Depression

Depression causes relentless misery that you can’t shake however much you try. If you develop depression symptoms, visit Berhanu Bedassa, PMHNP, at Bridge of Hope Mental Health Services in Portland, Oregon. Berhanu provides medication and talk therapy to reduce your symptoms and help you recover. Call Bridge of Hope Mental Health Services or schedule a consultation online today for high-quality depression treatment.

How might depression affect me?

Depression affects everyone differently, but some symptoms are widespread. This includes negative feelings like:

• Extreme sadness
• Despair
• Self-loathing
• Guilt and shame

You might have trouble sleeping, lose your appetite, and suffer from general feelings of being unwell, like headaches and stomach pains. As the depression worsens, you might be unable to work or do many activities you once enjoyed.

Depression causes people to retreat from family and friends, neglect themselves, and consider ending their lives when it becomes too overwhelming. Tragically, around 1.7 million people in the US attempt suicide each year, and 48,000 succeed.

If you have depression symptoms, seeking expert help from a skilled mental health professional like Berhanu at Bridge of Hope Mental Health Services is vital.

Why do I have depression?

You’re more likely to develop depression if other people in your family have mental health problems, so there’s likely a genetic influence. Your environment makes a difference, too — poverty, abuse, poor health, and stress all increase your risk of depression.

In some cases, hormone imbalances influence mood, triggering problems like postpartum depression following childbirth. You can also develop depression for no apparent reason when everything appears to be going well.

A frequent problem in people with depression is reduced activity in the brain’s mood center. Your brain, to function correctly, needs to create communication links (synapses) between the nerve cells (neurons). This requires sufficiently high neurotransmitter levels — the chemicals that enable your neurons to communicate.

When you have depression, your neurotransmitters (chemicals like serotonin and dopamine) are likely too low.

What treatments are available for depression?

At Bridge of Hope Mental Health Services, Berhanu uses medication and psychotherapy (talk therapy or counseling) to treat depression.

Antidepressant medications have several forms, including tricyclics and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It could take 4-6 weeks to feel the benefits of the medication. Sometimes, patients need to try different antidepressants to get results.

You might find it helpful to work through traumas from your past. Psychoanalytic therapies focus on exploring trauma and memories of distressing experiences your brain hasn’t adequately processed. This is a common trigger for problems like depression in later life.

Call Bridge of Hope Mental Health Services or book an appointment online today for compassionate, effective depression treatment.