Skip to content
Contact us
858-295-8694
  • Our Therapists
  • What We Treat
  • Services
  • About Us
  • Resources
    • Addiction Guide
      • Adderall Guide | Side Effects
      • Alcohol Addiction
      • Benzodiazepines
      • Cocaine Withdrawal
      • Fentanyl Guide | Addiction Treatment
      • Heroin Addiction Guide
      • Meth Guide
      • Online Alcoholics Anonymous
      • Oxycodone Guide
      • Tramadol Guide | Side Effects | Addiction Treatment
      • Xanax Guide
      • How a Substance Abuse Counselor Helps
      • Spirituality in Addiction Treatment  
    • Behavioral Health
      • How can counseling help depression?
      • Treatments for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
    • Bipolar Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment
      • Is bipolar disorder genetic and triggered later on?
      • Is cognitive therapy effective for bipolar disorder?
    • Children & Adolescents Guide
      • 10 Warning Signs of Teenage Mental Illness
      • Munchausen Syndrome
      • How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers’ Mental Health?
      • Oppositional Defiant Disorder
      • Spotting Types of Depression in Children
      • Teen Suicide
      • Top Tips For Parents
      • Video Game Therapy for ADHD
      • What is a Residential Mental Health Facility for Teenagers Like
      • Why Is Mental Health on the Rise Amongst Teenagers?
    • Is Social Media Ruining Our Self-Esteem? 
    • Mental Health Guide
      • COVID Counseling to Battle Mental Health Issues
      • Guide to Anxiety Medication
      • Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
      • High Functioning Depression | Signs | Symptoms
      • How Can We Prevent Mental Illness in Youth?
      • How Do You Help Someone with Avoidant Personality?
      • How Does Online Counseling Work for Mental Health?
      • How Can a Mental Health Counselor Help
      • Mental Breakdown
      • Schizoid Personality Disorder
      • Postpartum Depression
      • Types of Mood Disorders
      • The Toll of Grief and How to Cope with It
      • What are The Major Affective Disorders?
      • What Cognitive Psychology Teaches Us About How We Think
      • What Is Clinical Mental Health Counseling
      • What are mental health symptoms you should never ignore?
      • What is Bipolar II Disorder? Symptoms and Treatment
      • What is the Difference Between Manic and Hypomanic?
      • What is schizoaffective disorder?
      • Is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) a mental illness?
      • What is substance induced mood disorder?
      • Is Depression a Permanent Mental Disorder?
      • What is the prognosis for Major Depressive Disorder?
    • Marriage Counseling | Benefits
    • Pandemic Related Issues
      • COVID Counseling to Battle Mental Health Issues
      • Work Stress Post-Pandemic
      • Shocking Growth of Anxiety During the Pandemic
    • Relationship Issues
      • How to deal with toxic relationship?
      • How does a toxic relationship affect your mental health?
      • What is gaslighting in a relationship?
      • What is the best way to help a partner who has trust issues?
      • What’s the best way to work out relationship problems?
      • 10 ways to improve communication in relationships
    • Spirituality in Addiction Treatment  
    • Therapy
      • Can I See a Psychiatrist Without a Referral?
      • DBT Therapy for Adolescents
      • DCBT- Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
      • Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat OCD
      • Do I Need a Referral to See a Therapist?
      • Family Therapy: Definition, Types, Techniques, and Efficacy
      • How Can Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Help Mental Disorders?
      • EMDR Therapy for Mental Health Conditions
      • Psychiatrist vs. Psychologist
      • Is Therapy Covered by Health Insurance?
      • Psychodynamic Therapy vs CBT
      • Psychotherapy
      • SMART Recovery
      • What Can Psychologists Treat
      • What is Group Therapy
      • What is Internal Family Systems Therapy
      • What Is the Role of the Counselor in Family Therapy
      • What Is Psychoanalysis
    • Trauma Bonding With Intimate Partner Violence
    • Teen Mental Health
      • Can a Minor Go to Therapy Without Parents Permission?
      • Teen Co-Occurring Disorders
      • What are the signs of depression in adolescents?
      • warning signs of suicide in adolescents
      • Mental Health Benefits of Exercise in Teens
      • How is the pandemic affecting mental health in teenagers?
    • Types of Disorder
      • Anti-Social Personality Disorder
      • Autism Spectrum Disorder
      • Avoidant Personality Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder Symptoms | Causes | Diagnosis
      • Diagnosing and Treating an Adjustment Disorder
      • Histrionic Personality Disorder
      • Intermittent Explosive Disorder
      • Paranoid Personality Disorder
    • Veterans Guide
      • Functional Medicine for Military
      • Service Dogs Help Veterans with PTSD
    • Process Addiction
      • Gambling addiction
      • How do you know if you have an addictive personality?
