Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder, with the World Health Organization ranking depression as the leading cause of disability globally. We use Depression to describe when people have a low mood for most of the day over long periods of time (at least 2 weeks), rather than just a short period. It can affect how you think, feel and behave and often has a huge impact on an individuals life.
What are the Symptoms of Depression?
Physical Symptoms
Changes in appetite or weight
Difficulty sleeping
Feeling breathless
Loss of sex drive
Feeling agitated and restless
Reduced energy / fatigue
Constipation
Changes to menstrual cycle
Unexplained aches and pains
Performing slower than usual
Emotional and Behavioural Symptoms
Low self worth
Low mood
Hopelessness about the future
Loss of interest in hobby's / activities
Feeling guilty
Feeling hopeless and empty
Lack of enjoyment
Difficulties concentrating
Suicidal Ideation
Self harm
Social Symptoms
Underperforming at work
Socially withdrawing
Breakdown of relationships with friends and family
Lack of enjoyment in activities previously enjoyed
What are some of the different types of depression?
Depression is generally categorized as Mild, Moderate, or severe depending on the number of symptoms that you have and the effect that these symptoms are having on your every day life.
A good screening tool that you can use is the Major Depression Index. It can be helpful to fill these in prior to your appointment as a baseline, then at each follow up so we can monitor your response to treatment.
How can we treat Depression?
There are various different ways of treating depression, and these will be discussed with you at your appointment with one of our friendly clinicians.
Generally speaking these can be divided into Non-Medication, and Medication Treatment.
Non medication treatments often involve pursuing counselling, mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Self-Help. We can discuss these at your appointment.
There are a number of different medications that can be prescribed for depression that will be discussed at your appointment with your clinician. It is often the case that people respond differently to medications, and therefore at Harley Street Mental Health, our clinicians like to discuss treatments in depth and come to a shared decision on which treatment plan would be most appropriate.
What we can't Treat
Please note that due to the nature of our service, unfortunately we are unable to see any psychiatric emergencies, or individuals with any suicidal ideations. We would advise anyone to take the following steps.
If you are under the care of a community mental health team, please get in touch with them or their crisis helpline.
Phone the Samaritans, who operate an always open service where you can talk to someone in confidence. They can be contacted on 116 123
Contact the NHS on 111.
Request an emergency appointment with your GP.
Phone 999 or visit your local A&E if there is a life threatening mental health emergency.
What is the process for Initial Depression Assessments
At Harley Street Mental Health we pride ourselves on listening to our service users experiences and creating treatment plans base on their needs.
Our Initial Psychiatric Assessments are conducted by one of our expert clinicians and last around 1 hour.
After this assessment you will be provided with a report outlining the assessment, any diagnosis if this has been made and a proposed treatment plan including recommended follow up.
Unlike most services, we aim to get our reports sent out within 48 hours.
