When the despair and sadness of depression lead you to question life’s worth, call board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner Dr Philip Ofosu-Mensah DNP, MSN PMHNP-BC today, at Prompt Solutions Health and Wellness LLC.

Depression can drain every ounce of joy from your life, but however bad things seem, with the right help, you can recover. Dr Philip offers in-person and telehealth consultations to guide you to a better and brighter path. Call Prompt Solutions Health and Wellness LLC today or book an appointment online for expert depression diagnosis and treatment.

What is depression?

Depression is a negative emotion that anyone can experience when they’re down. But continual depression that makes you change your behaviors, responses, and outlook on life indicates that you have clinical depression (major depressive disorder).

Symptoms of depression include:

• Loss of interest
• Lack of motivation
• Constant overthinking
• Social isolation
• Feeling weak and numb
• Difficulty sleeping
• Heightened sensitivity
• Irritability
• Appetite and weight changes

Negative feelings and thoughts experienced during depression can be overwhelming. Common emotions include self-loathing, despair, extreme sadness, hopelessness, and guilt.

When depression becomes severe, people often think about death and consider suicide. Sadly, many people still take their lives each year because of depression. But despite its effects on your life, depression can be treated and overcome through counseling and other mental health treatments.

What causes depression?

Depression has no single cause. Common triggers include:

• Death of a loved one
• Serious illness
• Money worries
• Job loss
• Relationship breakdown
• Traumatic experiences
• Extreme stress
• Pregnancy and childbirth
• Moving home

These things don’t cause depression — many people go through them without developing mental health problems. But experiences like these can prompt depression to take hold, especially in people with a family history of depressive disorders.

Most people with depression share an imbalance of certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. These chemicals regulate your mood by enabling your brain’s neurons (nerve cells) to communicate. Depression causes or results in low levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin.

How is depression treated?

Treating depression involves addressing the triggers where possible and rebalancing your brain chemicals. Prompt Solutions Health and Wellness LLC offers several talk therapies that help with depression.

Interpersonal psychotherapy looks at experiences in your past and current sources of stress that might make you vulnerable to depression. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches you to challenge faulty thinking to better cope with your daily life.

Dr Philip listens to all your worries and explores their possible origins without passing judgment or underestimating their effects on you. If talk therapy isn’t enough on its own, antidepressant medication can help by rebalancing the chemicals in your brain. Spravato® esketamine nasal spray might help patients when other treatments aren’t working.

Even when depression causes suicidal thoughts and you feel life will never be worth living, Dr Philip supports your recovery by finding the best treatment for you.

Call Prompt Solutions Health and Wellness LLC today or book an appointment online to find relief from your depression.