Depression can affect all aspects of your life- relationships with loves ones, your job, your hobbies, your goals, and more. When living with untreated or undiagnosed depression, your life can dramatically shift. Daily tasks can be daunting, unhealthy habits can develop.

Depression, also known as clinical depression, is a mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. You may experience rapid changes in mood, feelings of hopelessness, trouble sleeping, or appetite changes.

Depression looks a little different for everyone and is not always easy to get out of alone. Some people struggle with seasonal depression while some deal with it consecutively. The good this is that you do have treatment options and do not have to struggle alone. Reaching out for help is not always easy, but it is the first step and something to be extremely proud of.

Can Depression Affect Health?

Dealing with depression can take a toll on your health over time. Studies are showing a link to chronic depression and strokes or coronary artery disease. In addition, patients with depression may find it harder to make good health decisions, deal with diagnoses, or care for themselves.
Anyone dealing with depression should reach out for help or seek out treatment options. Depression symptoms can worsen over time and blur your ability to care for yourself.

Depression Symptoms

Depression can affect everyone differently. Common symptoms that people may feel when depressed are:

• Chronic fatigue
• Losing interest in things that once brought you joy
• Anxious thoughts and feelings
• Irritable emotions
• Sensitive feelings, easily triggered
• Fluctuating weight
• Loss of appetite
• Mood swings
• Feelings of guilt or pain

So What Causes Depression?

The reasoning for depression may be hard to pinpoint. Everyone is going through something, life can be hard. Some events may be extremely traumatic to the mind and cause depressive symptoms. Common traumatic events are:

• Losing a loved one
• Illness or serious injury
• Relationship turmoil
• Family problems
• Change in job or career
• Major lifestyle or environment transition

Ketamine Therapy and Depression

A newer innovative treatment option provides hope for patients with depression, ketamine infusion therapy. Just after one infusion, patients feel their depression symptoms begin to subside. Ketamine works by triggering regrowth in your brain cells, allowing you to put a rest on thoughts and emotions holding you back.

Ketamine works on the glutamate neurotransmitters preventing a receptor called N-methyl D-aspartate Receptor (NMDA) from being activated by the glutamate. This results in an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF). An increase in BDNF allows for increased neuroplasticity and synaptic connections to form. In short, this allows for the re-wiring of your brain that is responsible for stress, cognitive thinking, and emotions.

If you are interested in learning more information about ketamine infusion therapy you can visit our website here.
If you or a loved one is dealing with depression, we encourage you to seek treatment. Everyone deserves a life free from pain.