Depression

If you’re experiencing feelings of sadness, hopelessness, listlessness, or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed, you may be suffering from depression. Seek help for this treatable illness from Virginia Ndoro, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, at Iasis Solutions in Framingham, Massachusetts. Virginia is an experienced psychiatric nurse practitioner who offers evidence-based therapy, counseling, and medication management in a safe and caring environment. She also offers telepsychiatry. Schedule an appointment at Iasis Solutions online or over the phone today.

What is depression?

Depression, also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is a common illness that causes negative emotions like sadness and a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. Depression can disrupt your ability to function at work and home and lead to many physical and emotional problems.

Depression is different from circumstantial unhappiness caused by grief, bereavement, or experiences like job loss. Though such experiences cause genuine emotional suffering that may improve through therapy, they do not constitute clinical depression.

Instead, depression is a prolonged condition caused and worsened by possible factors, including genetics, biochemistry (the chemicals in your brain), environmental factors, and psychological factors. 

What are the symptoms of depression?

Depression appears differently in everyone, but its symptoms usually include:

• Feeling sad or down
• Loss of interest or feelings of enjoyment in activities you once enjoyed
• Changes in appetite
• Weight changes
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Loss of energy or increased fatigue
• Increased movements like finger tapping, fidgeting, pacing, handwringing, etc.
• Moving, talking, or thinking so much more slowly than usual that others notice
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or suicide

To receive a clinical depression diagnosis, you must have experienced at least five of these symptoms for at least two weeks. Anyone can get depression, but it is most common in women, and symptoms typically appear between the ages of 15 and 30.

How do you treat depression?

Depression can feel intimidating, but it is not all-powerful. Depression is treatable, and with the right combination of treatments, you can overcome depression. 

At Iasis Solutions, Virginia Ndoro FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, helps you treat your depression with evidence-based, individualized care plans rooted in compassion. 

In addition to counseling and medication management, Virginia supports patients with treatment education and easy access to care through telepsychiatry and ongoing consultations. 

Depression is an invisible illness, but it is very real and there is no shame in seeking treatment. If depression has been holding your joy hostage, reclaim it with mental health treatment. 

If you’ve been struggling with feelings of sadness or hopelessness following a loss or major change, you also may benefit from therapy or medication. 

No matter how long depression or sadness has been weighing you down, there’s hope for you. Schedule an in-person or telepsychiatry appointment to discuss your depression with Virginia at Iasis Solutions. Contact her practice online or over the phone today.