If you’re finding every day a struggle because of the weight of depression, Allison Sikorsky, PMHNP, can help. At Your Service Psychiatry provides an entirely online service for patients with a range of serious psychiatric disorders, including depression. Even if you can’t bear leaving the house, you can benefit from Allison’s help via video link. At Your Service Psychiatry has its base in Bloomingdale, Illinois, but Allison has licenses to provide telepsychiatry services in 20 states nationwide. Find out more by calling the office or book an appointment online today.
Depression –– also known as major depressive disorder –– is a mental health problem that causes negative feelings to take over your life.
You feel sad or low most if not all of the time, and there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do to shake off the negative emotions you’re experiencing.
Symptoms of depression vary, so each person’s experience of this illness is unique to them. However, there are some common signs, such as:
While everyone has times where they feel low and depressed, if these symptoms last for more than two weeks, you could have clinical depression.
Common triggers for depression include life events and experiences, such as losing a job, experiencing a profound loss, or having a chronic illness.
However, it’s not just negative experiences that trigger depression. Some people get depression after moving to a new home or getting a job they really wanted.
Sometimes depression sets in without there being an obvious trigger. You just gradually find yourself becoming more unhappy until your life seems like a continual struggle.
Research shows that the balance of chemicals in your brain plays a role in depression. What isn’t always clear is whether the chemical imbalance causes depression or whether the feelings of depression cause the chemical imbalance.
Treatment for mild depression usually involves talking therapies. A combination of talking therapies and medication is often most effective for moderate to severe depression.
Allison provides both psychotherapy and prescription antidepressant medication for patients with her practice At Your Service Psychiatry. What’s different about Allison’s practice is that all her consultations take place using videoconferencing.
This method is known as telepsychiatry. Rather than having to get to your therapist’s office for your consultation, you can speak to Allison securely using Zoom technology, which is similar to using Skype.
The advantages of telepsychiatry for people with depression are significant. When you have severe depression, it can be impossible to get out of bed, let alone make it out of the house for an appointment. With telepsychiatry, Allison can help you even when you can’t get up.
Many people who get depression also have anxiety, which can make leaving your home very stressful and even cause panic attacks.
With telepsychiatry, this no longer needs to be an issue. Allison has licenses to practice in 20 states, so you can take advantage of her services from as far apart as Vermont to New Mexico.
Book a consultation with Allison by calling At Your Service Psychiatry today or schedule an appointment online.