      • What is Impulse-Control Disorder?
      • Process Addiction
Menu
  • Our Therapists
  • What We Treat
  • Services
  • About Us
  • Resources
    • Addiction Guide
      • Adderall Guide | Side Effects
      • Alcohol Addiction
      • Benzodiazepines
      • Cocaine Withdrawal
      • Fentanyl Guide | Addiction Treatment
      • Heroin Addiction Guide
      • Meth Guide
      • Online Alcoholics Anonymous
      • Oxycodone Guide
      • Tramadol Guide | Side Effects | Addiction Treatment
      • Xanax Guide
      • How a Substance Abuse Counselor Helps
      • Spirituality in Addiction Treatment  
    • Behavioral Health
      • How can counseling help depression?
      • Treatments for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
    • Bipolar Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment
      • Is bipolar disorder genetic and triggered later on?
      • Is cognitive therapy effective for bipolar disorder?
    • Children & Adolescents Guide
      • 10 Warning Signs of Teenage Mental Illness
      • Munchausen Syndrome
      • How Does Social Media Affect Teenagers’ Mental Health?
      • Oppositional Defiant Disorder
      • Spotting Types of Depression in Children
      • Teen Suicide
      • Top Tips For Parents
      • Video Game Therapy for ADHD
      • What is a Residential Mental Health Facility for Teenagers Like
      • Why Is Mental Health on the Rise Amongst Teenagers?
    • Is Social Media Ruining Our Self-Esteem? 
    • Mental Health Guide
      • COVID Counseling to Battle Mental Health Issues
      • Guide to Anxiety Medication
      • Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
      • High Functioning Depression | Signs | Symptoms
      • How Can We Prevent Mental Illness in Youth?
      • How Do You Help Someone with Avoidant Personality?
      • How Does Online Counseling Work for Mental Health?
      • How Can a Mental Health Counselor Help
      • Mental Breakdown
      • Schizoid Personality Disorder
      • Postpartum Depression
      • Types of Mood Disorders
      • The Toll of Grief and How to Cope with It
      • What are The Major Affective Disorders?
      • What Cognitive Psychology Teaches Us About How We Think
      • What Is Clinical Mental Health Counseling
      • What are mental health symptoms you should never ignore?
      • What is Bipolar II Disorder? Symptoms and Treatment
      • What is the Difference Between Manic and Hypomanic?
      • What is schizoaffective disorder?
      • Is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) a mental illness?
      • What is substance induced mood disorder?
      • Is Depression a Permanent Mental Disorder?
      • What is the prognosis for Major Depressive Disorder?
    • Marriage Counseling | Benefits
    • Pandemic Related Issues
      • COVID Counseling to Battle Mental Health Issues
      • Work Stress Post-Pandemic
      • Shocking Growth of Anxiety During the Pandemic
    • Relationship Issues
      • How to deal with toxic relationship?
      • How does a toxic relationship affect your mental health?
      • What is gaslighting in a relationship?
      • What is the best way to help a partner who has trust issues?
      • What’s the best way to work out relationship problems?
      • 10 ways to improve communication in relationships
    • Spirituality in Addiction Treatment  
    • Therapy
      • Can I See a Psychiatrist Without a Referral?
      • DBT Therapy for Adolescents
      • DCBT- Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
      • Deep Brain Stimulation to Treat OCD
      • Do I Need a Referral to See a Therapist?
      • Family Therapy: Definition, Types, Techniques, and Efficacy
      • How Can Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Help Mental Disorders?
      • EMDR Therapy for Mental Health Conditions
      • Psychiatrist vs. Psychologist
      • Is Therapy Covered by Health Insurance?
      • Psychodynamic Therapy vs CBT
      • Psychotherapy
      • SMART Recovery
      • What Can Psychologists Treat
      • What is Group Therapy
      • What is Internal Family Systems Therapy
      • What Is the Role of the Counselor in Family Therapy
      • What Is Psychoanalysis
    • Trauma Bonding With Intimate Partner Violence
    • Teen Mental Health
      • Can a Minor Go to Therapy Without Parents Permission?
      • Teen Co-Occurring Disorders
      • What are the signs of depression in adolescents?
      • warning signs of suicide in adolescents
      • Mental Health Benefits of Exercise in Teens
      • How is the pandemic affecting mental health in teenagers?
    • Types of Disorder
      • Anti-Social Personality Disorder
      • Autism Spectrum Disorder
      • Avoidant Personality Disorder
      • Bipolar Disorder Symptoms | Causes | Diagnosis
      • Diagnosing and Treating an Adjustment Disorder
      • Histrionic Personality Disorder
      • Intermittent Explosive Disorder
      • Paranoid Personality Disorder
    • Veterans Guide
      • Functional Medicine for Military
      • Service Dogs Help Veterans with PTSD
    • Process Addiction
      • Gambling addiction
      • How do you know if you have an addictive personality?
      • What is Impulse-Control Disorder?
      • Process Addiction

