Depression
Capital Area Psychiatric Services
Hemanjani Gonchigar, MD
Psychiatrist located in Vienna, VA
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 17.3 million adults and 3.2 million adolescents aged 12-17 experience at least one major episode of depression per year. Only about 35% of adults and 40% of adolescents get treatment. If you suspect that you or your child suffer from depression, Hemanjani Gonchigar, MD, at Capital Area Psychiatric Services (CAPS) in Vienna, Virginia, offers effective therapies to help you and your family cope. Under the guidance of Dr. Gonchigar, integrative therapies and medication can help you overcome depression. For relief from depression, contact CAPS today by phone or online form.
Depression Q & A
What is depression?
Depression is a treatable mental health disorder that’s characterized by a lack of energy, feelings of despair and hopelessness, and loss of interest in normal activities. Depression is also known as major depressive disorder and clinical depression.
Depression is more than just sadness or feeling blue from time to time. It affects how you process information, behave, and can significantly lower your quality and enjoyment of life.
What are the symptoms of depression?
If you have depression, you may feel “blue” or down for most of the day, and this feeling may persist for weeks to months to years. You may have just one episode or many episodes where you experience:
- Profound sadness or emptiness
- Irritability and anger over small things
- Loss of interest in activities you once loved
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
- Anxiety, edginess, or restlessness
- Fatigue and lack of energy
- Low or no libido
- Chronic pain
- Trouble concentrating or thinking
- Loss of confidence and self-esteem
- Risk-taking
- Abusing alcohol or drugs
You may also have changes in appetite and weight. If your depression is severe enough to make you consider suicide, call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) as soon as possible.
What’s causing my depression?
As with most mental health disorders, depression isn’t caused by a single factor. Changes in your hormones — such as those experienced with a woman’s menstrual cycle or during menopause or andropause — can trigger depression. You may also have physical changes in your brain or in the neurotransmitters that are responsible for maintaining a stable mood.
Depression tends to run in families. A traumatic event, including getting a serious diagnosis, can trigger depression. Though you’re most likely to be diagnosed with depression in your 20s-30s, it can strike at any time, including childhood and old age.
How do psychiatrists treat depression?
Dr. Gonchigar at Capital Area Psychiatric Services takes an integrative approach to depression that combines different types of therapies, including:
- Talk therapy
- Behavioral therapy
- Family therapy
- Medications
A range of effective medications alleviates the symptoms of depression, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and antidepressants. If your family member with depression responded well to a particular medication, you may, too. Dr. Gonchigar works with the families of adolescents to ensure that they get the medication they need to improve their lives and understand how to manage their medication.
To get relief from depression, contact Capital Area Psychiatric Services by phone or online form.