Depression

Depression affects more than 8% of adults, making it hard or impossible to enjoy life and often resulting in serious symptoms and complications. Without treatment at Mimi Morris, DNP, PMHNP-BC, PLLC, depression can hang on for months or years. Mimi has years of experience providing individualized medication management that lifts your mood and helps you get back to an active life. To schedule a telemedicine appointment, call the office in Missoula, Montana, or use the online booking feature today!

What causes depression?

You may become depressed during life transitions, such as changing jobs, moving, and the death of a loved one. Living with daily stress or frequent anxiety often leads to depression. 

Depression can also take hold after learning you have an illness or chronic health condition or the death of a loved one. You have a higher chance of struggling with depression if mood disorders run in your family.

However, depression doesn’t always have an obvious reason. Depression also arises from imbalanced brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). Neurotransmitter levels can decrease with or without a life event.

No matter what causes your depression, it can persist for months and years without treatment. If you’re depressed for two weeks or longer, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Mimi. But if you have thoughts of suicide, call the crisis lifeline at 988 immediately.

What symptoms indicate I have depression?

People with depression have several of the following symptoms:

• Feeling sad and hopeless
• Feeling anxious or nervous
• Avoiding family and friends
• Eating too much or too little
• Gaining or losing weight
• Sleeping too much
• Having insomnia
• Losing interest in activities they usually enjoy
• Struggling to concentrate or make decisions
• Thinking about suicide

Depression is also closely associated with physical illness. The longer your depression lasts, the more likely you are to develop headaches, stomach aches, and chronic muscle pain. 

How is depression treated?

Mimi treats depression with antidepressant medications. Antidepressants improve your symptoms by increasing the levels of neurotransmitters needed to maintain a stable mood.

Many patients achieve the best result by combining medication with therapy, so she encourages you to start or continue meeting with your therapist. Therapy gives you the tools you need to manage depression now and in the long run. 

During therapy, you may learn new ways to cope with the people, places, and situations that trigger your depression. You may also learn to identify and change negative thoughts affecting your mood.

Talk therapy can also give you new skills for managing stress. Stress, whether due to current issues or the long-lasting effect of childhood trauma, directly affects depression.

Don’t put off getting help for depression. Call Mimi L. Morris, DNP, PMHNP, PLLC, or book an appointment online today.