Many people think of depression as just feeling sad. It’s much more involved than that and is a real medical illness. Major depressive disorder symptoms include: Depressed mood, psychomotor activity changes, sleep disturbances, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, guilt feelings or hopelessness, decreased energy, trouble concentrating, appetite changes and suicidal thoughts or attempts.

Major depression is more common than you might realize with an estimated 121 million people worldwide suffering from it. In fact, one in six Americans will develop major depression in their lifetimes. Shockingly, two out of three individuals with depression do not receive adequate treatment which is unfortunate because there are many options available to aid in recovery. As a result, depression is the leading cause of disability for people ages 14-44. If left untreated, patients with depression are at a greater risk for heart attacks and strokes, and the risk of suicide dramatically increases. Roughly 35,000 people commit suicide each year due to their depression.

One in three patients with major depression don’t respond to usual medications and treatments. Avance Psychiatry physicians specialize in caring for patients with treatment resistant depression.