Depression and Ketamine Treatment

Depression characterized by self-loathing or loss of self-esteem typically adversely affects your day-to-day activities leading to a drop in productivity. Depression affects many people, with some not even aware of its negative impact on their lives. Various treatment plans are available that deal with depression, including lifestyle changes and different forms of medications. If you are going through depression in Charlotte, read further to learn about depression and some management plans.

What is Depression?

This is a condition that disturbs your mood, disrupting your daily activities. Its symptoms include anxiousness, sadness, or hopelessness. Your memory and eating sleeping habits may also be affected. Clinical depression is an extreme type characterized by feeling worthless or sad for a minimum of two weeks and showing symptoms like loss of appetite, interest in activities, and sleep disruption.

Untreated depression is dangerous as it gets worse and may result in self-harm that may be fatal. Symptoms of depression can, however, be managed through various treatment plans.

There are various types of depression typically differentiated by their causes and symptoms. The reason is not usually explicitly known, with symptoms lasting for multiple periods. These types include:

Bipolar depression

This type is characterized by varying periods of manic moods and low moods. Low moods are accompanied by hopelessness, sadness, or lack of energy.

Major Depressive Disorder

This depression involves heightened or devastating symptoms for more than two weeks, thus affecting your daily activities.

Perinatal and Postpartum Depression

It occurs during birth for expectant women when pregnant and for months after giving birth. Symptoms involve stress, worrying and minor sadness.

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

This type of premenstrual disorder affects women days or weeks before their menstrual periods.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

This disorder is also called dysthymia, with symptoms less adverse than major depression but lasts for longer than two years.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

This depression typically begins in early winter or late fall while receding towards the summer and spring.

Psychotic Depression

This is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and depressive symptoms. Delusions involve believing things contrary to reality, while hallucinations involve feeling, touch, hearing, or seeing things that are not there.

Causes of depression include:

•         Genetics
•         Brain chemical levels are abnormal
•         Traumatizing life events
•         Certain medications
•         Ongoing medical conditions
•         Personalities that make you quickly overwhelmed

Some of the typical depression signs and symptoms include:

•         Easily frustrated or irritated
•         Sadness, worrying, and hopelessness
•         Lack of appetite or eating too much
•         Change in sleep patterns
•         Difficulty in concentration
•         Thoughts of self-harm

Treatment plans involve:

•         Self-help programs like regular exercise
•         Counseling
•         Brain stimulation therapy
•         Medications like ketamine. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, i.e., a hallucinogen that treats depression. A professional can help you relieve depression symptoms at a ketamine therapy clinic near you. 

Depression is relatively widespread, with many people experiencing some of its signs and symptoms at one point in their lives or another. Several treatment plans may work for various people who respond to them differently. Visit our website or call our offices in Charlotte, NC, to book a consultation.