Category Archive for : ‘Depression’

 Characteristics of the Depressed Brain 

We can see how depression affects a sufferer’s life in so many ways. People report feeling hopeless, tired, irritable, and ashamed. We also know that the brain is just another organ in the body, an intricate network of tissues that interacts with itself and the other parts of the body to drive our actions and decisions. Each human ever born has had their own unique chemistry. We also know that illness can have a profound effect on the structure, sometimes even the appearance, of

 What Depression Is and Is Not 

Rochester Holistic Psychiatry treats many people with depressive disorders, particularly major depressive disorder, or MDD. Today, we’ll refer to “depression” as a blanket term for depressive disorders. 

Depression is not just sadness. Sadness is a classic symptom of depression—feeling “blue,” or “down.” But there are so many other aspects of depressive disorders. Depression is a blend of emotions, and everyone has their own mix. 

Depression isn’t always visible. Someone may do their job just as well as usual or put on a good

What is Bipolar Type 1?   

We talked about general bipolar disorder (formerly known as manic depression) in a recent post, but we  need to narrow down the types of bipolar disorder and describe each of them. There are 4 kinds of  bipolar disorder. Some sources say there are 3 kinds, but research is progressing, and we want to be as  specific as we can to cover our bases.  

Today, we’d like to talk more about bipolar disorder, which we’ll call BD. In general, BD is characterized  by unpredictable periods of

How to Get More Energy When You Have Depression

We treat patients with MDD (major depressive disorder) and other depressive disorders at Rochester  Holistic Psychiatry every day. A common question we get is, how do I get more energy when I have  depression? It’s not surprising. After all, some of the common symptoms of depression are lethargy, lack  of energy, feeling tired, or having trouble with the executive function needed to get moving.  

Getting more energy isn’t just about feeling more alert. With the experiences and accomplishments that  come with it, feeling

 Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder 

Updating Our Terminology 

Before we talk about manic depression, it should be mentioned that “manic depression” has recently become an outdated term. Manic depression has been rolled into the bipolar disorder (BD) diagnosis, but the term is still widely used and searched for, which is why we’re using it today. 

According to NIMH, “bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.” 

Because bipolar disorder has such

Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Caregivers

A Growing Need for Care

According to the Mayo Clinic, as the population ages, more caregiving is provided by people who are informal caregivers.  This does not denote the importance of their work; it refers to people who are not healthcare professionals.

Currently, this number is already 1 in 3 adults in the United States, and that only refers to those who are informal caregivers to adults.  Being a caregiver can be temporary, such as attending to a spouse who has the flu, or indefinite, such as