Depression Counseling California

What is Clinical Depression?

Clinical depression is a severe form of depression. Clinical depression is also called Major Depressive Disorder.

People with Major Depressive Disorder have difficulty in social functions. The symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder are depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, fatigue, sleep problems, feeling worthless or guilty, weight changes, trouble concentrating, restlessness, decreased concentration, and hopelessness (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-5)

Oppression can cause depression. Such oppression includes racism, anti-trans bias (transphobia), anti-gay bias (homophobia), misogyny, anti-fat bias (fatphobia), and ableism.

QTBIPC therapists (queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) at Positive Psychology Inc. can help you!

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Depressed Mood

Clinically depressed people may experience depressed mood. Depressed mood is either observed or reported. A depressed mood lasts most of the day and nearly every day.

Sleep problems

Clinically depressed people may experience insomnia (too little sleep) or hypersomnia (too much sleep).

Feeling worthless or guilty

Clinically depressed people may feel worthless or excessively guilty. People who are not in a body that is considered "normal" (e.g., QTBIPOC, fat, disabled) may internalize the harmful bias and feel worthless.

Weight Gain or Loss

Clinically depressed people may lose or gain excessive amounts of weight (e.g., more than 5% of body weight in a month) or experience decreased or increased appetite.

Trouble Concentrating

Clinically depressed people may not be able to focus or think clearly.

Restlessness

Clinically depressed people may feel restless (psychomotor agitation) or slowed down (psychomotor retardation).

Hopelessness/ recurrent thoughts of death

Clinical Depressed people may experience extreme hopelessness and wish to die. If you are feeling suicidal, please go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

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Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder

According to DSM-5, five (or more) of the following symptoms: depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, fatigue, sleep problems, feeling worthless or guilty, weight changes, trouble concentrating, restlessness, decreased concentration, and hopelessness/ suicidal ideation. The duration of Major Depressive Disorder is at least two weeks. People with Major Depressive Disorder have difficulty in social functions. PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) is a simple scale. Drs. R.L. Spitzer, J.B.W. Williams, K.Kroenke, and colleagues, with an educational grant from Pfizer, Inc., developed PHQ-9.

Severity of major depressive disorder

Psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental health make the formal diagnosis. PHQ-9 is a screening tool. The scoring and interpretation of PHQ-9 is as follows.

If your PHQ-9 scores are 5, it may indicate mild depression.

If your PHQ-9 scores are 10, it may indicate moderate depression.
If your PHQ-9 scores are 15, it may indicate moderately severe depression.
If your PHQ-9 scores are 20, it may indicate severe depression.

According to Kroenke, Spitzer, R. L., W Williams, J. B. (2001).

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treatments for major depressive disorder

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based therapy for depression (APA, 2017). CBT addresses unhelpful behaviors and distorted thoughts. Note: Opression is a reality. Acknowledging discrimination is NOT a distorted thought. Find a counselor who validates your experiences. Positive Psychology Inc. counselor can help! .

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral Therapy treats depression by reinforcing helpful behaviors. Some behaviors are unhelpful and contribute to depression (e.g., staying in bed all d). Behavioral Therapy reinforces positive behaviors (e.g., getting out of bed and exercising) to combat depression..

Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal Therapy examines relationship patterns and what roles you take to resolve interpersonal conflicts.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy examines early childhood unconscious conflicts.

Medications

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often prescribed to treat Clinical Depression because serotonin may regulate mood. Common antidepressants include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), fluvoxamine (Luvox), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), vilazodone (Viibryd) according to Chu and Wadhwa (2003).

Researchers debate the efficacy of antidepressants. Antidepressants may have only modest benefits over placebo (Kirsch, 2008). Some researchers suggest that statistical significance does not indicate clinical significance (Turner & Rosenthal, 2008).

Please discuss medications with your psychiatrist or primary care physician.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Clinicians may use Electroconvulsive Therapy to treat severe depression (Salik, Marwaha, 2022). Electroconvulsive treats depession by creating seizure in the brain.

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