Overview

Depression

Occasional sad moods happen to all of us. It’s not unusual to sometimes feel blue or not like yourself. But if you experience a loss of interest in pleasurable activities, or a depressed mood that lasts for at least two weeks, you may be suffering from clinical depression. This is not a sign of weakness or a character flaw. Depression is a highly treatable biological/physical illness.

Symptoms that often accompany depression, include:

• Frequent body aches and pains
• Persistent anger or irritability
• Increased or decreased appetite
• Too much or too little sleep or difficulty sleeping through the night
• Restlessness
• Fatigue without physical exertion
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Trouble getting through the day
• Thoughts of suicide
• Frequent crying
• Loss of interest in physical appearance
• Lack of emotional response
• Anxiety

Treatment-resistant depression

When dealing with depression, traditional treatment methods of psychological counseling, therapy or antidepressants work for many patients. However, in up to one third of cases of diagnosed depression, standard treatment may not relieve symptoms.

For patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), controlling symptoms may require different approaches or procedures. Northwestern Medicine offers multiple options for treating severe depression that hasn’t improved with antidepressant medication, including: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), and Ketamine Infusion at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Talk with your clinician to see if one of these treatments is right for you.

If you or someone you know is experiencing the symptoms of depression, contact our specialists for an individualized evaluation, treatment plan and support.