Everyone feels blue from time to time, but when you have intense and long-lasting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, you may have depression, a clinical mental illness that affects millions of Americans. At his practice in Union Square, New York City, board-certified psychiatrist Sudhir Gadh, MD, offers compassionate and customized treatments, combining medication and talk therapy to resolve your symptoms and help you lead a healthy and fulfilling life. If you are living with depression, book an appointment online or over the phone today.
request an appointment“Most often the result of untreated Anxiety, ADD, Addiction or Bipolar, this is a serious condition that requires fast and effective treatment because of the association with suicide. My approach of using low dose lithium works faster is safer than standard antidepressants and is the most naturally effective antidepressant known.” Read more in the low dose lithium section.” – Dr. Gadh
What is depression?
Depression is a widespread mental health disorder that causes intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and guilt. It’s a serious mental illness related to an imbalance in your brain chemistry that influences your emotions and perceptions.
People with depression often describe it as feeling like they’re walking around in a dark cloud, separate from their friends, family, and everything they hold dear. Depression causes symptoms, such as:
- Pervasive feelings of sadness
- Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities
- Changes in appetite
- Unexplained changes in your weight
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
- Poor concentration and decision-making
- Thoughts of death and suicide
Depression symptoms can come and go, or they may be constant. Everyone has a unique experience. Depression can strike at any age, although it most commonly manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood. More women than men experience depression.
What causes depression?
Depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in your brain. You either don’t produce enough neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, or your body isn’t able to use those chemicals correctly to send messages through your brain.
In addition to the physiological cause of depression, your condition may be linked to other untreated mental health conditions, such as anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and trauma. Your hormones can also trigger depression.
Other risk factors for depression include:
- Personality traits, such as pessimism or low self-esteem
- Past trauma, such as bullying or sexual abuse
- A family or personal history of depression or other mental health disorders
- Substance abuse
- Illnesses like cancer or chronic pain disorders
- Certain medications, such as some blood pressure medications
If you’re concerned about depression and recognize these risk factors, contact Dr. Gadh to schedule a consultation today.
How is depression treated?
Dr. Gadh provides customized and multidisciplinary treatments for depression. He offers a “pills and skills” approach that combines medication and talk therapy to give you the tools you need to manage your health. He also advocates for behavioral changes to adjust your diet, exercise, and sleep habits to improve your brain health and overall well-being.
Dr. Gadh has helped many patients with a combination of low-dose lithium and therapy. Lithium reduces depression symptoms so you can focus on learning coping strategies during individual and group therapy. He’ll also help you address the underlying issues triggering your depression and learn to respond to your feelings with healthy and constructive behaviors.
If you have depression, schedule a consultation with Sudhir Gadh, MD, online or over the phone today.