AM Healthcare and our partners provide compassionate depression treatment for adults in and around Los Angeles, California. We are fully equipped to treat substance use along with co-occurring mental health issues for comprehensive behavioral health care.
AM Healthcare takes a full continuum of care approach to depression treatment for adults across California. From detox to aftercare services, our team has decades of combined experience in treating depression and other mental health disorders. Our treatment programs utilize evidence-based and holistic therapeutic modalities to provide full-person care – allowing for optimal treatment outcomes. If you or your loved one is searching for compassionate and quality depression treatment in California, AM Healthcare can help.
Most people will often feel sadness over a specific circumstance, with some common sources being:
Whenever these feelings of sadness increase in severity and/or persist for so long that they begin to impact a person’s daily life, it’s most likely due to depression.
Depression is a mental health condition that goes beyond periods of sadness. Someone struggling with depression will feel severe feelings of hopelessness or despair, often for no precise reason. Depression can be pervasive and affect a person’s mental and physical well-being.
While depression is commonly discussed as an umbrella term, there are many different types of depression. Various factors can cause other types of depression, affect people differently, and require unique treatments.
Also known as clinical depression, major depressive disorder is a chronic mental health disorder that causes a person to feel symptoms of depression almost every day for an extended period. Clinical depression is usually a disorder that can increase and decrease throughout a person’s life. It’s so common that over 16 million adults in the United States claim to have experienced clinical depression at least once in their lives.
Major depressive disorder causes a person to feel intense feelings of sadness or worthlessness for no reason. It can also lead to a loss of energy, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, loss of interest in activities, and difficulty concentrating. In severe cases, a person with clinical depression may begin to experience thoughts about death or suicide.
Dysthymia, or persistent depressive disorder (PDD), is a chronic form of depression that can last for years. Since symptoms often last so long, persistent depressive disorder can make it challenging to maintain relationships or fulfill obligations at work or school.
Although symptoms may not become as severe as those of major depressive disorder, PDD can still be incredibly challenging to manage and often requires treatment. A person with persistent depressive disorder often feels hopeless and struggles to feel any sense of happiness. People with PDD often have low self-esteem and feel weary or fatigued.
Like clinical depression, a person with persistent depressive disorder may also experience changes in their eating and sleeping habits.
Although bipolar disorder is not necessarily a type of depression, it can cause depression. Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition and mood disorder that causes swings between high-energy and low-energy episodes. The high-energy episodes are referred to as manic or hypomanic episodes. A manic episode is defined by a burst of energy, high self-esteem, and reckless behavior.
The low-energy episodes caused by bipolar disorder are referred to as depressive episodes. A depressive episode causes all the same symptoms seen in clinical depression and usually lasts a few weeks.
Depression occurring either in the late stages of a woman’s pregnancy or soon after the baby is born is known as postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is caused by drastic hormonal shifts that occur during pregnancy. Although mood swings are common during all pregnancies, postpartum depression can be long-lasting and usually requires treatment.
Postpartum depression can cause irritability, sadness, feelings of inadequacy, and trouble bonding with the newborn child.
Depression symptoms that are tied to weather or seasons of the year are known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). For most people, winter and cold weather can cause symptoms closely associated with major depressive disorder.
Symptoms may often start gradually and worsen as the season progresses or the weather gets colder. Even though symptoms tend to improve as the weather gets warmer, a person should still seek treatment for any symptoms associated with major depression.
This term refers to when someone experiences the symptoms of major depressive disorder alongside symptoms of psychosis. These conditions could be co-occurring disorders or related directly to one another. Psychotic depression may also be referred to as major depressive disorder with psychotic features.
Psychosis is a mental health condition that causes someone to lose touch with reality. This may take the form of perception issues, such as visual or auditory hallucinations or delusions.
A severe form of premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, that may occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle is known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD. Although PMS can cause mood swings or irritability, PMDD can cause significantly worse symptoms.
PMDD often makes it difficult for some women to complete daily activities due to their symptoms. During PMDD, women may experience the full slate of symptoms of a major depressive episode, as well as feelings of anger, anxiety, and volatile moods. While PMS usually causes both physical and mental symptoms, PMDD generally only causes a worsening of psychological symptoms.
Depression that can be lessened by positive or happy events in a person’s life is known as atypical depression. While major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder cause a feeling of hopelessness or despair regardless of what is happening in someone’s life, symptoms of atypical depression may be made better or worse by life events.
Someone struggling with atypical depression often feels symptoms associated with clinical depression. Positive life events, such as marriage, job promotion, or other happy occurrences, can reduce these symptoms or even make them temporarily disappear. However, symptoms of depression will always return.
Depending on the type of depression, treatment usually consists of a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Depression does not have a cure and may often be a lifelong battle. However, with proper treatment, the symptoms associated with depression can be managed to the point that they stop interfering with daily life.
While antidepressants can be helpful, they should not be viewed as a solution to depression. Medication is best thought of as one aspect of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes psychotherapy.
At AM HealthCare in California, we are here to help you find healing. We believe in designing a treatment plan that precisely suits your condition and your needs.
In severe cases, a person may need inpatient residential treatment for severe depression. This is especially important for clients with co-occurring disorders, such as substance abuse or addiction. AM Healthcare and our partners offer residential or inpatient services designed to help adult men, women, and first responders.
Our PHP programs are designed to help clients who no longer need the intensive care of inpatient or residential treatment but need more support than an IOP can provide. This gives intensive care while allowing clients to begin the process of re-integrating into daily life.
