IOP* Psychiatric Day Treatment in Back Bay
Major Depressive Disorder Treatment in Boston
Steps from the Green Line
Comprehensive Depression Treatment in the Heart of Boston
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, affecting millions around the world today. Those with depression symptoms may experience numbness, fatigue, emptiness, and, of course, sadness. Depression can impact your ability to focus, work, study, or even maintain your relationships.
You do not, however, have to face it alone. With the right treatment plan, you can start making headway in understanding your major depressive disorder and building up a strategy to combat the worst of its symptoms.
That’s what we offer here at Back Bay Mental Health. With us, you’ll get a comprehensive treatment plan for your depression right here in Boston, Massachusetts. We’ll work with you to understand the causes and the triggers and how to build up strategies and coping skills needed to start reclaiming your sense of self.
What is Major Depressive Disorder?
Major depressive disorder, sometimes referred to as clinical depression or severe major depression, is a persistent depressive disorder that lasts for at least two weeks (though often longer).
While major depressive disorder (MDD) can feel like there’s no hope and that you’ll never get out of it, that isn’t true. The condition is treatable, especially with a comprehensive treatment plan that includes psychiatry, psychology, and medication management.
Similar Types of Depression
We will start with an evaluation if you visit our Boston clinic for treatment. This is how we can help you pinpoint your exact type of depression and get started with the most effective treatment options for your precise symptoms of depression.
Major Depressive vs. Persistent Depressive
Major depression disorder, for example, is characterized by intense episodes of depression that last weeks or even months at a time. You will also often have multiple episodes throughout your lifetime.
Persistent depression, on the other hand, is slightly different. If you have mild or moderate depression that persists for at least two years, then you likely have a persistent depressive disorder rather than a major. Treating depression that persists requires a different approach than treating depression that’s more intense but lasts for chunks of time at a time.
Prenatal/Postpartum Depression vs Major Depressive
Prenatal or postpartum depression also shares many similar symptoms of major depressive disorder. Like MDD, postpartum depression can be intense and last for weeks or months at a time. The difference is postpartum or prenatal depression is tied explicitly to pregnancy and is particularly dangerous due to the potential for psychosis symptoms and the mother’s proximity to the baby during psychosis episodes.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder vs Major Depressive
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PDD) is a depressive disorder that occurs specifically in the week leading up to your menstrual cycle and then usually stops once it starts. It doesn’t last long enough to be considered MDD, and hormonal changes and genetics cause it. It can, however, feel just as intense, and yes, you should still seek out help to manage your symptoms of depression.
Other Mental Health Conditions That Cause Depression
Depression symptoms are common in many other mental health conditions as well, including:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Psychiatric disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Mood disorders
Causes of Severe Depression
Major depressive disorders affect between 5 to 17% of people at some point throughout their lives. Anyone of any age can develop MDD. Children can develop MDD, and young adults and adults alike can develop depression, though it most commonly starts in their 20s.
What causes it varies from person to person. Factors that make you more at risk include:
Medical History
If you have a history of depression in your family (your biological parent or siblings have clinical depression), then you are 3x more likely to develop depression than someone whose family doesn’t have depression in their medical history.
Brain Imbalance
There is some evidence that depression can occur if there’s a chemical imbalance in the brain. New research, however, has suggested that the chemical imbalances themselves are reacting to a more complex neural circuit we don’t quite understand yet.
Abuse
Abuse in any form makes you more at risk of developing depression. This is particularly true if you experienced several adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) when you were growing up. Neglect, abuse, bullying – all of these can result in major depressive disorder later on. Similarly, experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment later on can also cause clinical depression in adults.
Trauma
Traumatic events, like the death of a loved one, isolation, living with a severe medical condition, and so on, can cause a depressed mood and, potentially, clinical depressive symptoms.
Severe Depression Symptoms
Clinical depression symptoms can vary from person to person. Everyone who is diagnosed with MDD will experience:
- Persistent low mood or deep sadness
- Lack of energy or interest in what you used to love
Other symptoms that are used to classify and diagnose MDD include:
- Hopelessness
- Irritability
- Weight gain/weight loss
- Slowed movement or thoughts
- Insomnia (difficulty sleeping)
- Hypersmonia (oversleeping)
- Low energy
- Sense of worthlessness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Suicidal ideation
Depression can be hazardous because it makes you feel like you are alone and that there is no escape. If you have begun to think about suicide or even just wished you didn’t exist (which is different from suicide), you must seek out help ASAP.
Talk to the Samaritans hotline, contact a healthcare provider, or book your first session with our Back Bay Mental Health experts. Support and care are available, so please take the first step and ask for help from a healthcare provider.
What is the Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder?
