Depression Is More Than Just Sadness
Life is full of experiences, both good and bad. It's normal—even expected—to feel unhappy sometimes. The death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, losing a job—all cause stress and sadness. Many people find a way to carry on after these events, but for some, the negative feelings don't go away. They persist and become more intense over time instead of less. The medical terms for this are major depressive disorder, major depression, or clinical depression.
Often, it’s just referred to as depression.
The Beck Depression Inventory is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory, one of the most widely used psychometric tests for measuring the severity of depression.
Why Does Depression Happen?
You can experience depression for a number of reasons. Sometimes a life event triggers depression. Sometimes it happens after a psychological trauma, such as an assault. People with mental health problems such as anxiety disorder are at risk of depression. Substance use and addiction are risk factors for depression too. For some, there is no particular event that triggers depression, and you can feel it seemingly at random.
Whatever triggers your depression, it’s more than just feeling sad. Sadness is a temporary reaction to loss and other life events. The feelings caused by depression are sometimes so strong that they prevent you from living a normal life.
Signs and Symptoms of Depression
Depression affects people in different ways, and there are many symptoms of major depression:
Deep, persistent sadness
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed
Feelings of shame, guilt, hopelessness, worthlessness, and anger
Difficulty focusing on work and other tasks
Difficulty making decisions
Poor short-term memory
Restlessness or fatigue
Insomnia or excessive sleeping
Changes in eating habits and/or weight
Reduced interest in sex
Aches and pains, especially back pain or headaches
Thinking often about death and/or suicide
In the long-term, untreated depression can have highly negative effects. It may result in:
Broken relationships or lost friendships
Substance use or addiction
The loss of a job
A weakened immune system, which may lead to more frequent and more severe illnesses
More Than One Type of Depression
People can become depressed for both physical and mental reasons. Depending on the cause of depression, it can manifest in different ways:
Major depression – This is what most people think of when they hear “depression.” It’s when a person feels depressed most or all of the time.
Bipolar disorder – Causes periods of alternating depression and mania
Seasonal affective disorder – Triggered by conditions of low sunlight, it’s more common in winter, when there are fewer daylight hours.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder – Occurs at the start of a menstrual period
Postpartum depression – Triggered by hormonal changes that occur after giving birth
Psychotic depression – Causes delusions and paranoia as well as depression
Situational depression – Occurs in response to a life event, such as the death of a loved one
How Do I Know If I Need Help with Depression?
If you’re suffering from depression, you might find it hard to get help. One reason for this is that after a while, depression starts to seem normal. It’s easy to forget you used to feel differently, so it’s hard to see you need help. Another reason is that depression makes you feel apathetic, as though there’s no point in getting help.
While it’s normal to feel sad sometimes, it’s not normal to feel intensely sad for a long time. Have you been suffering from depression longer than a month or two? Do symptoms of major depression interfere with your everyday life? If so, it’s time to get help.
Recover from Depression with CAST Centers Intensive Treatment Programs
Recovering from depression is possible with hard work and consistency. At CAST Centers in West Hollywood, Los Angeles we offer programs and treatments for depression. Our depression treatment clinics offer:
- Lifestyle coaching
- Other recovery-focused activities
What’s Depression Treatment Like at CAST?
What makes our depression treatment different than any other treatment center is our CAST alignment model (CAM), which we use to treat depressive disorders and other psychological issues. This is our own unique treatment method, and it’s designed to help you connect to your mental, emotional, and spiritual self.
Depression doesn’t always occur on its own. The CAST treatment modality is for clients with dual diagnosis as well. This includes people with depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder. If you have co-occurring substance abuse problems, you can also benefit from CAM treatments for depression.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program
This immersive depression treatment program puts the focus on you. In therapy sessions, you’ll work through the issues that brought you to the center. You’ll have lifestyle coaching to help you build life skills. Other activities will help you gain mental, emotional, and spiritual strength.
Participants of our intensive outpatient programs stay at our Wellness Apartments near West Hollywood, Los Angeles. There are staff on-site at the apartments 24/7, so there’s always someone on hand should you need help. In this welcoming environment, you’ll have the support you need to move forward.
Custom Outpatient Treatment Program
Not everyone can devote 100% of their time to recovery, so we also offer a day treatment program. In this program, you can continue to work and fit treatments for depression into your schedule. This flexible program includes therapy and other activities at the CAST depression treatment center.
Treatment that meets your unique needs
Whichever treatment plan you choose, you’ll work with a treatment team to help you get the most out of your time with us. After a psychological assessment, you’ll start with therapy to help you explore the roots of your depression.
Everyone’s needs are different, so CAST Centers focuses on treatment that’s comprehensive, yet flexible. Both treatment programs include group and private therapy. We offer cognitive behavioral therapy and other methods proven to treat depression effectively.
CAST Centers partners with Los Angeles psychiatrists to give you psychiatric medicine as a treatment option. If depression medication works for you, it can be a valuable addition to your mental health treatment.
Support for the Long-Haul
Severe depression can make your life and your world seem smaller than it is. It’s hard to remember what it’s like to feel hopeful, and it can take persistence to feel motivated to work on your recovery. If you have severe depression, it can be hard to get out of bed in the morning, let alone get through the day. This means it can be initially hard to maintain a daily schedule of therapeutic activities.
In therapy, you may have to examine difficult times in your life for clues about your mental health issues. This may trigger memories and emotions that make recovery mentally exhausting and sometimes painful. At CAST, you’ll have support through everything, no matter which treatment program you choose
Recovery doesn’t happen on a timetable, and it looks different for everyone. If you complete the intensive outpatient program but are not ready to leave us, you’re encouraged to stay longer. Many people stay more than 16 weeks and continue to benefit from our effective treatment program.
Recovery Begins Today!
Living with depression is like trying to run in water. It’s possible, but it’s hard and exhausting, and you feel like you’re not getting anywhere. Maybe you can’t imagine, right now, what it would be like to wake up in the morning and feel eager to greet a new day. Perhaps you don’t remember what it’s like to feel the joy life can bring—taking pleasure in a favorite song, enjoying old hobbies, or laughing with family and friends.
The struggle with depression takes these things away, but CAST Centers in Los Angeles, CA is here to help you take them back. Call us today to learn about our depression therapy programs.
Contact CAST Centers Now!
Ask how CAST Centers can help with Depression.