What is the Prognosis

for Major Depressive Disorder?

Depression is very different from grief or sadness. Read on to learn more about the causes and treatment of major depressive disorder.

What is Major Depressive Disorder?

Major depressive disorder is one of the most commonly occurring mental health disorders. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 5% of adults globally currently suffer from depression. While 5% may seem small, this still means that hundreds of millions of people worldwide.1
Even though major depressive disorder is very common, figuring out treatment that works for every person can be difficult. What makes major depressive disorder treatment somewhat complicated is the fact that there are several different types of the disorder, each one varying in the severity of its symptoms. This means there is a vast amount of different treatment options for those who have major depressive disorder than can consist of psychotherapy, medication, and other avenues of treatment.

A Deeper Look Into Major Depressive Disorder

Most everyone goes through seasons in life when they may feel sad due to current situations or circumstances, such as the passing of a loved one, losing their job, going through a breakup, or many other situations. While feeling sad or grieving is a normal life process, it is generally expected that after a number of days, weeks, or even months, the individual is able to go back to functioning normally, or close to what is normal for them. For those with major depressive disorder, this is often not the case, which is what differentiates major depressive disorder from “regular” grief and sadness.
Unlike grief or sadness, major depressive disorder is a mental illness that is usually characterized by prolonged periods of mood depression and feelings of intense sadness that could last anywhere from several weeks to months. The symptoms of depressive disorder are usually so intense that they interrupt and negatively impact the daily functioning of affected individuals.2

Scope of Major Depressive Disorder

According to the WHO, it is estimated that major depressive disorder will be the leading cause of disease burden globally by 2030, a pointer to just how much of a problem depression disorder currently is and can be without proper medical intervention.3

How is Depression Diagnosed?

If you suspect you are currently suffering from severe depressive disorder, the first thing to do is get a diagnosis from your healthcare provider. Your doctor will ask you several questions about the symptoms you’re feeling. Your doctor will also look at your medical history and conduct a thorough physical or mental examination to rule out the possibility that some other underlying medical illness could be causing the symptoms you’re experiencing.
Your doctor will then compare the results of the tests and symptoms observed with what is stated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) before finally diagnosing whether or not you have depressive disorder or another mental condition.

