If you need help coping with seasonal depression, other mood disorders, or anxiety, reach out to Saber Psychiatry. We have appointments available for new clients, and we are here to provide comprehensive support for the whole family. Call 615.678.7839 to schedule an appointment today.
- Comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and treatments for the whole family
- Board-certified in both pediatric and adult sleep medicine
- Anxiety
- Depression and other mood disorders
- Behavior problems
- Attention disorders
- Emotional regulation
- Sleep studies/testing
- Conservative use of medication
- Holistic
- Family therapy and training
- In-person and telehealth visits
If the new year brings no relief from depression or anxiety – or it brings a fresh onslaught of mental health challenges – you don’t have to cope alone. Saber Psychiatry provides services to help you cope and lead your best life.
Depression is Not Sadness
Sadness is a transitory mood that exists with other moods. Depression is long-lasting and burdensome.
You’ve no doubt heard someone say “I’m so depressed” over a favorite team’s poor performance or even the loss of a beloved pet or family member. Depression, however, is not a synonym for sadness. At Saber Psychiatry, we sometimes wish that there were a different term than “depression.” Both conditions are real and understandable, but they are separate.
Sadness is a basic human emotion. It is a normal response to situations that are painful, upsetting, or disappointing. Feelings may be mild (the grocery store didn’t have your favorite coffee) or more intense (the loss of a pet, which is also grief). While sadness can turn into depression, it often does not.
Sadness is temporary and may be mixed with lighter emotions. If you are sad after a breakup, for example, you may feel better after watching a movie, crying, or taking a walk and discussing your feelings with a friend. Sadness lightens over time. Sad people can function normally even if they need a day or so away from other responsibilities. It’s okay to wallow. Depressed people find it difficult to enjoy activities that they did in the past or to develop new interests. A few days off will not relieve the depression.
The most marked difference between sadness and depression is that sadness ends on its own.
Depression is a mental health disorder. While it may spring from sadness, it does not always. Depression has genetic and social components. People who have close relatives (parents or siblings) who have been diagnosed with depression are at higher risk for depression than those who have not. People who have suffered from prolonged stresses or trauma (including abuse, PTSD, poverty, and discrimination) are also at a higher risk for depression.
You may need help if the sadness lasts longer than 2 weeks, depending on the severity and number of symptoms. While depression can be mild, moderate, or severe, it actively hurts.
Symptoms of depression include:
- Persistent sad or anxious mood (over two weeks)
- Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness, ruminating on past failures/anxieties/troubled times
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex
- Decreased energy, fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, and/or making decisions
- Insomnia, early-morning awakening, and/or oversleeping
- Loss of appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and/or weight gain
- Thoughts of death or suicide and/or suicide attempts
- Restlessness and/or irritability
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain
At Saber Psychiatry, we’ve seen that medication does help some clients, but not all. That’s why we also explore non-medical treatments.
We also explore medical causes for your depression (insomnia or other illnesses, for example).
Please don’t try to tough out depression. It’s as effective as trying to tough out appendicitis.
Saber Psychiatry