrin), antidepressants may cause sexual problems (decreased sexual desire, problems reaching an orgasm, or difficulty maintaining an erection).
Treatment Resistant Depression
In situations where a patient has tried multiple medications and psychotherapy without any positive response or has experienced negative side effects from their medications, it is referred to as treatment resistant depression.
What Are The Next Options?
In situations of treatment resistant depression, other treatment options may be explored. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) may be recommended.
ECT is typically done under general anesthesia where small currents are passed through the brain to intentionally induce a seizure. By causing changes in the brain chemistry, ECT may quickly reverse the symptoms of depression.
TMS is a non-invasive procedure where an electromagnetic coil is placed on the scalp to deliver a magnetic pulse. This stimulates the brain nerve cells causing improvement in depression.
Treatment for Depression At Blissful Minds
Our providers at Blissful Minds combine psychotherapy with medications in the treatment of depression. We follow an individualized-based approach where the patient is actively involved in the plan of care. This means that our providers will guide you in exploring multiple options for treatment while providing you with information about the implications of each form of treatment. Our providers will schedule follow up visits with you periodically to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and possible side effects. This is determined based on the severity of your symptoms and your appropriateness for outpatient care.
Get Started Today
Address
New Mexico: 10409 Montgomery PKWY NE #202b Albuquerque, NM 87111
Kansas: 8700 Monrovia
Suite 310
Lenexa KS 66215