There are several treatment options for clinical depression. We’ll start you on the ones that are most effective for your type of depression and then adjust based on what’s working and what isn’t. We understand that not every therapy option will be a good fit. That’s why we go on the journey with you. We introduce you to different methods based on how effective they are in general and then make our way through what’s working and what isn’t.
Don’t feel discouraged if a treatment that usually has good results doesn’t work for you. We can help you get treatment options even if you have resistant depression, meaning regular therapy and medication aren’t working for you.
Therapeutical Major Depressive Disorder Treatment
The go-to approach to treat depression is with a series of talk therapy. We will primarily focus on cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy—these work to help you understand your thoughts and build strategies to manage your clinical depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy, in particular, can help you identify negative thoughts, learn how to replace them with positive ones, and, most importantly, learn how to break problems down in a way that’s manageable rather than all-consuming. They are usually done alongside medication if you have MDD. If you only have mild depression, on the other hand, you might only have access to the treatments.
Medication for MDD
With depression diagnosed by a mental health professional, we’ll be able to prescribe medications. We might prescribe:
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
- Atypical antidepressants
- Or other antidepressant medications.
We work with you to find the type and dosage that works best to ease depression symptoms.
Options for Treatment-Resistant Depression
There are treatment options if you seem to resist the standard depression treatment options.
One of those is electroconvulsive therapy. This therapy treatment is done under anesthesia and doesn’t hurt you. While you’re under, medical professionals send a low-voltage bolt of electricity into your brain. This causes a minor seizure in your nerve cells, which, despite how it sounds, can help alleviate symptoms of depression. It’s mainly used, for example, if you are in a catatonic state.
Another option is transcranial magnetic stimulation. This is a type of magnetic seizure therapy that works to boost brain activity. It’s used to lessen treatable mental health conditions for those with depression, OCD, and similar mental health concerns.
You may also get Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which is an implant placed on the Vagus nerve cell. It works like a pacemaker for the brain and can help with deep brain stimulation for those with extreme MDD.
Do You Qualify for Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder?
You can get depression treatment from our team of experts here in Boston regardless of which specific type of depression you experience. We will adapt your treatment plan to suit your condition best.
If you do not know the type of depression you have, do not worry. We start with an evaluation to diagnose your condition and recommend treatments based on your needs and preferences.
When diagnosing you, we will look at your symptoms, medical history, and mental health history. You’ll only be diagnosed with MDD if you experience five or more of the symptoms of depression, and those have lasted all day, every day, for at least two weeks.
Two of the symptoms you must experience to be diagnosed with MDD and not another type of depression or mental health condition are low mood (sadness) as well as a lack of interest or energy, particularly in doing activities you previously enjoyed.
If you don’t think you fit the diagnostic criteria for DPP, don’t worry. If you are struggling, chances are you have another type of depression or mental health disorder. We can help you understand what is going on and then start building a treatment plan that suits your needs best.
Sometimes, that will be by treating your depression. In other cases, it may be done by treating the real source, for example, if you have a personality disorder or bipolar disorder.
Get Treatment at Our Intensive Outpatient Facility in Boston
Our intensive outpatient program* provides high-quality care at your convenience. Those with MDD can benefit from an inpatient facility, but inpatient facilities require overnight stays and don’t work with your current responsibilities.
If you want to continue to work, go to school, or keep up with your routine (which is highly recommended), we will work with you to provide you with the ongoing treatment you need while accommodating your schedule.
Enjoy Comprehensive Care, Catered to You
Your treatment plan is personalized to you and only you. If you need multiple sessions per week to start, then that is what you will get. We offer psychiatric, psychological, and medical care at our facility, allowing us to treat you from multiple fronts.
With us, you will have individual therapy sessions and group sessions. This combined approach is how we can help you personally while also giving you a wider support network and community.
From Diagnosis to Treatment, Get it All At Our Boston Location
We have psychiatrists on staff, which means we can diagnose your depression and prescribe medications. This means you can come to us first. You don’t need to get diagnosed elsewhere and then get referred. You also don’t need to go elsewhere to benefit from group therapy or holistic treatments, as we offer all of that at our Boston location.
Luxury Location
Our facility is designed for luxury, safety, and comfort. We are a healthcare provider that understands how important feeling secure and safe in your environment is for your mental health. As such, we have designed our facility to be as luxurious as possible.
Affordable Treatment
We are a private facility but accept insurance from most major providers. Outpatient treatment is also far more affordable than inpatient options.
Get Started with Your Treatment Today
Get in touch with our team today. We’ll get you started with an evaluation and diagnosis and then work on developing your very own personalized treatment plan.
We’ll then work with your schedule, preferences, and goals to finalize our healthcare approach.
Whether you’re with us for a short period or for an ongoing commitment, we are here for you. All you need to get started today is to contact our team.