There have been 15 million doctor visits that result in the diagnosis of depression in the last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Depression is a serious psychological disorder that can sneak up on you. Sometimes it is hard to detect, as some people may think they are feeling down for the season and will “get over it.” Depression treatment can help equip you with coping skills when you have a depressive episode or provide you with skills and knowledge to manage consistent depression. Whatever your type of depression, you can get excellent outpatient treatment in Laguna Beach.

Different Types of Depression

In states that have consistent rain and cloud coverage, people tend to understand that depression can affect you when you lack sun exposure. However, depression can develop from trauma, biology, or due the experiences someone has. There are different types of depression, as they all affect a person for different time lengths and severity.

Major Depression

This type of depression is experienced in episodes with feelings such as sadness, listlessness, or lack of motivation. These episodes can last for a few weeks and have long-term effects. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), where a person experiences symptoms typically in the winter, is a type of major depression.

Persistent Depression

The reoccurrence of major depressive episodes can develop into persistent depression. Experiencing depressive episodes within a certain timeframe is what changes it to persistent depression. In the past, persistent depression was also called dysthymic disorder.

Clinical Depression

Experiencing life depressed, like a default setting in your brain is turned on, is considered clinical depression. This type of depression affects a person not in episodes but consistently from the onset. Clinical depression is what people mean when they talk about cripplingly continuous depression. Someone with this type of depression will struggle to be part of their own life.

Postpartum Depression

Only women who can give birth experience this type of depression, although not all childbirth results in postpartum depression. It typically affects women who have just given birth and can persist for months or years. Research believes postpartum depression occurs due to the hormonal shift in a woman’s body after birth.

Disorders With Depression Symptoms

Co-occurring disorders are when someone has two or more psychological disorders affecting their brain. Many co-occurring disorders or singular disorders have symptoms that mimic depression, such as feeling sad or a lack of motivation for activities. You may see these symptoms with anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but especially with bipolar disorder. Previously bipolar disorder was known as manic depression, so it used to be categorized as a type of depression. However, there is more to bipolar disorder than depressive episodes.

Depression Treatment and Therapy

Just as with other disorders, depression treatment requires psychotherapy and consistent support. It depends on the severity of a person’s depression and its symptoms, but depression is usually treated with a type of therapy called cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

With the use of CBT, a therapist helps a person identify false patterns of thoughts and beliefs to help change maladaptive behaviors. For example, false beliefs can be “I do not matter to anyone.” With CBT’s help, that thought can become something realistic and accurate, like “I matter to a few close loved ones, even when I feel I cannot talk to them.” This can help avoidant behavior, for example.

Outpatient Depression Treatment Levels

Alter Behavioral Health, located in Laguna Beach, offers different levels of depression treatment to meet your needs. For people with less severe depression, outpatient treatment is a good option, as it does not fully disrupt your life.

When someone attends outpatient depression treatment, they are only required to attend therapeutic groups for six to 30 hours a week. The time participating in the program varies, depending on your needs and the plan set with your treatment team. At Alter Behavioral Health, there are three levels of outpatient treatment:

Intensive outpatient program (IOP)
- 1st Level – IOP5: Attend groups at period intervals, with 40 to 60 days being the average stay
- 2nd Level – IOP3: Morning and afternoon group sessions, with 30 to 40 days being the average stay
Partial hospitalization program (PHP)
- This program is one level, with programming several hours a day, for three to five days a week

Tips for Finding Depression Treatment

Lacking motivation, energy, or a will for life can make it hard to research depression treatment options. When you have energy, making a list of qualities you need in your treatment can help when researching. Five qualities to consider on your list include the following:

Will you be assessed and rediagnosed upon starting the program?
Do they treat more than depression?
Are flexible times offered?
Will there be a variety of therapies?
Is holistic healing prioritized?
Can they help with all your needs? (i.e., need help with insurance, aftercare services, or plans for reentry)

Alter Behavioral Health can help you with all of these needs and more. Not all depression treatment is of good quality. With a nationally recognized program, Alter Behavioral Health is a top, evidence-based treatment program.

Do you live in the Laguna Beach area and are feeling overburdened with depression symptoms? Do not be content only surviving depression or any other disorder anymore. At Alter Behavioral Health, we offer treatment for a variety of disorders, including depression, autism, borderline personality disorder, and more. Depression treatment can provide you with healing and skill-building to manage your disorder and thrive. Participating in one of our programs means you get to learn about your disorder, how it affects your brain and life, and the skills and resources to manage the symptoms. Do not let depression continue to cloud your life; call us at (866) 691-4386 to speak with our friendly staff about your program and treatment options.