How Is Moderately Severe Depression Treated?

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, nearly 10% of adults in the United States suffer from depression each year. We all feel different from time to time and may have short-term periods of sadness, but depression is a condition that makes it hard for a person to perform their daily activities. The good news is that depression can be tested and treated effectively. Depression is defined as a mental health condition that negatively affects how someone thinks, feels, or acts. However, the impact it has on every individual varies because each person reacts to this condition variously. Also, there is a classification of depression by the degree of severity, that is, mild, moderate, and severe, and their symptoms are different.

Severe Depression greatly hampers one’s normal functioning. It differs from mild depression in terms of frequency and severity of symptoms and can be diagnosed through a moderately severe depression test. Two major symptoms that mark moderately severe depression include decreased interest in activities and persistent low mood.
To cover the topic in more detail, we will look at depression in relation to:

• Diagnosis
• Symptoms
• Causes
• Treatment

Moderately severe depression needs to be treated by experts at the right time. Get in touch with us today to get your symptoms checked.

Diagnosis of Moderately Severe Depression

There is no way a person can tell whether they are suffering from depression or what type of depression they are having without consulting a specialist. The doctor, psychiatrist, or psychologist has to run a physical or a lab test and ask questions to determine any form of underlying condition before making any conclusions.

The doctor also has to check the signs and symptoms a person has been experiencing. Generally, a patient diagnosed with clinical depression must have shown at least five to nine symptoms listed in DSM-5 by an American Psychiatric Association within two weeks.

Other moderately severe depression symptoms include:

• Loss of appetite. It may result in rapid weight loss. Fluctuations in appetite make one eat less or settle for a particular food set that may be unhealthy.
• Difficulty sleeping. Depression, if not well attended to, can lead to other conditions like insomnia and causes sleeplessness.
• Decreased productivity and lack of motivation.

Note that there are also other medical conditions that tend to have similar symptoms and should be ruled out by the doctor. These include:

• Bipolar disorder. Bipolar 1 and 2 are marked by frequent periodic mood swings accompanied by depression. They also feature moderately severe depression risk factors.
• Dysthymia is less severe than other types of depression but tends to be longer-lasting.
• Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. This is a condition that affects one a week before the menstrual cycle.

Depression has different stages, it’s good to get help at an early stage. If you feel you need help, contact Mango Clinic today.

Causes of Depression

According to WHO, Moderately severe depression causes include the following:

• Medication. Certain medications may have depression as one of the side effects. It can be dangerous, especially if the drugs are ingested over a long period.
• Chronic health condition. Having to battle chronic health conditions or terminal illnesses can take a toll on an individual’s well-being due to constant stress.
• Other mental conditions like bipolar disorder or a premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
• Poverty. Thousands of people who are living under the poverty line have a high risk of depression.
• Having family members with depression. Having to take care of our loved ones is always our top priority. Still, taking care of a sick family member can equally affect your mood because you are likely to constantly think of how soon they will adjust to normal life.