If you have struggled with symptoms of depression or seen the signs in a loved one, you might wonder, “how long does depression last for after trauma,” “how long does depression last after pregnancy,” or ‘how long does depression last in adults.”
Contact Water Gap Wellness Center today to learn more about how our Tri-State mental health treatment center can help you manage your depression.
How Long Does Depression Last?
There is no set timeline for depression. Regular depression following the death of a loved one, a move to a new location, a new job, or a change in family dynamics is quite common. This represents a normal part of the way you respond to further stress.
However, that type of stress is referred to as acute. Acute symptoms of depression manifest after a specific event and tend to go away within a few weeks or months following that event. Even here, the timeline is different from one person to the next.
Following a move to a new location, your signs and symptoms of depression might disappear after you unpack your home, meet new friends, or start your new job. After the death of a loved one, it might take a few months for the severe symptoms of depression to subside.
Signs that it’s time to get treatment are when depression symptoms last long after the event that caused them or manifested with no cause or event. If you are struggling with symptoms of depression and you haven’t had a change to family dynamics, moved to a new location, or experienced anything else that might cause depression, it might be time to get treatment.
Most doctors will provide a diagnosis of depressive disorder if your symptoms remain daily for several weeks in a row without any change, no matter what you do.
Get Treatment Today
Water Gap Wellness Center can help you if your signs of depression are long-lasting. Our facility specializes in customized outpatient depression treatment. Our facility can help teach you how to manage your symptoms of depression, identify triggers that might make symptoms worse, and cope with unexpected stress.
How We Treat Depression
Upwards of ninety percent of people who get help for depression will eventually respond to their treatment. What you receive for depression treatment might look different from someone else but generally includes psychotherapy, complementary medicine, lifestyle changes, and medication.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is the foundation of your treatment plan. Psychotherapy or talk therapy is where you meet with a healthcare professional and talk to that therapist. There are many psychotherapy forms available. Brief therapy is often all people need, but you might continue therapy for several months at a time for severe cases. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most common forms.
No matter which psychotherapy you have as part of your program, you’ll learn to identify unhealthy thoughts and behaviors and change them to live a happier, healthier life.
Complementary Medicine
Complimentary or holistic practices are very effective at treating depression. Practices like mindfulness, yoga, and meditation are some of the most popular holistic therapies. These complementary programs are intended to be applied in conjunction with psychotherapy.
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes can significantly affect your recovery long after you complete your treatment program. You can manage symptoms of depression by avoiding alcohol, socializing with people you love, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and having a regular sleep schedule.
If you participate in an inpatient treatment program, you’ll learn a lot about maintaining a regular schedule, healthy eating, and proper sleep. With outpatient programs, you get additional information on maintaining a healthy diet and participating in exercise and the role both of those play in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Medication
For some people, medication might be an essential part of treatment. Medication might be prescribed to handle coexisting disorders like addiction and depression. Medication can also be prescribed throughout your treatment program to help you deal with moderate or severe symptoms.
Antidepressants can help you control some of the more severe symptoms you face. When you work with our team, we can review your medications to determine their effectiveness. If certain prescriptions don’t work well for you or have negative side effects, our team can monitor your progress as you switch to something else.
Why Get Treatment
Without professional treatment, your condition can:
- Get worse, and increase the risk of other physical health conditions
- Get worse and increase the risk of additional mental health issues like anxiety
- Increase your chance of self-harm or harm to others
When to Get Treatment
If you are showing signs of a mental health disorder, getting an accurate diagnosis from a mental health professional or your primary care physician is essential. Once you have an accurate diagnosis, you can review your potential treatment options.
If you already have a diagnosis and you’ve received treatment before, but you’ve had unpleasant side effects or it didn’t work well, we can help you find a different treatment plan.
Depression can happen to anyone, but it’s completely treatable. Call us today to learn more.
