Major depressive disorder affects 1 in 15 adults each year. There are two subtypes: atypical and melancholic. People with atypical depression tend to over-sleep and overeat; it is common among young adults. Melancholic depression is more common in seniors and displays as insomnia and moody rumination. Major depressive disorder is highly treatable with a combination of medication and talk therapy.
Some people with major depressive disorder do not respond readily to treatment. These clients may need to try many drugs or drug combinations before relief is found. South Florida's Centre for Counseling of Aventura specializes in working with clients who have treatment-resistant depression. In addition to medication and psychotherapy, we offer trans cranial stimulation (TMS) for the treatment of depression.
Sometimes a person does not have all the symptoms of major depression, but still has trouble functioning. This person may have subsyndromal depression, or depression that does not quite hit the mark for a diagnosis of major depression. Subsyndromal depression is a serious condition that requires careful diagnosis and care.
Dysthymia is a chronic low mood accompanied by at least two other symptoms of depression. Dysthymia may not have the deep lows of major depression, but it robs life of joy and can produce a distorted outlook. We treat people with PDD with a combination of medication and psychotherapy.
PMDD affects approximately 1 in 10 women of childbearing age. It is a severe form of PMS that can manifest as depression, severe anxiety, and irritability. It can be challenging and disabling, but is highly treatable with antidepressants, certain contraceptives, and even light therapy.
To be diagnosed with bipolar depression, a person must have also experienced at least one period of mania or hypomania (a less severe form of mania). Bipolar disorder occurs on a spectrum, so some people with bipolar depression may have a "down" mood where others feel hopeless and suicidal. Treatment for bipolar depression requires treating the whole illness, so that mood swings are evened out and the client is more stable.
Children often struggle to expression their emotions. Children with DMDD may be persistently angry and let loose emotional outbursts and temper tantrums. They have trouble functioning in school, with friends, and at home. At Centre for Counseling of Aventura, we treat DMDD with medications and talk therapy and help parents to cope through parent training.
Postpartum depression affects 1 in 4 women and 2 in 8 men. It can occur at any point during the year following a child's birth, but usually appears within the first few weeks. It is linked to hormonal shifts and life stressors in women. It is linked to life stressors, including changing roles, in men. We provide treatment for postpartum depression using psychotherapy and sometimes medications.
SAD is less common in South Florida than in four-season areas. SAD usually occurs during the fall and winter, and has been linked to serotonin and melatonin imbalances. It is most common in women and young adults. Sufferers typically oversleep, crave carbs, and isolate. Light therapy, vitamin D, and psychiatric medications can be helpful in the treatment of SAD.
Alcoholism, the abuse of opioids and benzodiazepines, and withdrawal are all associated with depression. This depression usually resolves on its own once the underlaying cause is removed. The physician must be careful to look for causes unrelated to substance abuse.
Psychotic depression is a severe depression accompanied by a psychotic break from reality. This can take the form of false perceptions of reality (such as paranoia that someone is trying to poison you) and hallucinations (auditory or visual). We treat psychotic depression with medication; it is recommended that a client with psychotic depression be hospitalized for their own safety and the safety of others.
People who have a serious or chronic condition, like cancer, HIV/AIDS, or MS, often face depression too. Partly, their depression is rooted in environmental reasons. But there is also clinical evidence that many disease release inflammatory chemicals that affect the brain and trigger depression. We treat this type of depression with medications to alleviate the depression and psychotherapy to help clients cope their circumstances.
