Depression

When should I seek help for depression?

Many people wait too long to get help for depression because they keep expecting to feel better. However, depression isn't like the blues, so it won't improve without treatment.

Clinical depression has a deep impact on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The longer it goes on, the higher your chances are of developing health problems, taking time off from work, and withdrawing further from friends.

If you have depression symptoms for two weeks or longer, or you're already on antidepressants and still not feeling better, it's time to consult the team at Oasis Therapeutics.

What symptoms occur if I have depression?

If you're depressed, you experience several of the following symptoms:

• Feeling sad, worthless, and hopeless
• Avoiding your partner, friends, and family
• Losing interest in the activities you enjoy
• Eating more or less than usual
• Gaining or losing weight
• Sleeping more than usual
• Struggling with insomnia
• Having a hard time concentrating
• Being unable to make decisions
• Thinking about suicide

Nearly half of all people with depression have anxiety at the same time. Depression may also cause physical symptoms. A few of the most common include muscle and joint pain, headaches, indigestion, and nausea.

How is depression treated?

After completing a psychological evaluation to diagnose depression and any other co-occurring disorders, your provider at Oasis Therapeutics develops an individualized treatment plan. The treatment you receive depends on the severity of your symptoms and prior treatment if any.

Therapy and antidepressants

If you have been diagnosed with depression, chances are you have already tried therapy, antidepressants, or both. If you already tried various treatments and your depression hasn't improved, you may have treatment-resistant depression.

Unfortunately, one-third of patients with major depression don't improve with antidepressants. However, there is still hope. The team at Oasis Therapeutics specializes in treatment-resistant depression. Your provider at Oasis Therapeutics can help with innovative treatments such as ketamine infusions and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Ketamine infusions

Ketamine is a medication that lifts depression by restoring levels of a brain chemical called glutamate. For most patients, the medication's direct impact on glutamate produces such quick results that ketamine infusions are often recommended for treating suicidal patients.

Antidepressants boost levels of different brain chemicals. As a result, these medications take 4-6 weeks to work — if they help you at all.

Intravenous ketamine (IV) infusion is not FDA-approved for treatment of depression. IV ketamine infusion for treatment of depression is considered off-label use and is not covered by insurance. 

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

TMS uses safe, painless magnetic pulses to stimulate electrical activity in the area of your brain that controls mood. This area of the brain is underactive in people with depression. As TMS boosts nerve activity, your brain chemicals increase, and your depression improves.

If you feel depressed and hopeless, don't wait to seek help. Call Oasis Therapeutics or book an appointment online today.