Clinical Depression: Symptoms and Treatment

If you have been diagnosed with depression, you are familiar with the loss of interest, feelings of worthlessness and extreme sadness that make it almost impossible to live your daily life. At Beaufort Memorial, we provide expert treatment and whole-body care for clinical and treatment-resistant depression.

Our board-certified primary care providers can refer you for services at Beaufort Memorial Sea Island Psychiatry. Find a provider accepting new patients.

Signs of Depression

Everyone feels sad from time to time, but major depressive disorder is more than just “the blues.” It is a true mental illness that requires proper identification and treatment.

Symptoms of depression include:

• Feeling sad or empty inside
• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
• Physical pains, including headache, or appetite changes
• Suicidal thoughts
• Weight gain or weight loss

If these feelings last for two weeks or more, then you may have depression.

Depression is a mood disorder, meaning your brain has a hard time regulating how you feel. There are different forms of depression, including:

• Major depression: The most common form of depression, major depression can disrupt your entire life. Some people have only one episode of major depression in their lives. For others, depressive episodes occur several times.
• Dysthymia: Also called persistent depressive disorder, this condition is marked by depression symptoms that last at least two years.
• Perinatal or postpartum depression: Depressive symptoms can arise during pregnancy or after delivery. One in 8 women report symptoms of depression after giving birth.

Treatment-Resistant Depression

The most common treatments for depression include antidepressants and therapy. However, for some patients, these treatments are not always effective. At Beaufort Memorial, we specialize in treating patients for whom medications and therapy have not worked, and we offer these safe, evidence-based treatments:

• Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses electricity to trigger the release of neurochemicals that alleviate depressive symptoms. ECT can be highly effective against treatment-resistant depression.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) involves magnets that generate electrical currents in specific areas of the brain related to mood regulation.

Sometimes, TMS is recommended in addition to therapy, but due to side effects that occur with ECT, such as confusion, therapy is not recommended for people having ECT. Both ECT and TMS are often used in conjunction with medication.

Treatments for Depression

At Beaufort Memorial, our team of psychiatrists, social workers and medical providers take a whole-body approach to your mental health and treating depression. We begin with a thorough medical evaluation to learn about any underlying medical conditions and nutrient deficiencies that could be causing or exacerbating depressive symptoms.

We also want to make sure you have the right diagnosis. Sometimes, what looks like depression can actually be another condition, such as bipolar disorder. We also make sure you are not dealing with any co-occurring mental health problems that need to be addressed.

Before proceeding with a treatment plan, we review previous treatments to determine what was successful and what can be improved upon. Then we work with you to determine which medication or mix of medications can help, and we identify lifestyle changes that may improve your quality of life. Exercise, good nutrition and losing weight, if necessary, can have a profound impact on depressive symptoms.

We also work in the community to find resources for you. Whether it’s treating a substance abuse disorder, getting help paying for medication or finding an effective therapist, we make sure none of our patients fall through the cracks.