Causes of Major Depressive Disorder

Although the exact cause of major depressive disorder is still unknown, several different factors could result in the development of a depressive disorder in an individual. These causes of major depressive disorder often include alcohol or drug use, particular types of medications (including steroids), abuse during childhood, or certain medical conditions like cancer or hypothyroidism.4

Types of Depression

There are several types of major depressive disorder, and each of these has its own specific set of signs and symptoms that can impact the individual. For example, the types of major depression include:
  • Psychotic Depression: Psychotic depression is a type of severe depressive disorder usually characterized by an individual experiencing feelings of psychosis (such as hallucinations and delusions) in addition to the signs and symptoms of major depressive disorder. Symptoms like inability to focus and difficulty in thinking may also accompany psychotic depression.5
  • Melancholic Depression: Melancholic depression is a severe form of major depressive disorder characterized by very intense melancholia. This intense level of melancholia results in a total lack of enjoyment in everything that once was pleasurable.6
  • Catatonic Depression: Catatonic depression is a massive depressive disorder that usually causes affected individuals to remain immobile and mute for extended periods. Abnormal or excessive motor signs may also accompany catatonic depression. 7
Caring therapist listens to client | Pacific Beach Health

Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment of Depression

Early intervention in cases of massive depressive disorder is very vital to the effective treatment of depression, so you need to be able to identify the signs of major depressive disorder properly. The common signs of major depressive disorder include the following:
  • Negative thinking
  • Agitation
  • Inability to focus
  • Irritability
  • Exhaustion and lethargy

Treatment

One aspect to note about major depressive disorder is that despite its potential severity, it is very treatable. In fact, statistics have shown that up to 90% of people with depression symptoms end up responding positively to treatment. Treatment for major depressive disorder usually involves the combination of two different treatment approaches, which are the use of medications and psychotherapy.8

Medications

Antidepressants are a class of medications that are used in the treatment and management of depression disorder symptoms. They usually elicit their effects by restoring the proper balance of some specific neurotransmitters in the brain. However, antidepressant drugs usually require an extended period of consistent dosing before their effects can be felt, so even if you don’t feel like they are working, ensure you do not stop your dosing regimen without first consulting with your doctor or healthcare provider.
Some classes of antidepressants used in treating depression disorder symptoms include:
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
  • Tricyclic antidepressants
  • Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
  • Serotonin modulators

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy as a treatment approach involves using “therapeutic approaches” to identify and deal with underlying emotional and mental issues that may be responsible for the depressive symptoms being felt. Psychotherapy usually involves talking with a skilled and experienced mental health professional in therapy sessions that may range from months to years in length depending on what the patient needs. Some common examples of major depressive disorder therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy.
These two psychotherapy approaches help many patients who have major depressive disorders, but there are other options as well, including support groups, family therapy, inpatient or outpatient care, and dialectical behavioral therapy.

Treatment Opportunities at Pacific Beach Health

Major depressive disorder can feel all encompassing. At Pacific Beach Health, we can help you to regain autonomy over your own life, equipping you with the necessary tools and support to achieve and maintain the long-term wellness you deserve.
Resources
  1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
  2. https://www.verywellmind.com/major-depressive-disorder-symptoms-causes-and-treatment-5270926
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559078/
  4. https://www.healthline.com/health/clinical-depression#causes-and-risk-factors
  5. https://www.verywellmind.com/psychotic-depression-1066607
  6. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-melancholia-379852
  7. https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/catatonic-depression
  8. https://www.verywellmind.com/major-depressive-disorder-treatment-5271663

article contents

Start Healing Today

Pacific Beach Health is the community’s only outpatient provider specialized in integrative behavioral health care.
If you are looking for help or would like to schedule a consultation, we are ready to help you today.

CALL US TODAY: 858.295.8694
logo | PacificBeachHealth
Licensed by the State of California Department of Health Care Services
License Number: 370202AP
Expiration Date: 11/30/2023
©2023 Pacific Beach Health All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Treatment Website by Active Marketing