Depression is a serious mental health condition that affects millions of people each year. However, there are some cases of severe depression that are resistant to standard depression treatment and medication. This type of depression is called treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and is more common than you think. TRD requires alternative methods for treating depression, but it is treatable through medication, various psychotherapy approaches, and holistic activities.
Recovery Ranch PA welcomes Pennsylvanian residents who are struggling with severe depression, including TRD cases. Our depression treatment program includes the top therapeutic methods for treating all types of depression—including TRD, persistent depressive disorder (PDD), and other treatable conditions. Our team can create an effective treatment program that combines behavioral and holistic therapy, along with medication if needed, to ease any depressive symptoms.
Understanding Severe Depression
If you have severe depression, you may experience several months of depressive symptoms and run the risk of developing a substance use disorder. Severe depression can also lead to developing treatment-resistant depression, especially if symptoms persist for weeks or months while attending therapy or taking antidepressants. If you suspect a friend or loved one is struggling, watch out for these common signs of severe depression.
Persistent Feelings of Sadness
Severe depression can greatly impact daily living and leave you feeling deeply hopeless and empty. You will feel numb for most of the day and begin crying at random times. You will lose interest in your favorite activities, isolate yourself from social situations, and withdraw from family and friends.
Cognitive Decline
Severe depression includes difficulty concentrating for long periods, making decisions, or remembering important facts. Thinking and speech are slower, and coming up with answers to complex questions is more difficult. This can impact work performance, leading to missed deadlines and potentially leading to unemployment and financial struggles.
Low Energy and Fatigue
With severe depression, you will feel physically drained and require extensive rest. You may even feel exhausted while resting. It will be difficult to get out of bed and perform basic tasks like showering, cleaning, or caring for children. You will feel sluggish and heavy all the time. Plus, it will affect your sleep patterns, and you will experience insomnia, hypersomnia, or sleeping too much.
Physical Signs of Severe Depression
Severe depression includes a number of physical symptoms, like unexplained headaches, stomach issues, muscle pain, back pain, and general discomfort. You will experience frequent illnesses due to a weakened immune system. It will also impact your appetite and cause you not to feel hungry and binge on sugary snacks and high-carb foods, like chips, cookies, and breaded snacks.
Suicidal Thoughts and Self-Harming Activities
Severe depression can cause recurring thoughts of death or dying, often accompanied by fantasies about it. You might feel like your life isn’t worth living and believe others would be better off without you. It may also lead to self-harming behaviors, such as cutting, burning, or other forms of self-injury.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 at 988.
What to Know About Treatment-Resistant Depression
Treatment-resistant depression is a type of depression where symptoms persist despite attending regular therapy sessions and taking antidepressant medication. It is common in people with major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder and is difficult to diagnose. It occurs when a minimum of two different first-line antidepressants fail to ease symptoms during a depressive disorder.
What Are Examples of First-Line Antidepressants?
First-line antidepressants include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), norepinephrine dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs), selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), noradrenergic/specific serotonergic agents (NaSSAs), and reversible inhibitor of MAO-A (RIMA).
Between 30% and 60% of patients with MDD undergoing antidepressant treatment experience an incomplete clinical response. However, not all of these cases should be classified as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). For many, the issue lies in pseudoresistance, often stemming from suboptimal treatment strategies rather than true resistance to therapy.1
What Are the Signs of TRD?
The cause of TRD is still being researched, but it is believed that an imbalance in brain chemistry, chronic stress, and genetics causes it. TRD can also come from other medical conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, thyroid disease, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease.
TRD symptoms include:
- Persistent depressive mood with ongoing feelings of sadness and hopelessness
- Constantly feeling fatigued and having low energy
- Insomnia or hypersomnia, or sleeping too much
- Significant weight loss or gain due to changes in appetite
- Struggling to focus and trouble making basic decisions
- Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
- Unexplained headaches and pain
If you are depressed and see no significant improvement after trying at least two antidepressants, you may have TRD.
Can TRD Co-Occur with Addiction?
While TRD and addiction are separate conditions, they can often occur together. People with TRD may turn to substance abuse as a coping mechanism for their depressive symptoms, leading to the development of an addiction. The use of drugs or alcohol can worsen depression symptoms and make it more challenging to treat both conditions simultaneously.
Connect with Recovery Ranch PA and Start Depression Treatment Today
Recovery Ranch PA is a full-service mental health treatment center that welcomes clients who are struggling with severe depression or major depressive disorder, particularly when they co-occur with addiction. For more information about our depression treatment program in Wrightsville, PA, fill out our online form or call 717.969.9126 today.
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