Offering optimal flexibility, our IOP program offers quality outpatient care while working with our clients’ schedules. Clients can fulfill responsibilities at work, school, and home while receiving supportive mental health care.
Clients near the end of their treatment journey transition into outpatient treatment, which is less intense compared to an IOP. Therapy sessions may only meet once a week for an hour or two at a time. Outpatient treatment is perfect in helping clients maintain mental health as they navigate daily life.
Virtual mental health services offer flexible mental health care for clients who are busy or may be unable to leave their homes due to an illness or disability. This flexible approach ensures that no matter what schedule or responsibilities you have, anyone can receive the care they need to recover from depression.
Depression is a condition that often drives people to seek relief through a maladaptive coping mechanism known as self-medication. As such, substance use and abuse are commonly present alongside depression. AM Healthcare and our partners are prepared to address co-occurring conditions with our dual diagnosis treatment program. This comprehensive approach encourages complete healing and has excellent long-term recovery outcomes.
AM Healthcare and our partners offer evidence-based treatment that consists of psychotherapies, medication management, and holistic modalities to address the unique needs of our clients.
The most common psychotherapy used in depression treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT helps clients identify and change harmful thought and behavioral patterns. Clients learn healthy coping skills that they can use to manage their depressive symptoms.
Commonly used for emotional regulation and to manage intense emotions, dialectical behavior therapy is used in depression treatment. By using mindfulness and acceptance strategies, clients can change their mindset to a more positive outlook on life.
AM Healthcare and our partners utilize both individual and group therapy. Individual therapy is a one-on-one session with a treatment provider, which provides a private space to be open and honest. When ready, clients participate in group therapy, which helps remind them that they aren’t alone in their struggles. Fellow peers share insights and experiences, which encourage mutual healing and support.
Depression may be the result of a traumatic experience that a client has lived through. As such, we offer therapies that are sensitive to those with trauma, including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) as needed.
Not everyone will need medication as part of depression treatment. However, medications like antidepressants can be useful to help manage symptoms until the underlying cause of an individual’s depression is addressed. Clients needing medication will include medication management as part of their treatment plan, which helps them safely take and manage their medication.
Including holistic modalities can improve overall wellness, boosting mental and physical health. The healthier the individual becomes, the better equipped they are to manage their depressive symptoms. Many depressive symptoms can be relieved through wellness education and lifestyle changes, and instill healthy habits that keep our clients feeling well.
Addressing co-occurring mental health conditions and challenges is important for long-term recovery. Depression can be the result of or be worsened by comorbid conditions. As such, AM Healthcare and our partners make dual diagnosis treatment a core part of our treatment philosophy.
Having one mental illness or disorder can be difficult. When two or more co-occur, they can compound and worsen overall health. You cannot simply treat one disorder over the other, as the co-occurring disorder will still cause pain, stress, and anguish.
The most effective form of mental health treatment is to treat co-occurring disorders at the same time with a comprehensive treatment plan. This allows each condition to be addressed simultaneously, offering more complete healing.
AM Healthcare and our partners focus on treating substance use disorder and addiction, as well as their co-occurring disorders. This is because depression and substance use commonly co-occur, with one causing or exacerbating the symptoms of the other. As such, we are prepared to treat those struggling with alcohol addiction, opioid addiction, and more.
Effective treatment for depression requires addressing any co-occurring mental health conditions. Common mental health conditions that co-occur alongside depression are trauma-related disorders, such as PTSD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorder.
Each client is assessed to identify these co-occurring disorders. A comprehensive treatment plan is then created that addresses these disorders simultaneously. As we utilize a full level of care approach to treatment, this can include detoxification services and post-treatment aftercare. Providing this approach to treatment gives the best treatment outcomes, as clients are given support for all of their mental health, not just their depression.
The goal of treatment at AM Healthcare is to promote overall wellness and recovery. This involves addressing the source of depression and offering the appropriate treatment. Without addressing this source, symptoms will return again and again, no matter how long a client remains in treatment. This approach ensures that clients heal from the inside out and have the skills to manage their mental health going forward.
It can be difficult for families to watch a loved one struggle and know how to help. That’s why AM Healthcare and our partners offer family therapy, intervention planning, and other support services for our clients’ loved ones. This helps improve communication, promotes family healing, and educates families on how best to support their loved ones in treatment and recovery.
Our AM Healthcare treatment facilities in Southern California are dedicated to providing a respectful, supportive, and compassionate healing environment for all of our clients. We curate judgement-free zones that take full advantage of what California has to offer in community and experiences. No matter what mental health challenge you are struggling with, we can help you find a facility that will set you on your recovery journey.
It’s normal to feel sad once in a while. What is not normal is for your sadness to be so pervasive that it prevents you from living your life. You should seek help if you or a loved one experiences depressive symptoms that last for at least two weeks, such as:
If you or a loved one is experiencing these symptoms, call or contact us today.
AM Healthcare and our partners offer inpatient/residential and various outpatient treatment options for depression. Detoxification may be used in conjunction with other treatment options if there is a substance use disorder or addiction present.
The length of time it will take for you or a loved one to complete depression treatment will depend on many factors, such as severity and whether you have a support network at home. Inpatient or residential treatment typically lasts 30 to 90 days, depending on the program, while outpatient treatment can last from months to years. It’s important to focus on healing at your own pace rather than rushing through treatment.
Yes, we treat depression along with co-occurring substance use and abuse as part of our dual diagnosis treatment program.
AM Healthcare sets itself apart by providing comprehensive depression treatment throughout Los Angeles, CA. Clients can easily transition or ‘step down’ to other levels of care with minimal stress or disruption. Along with our partners, we offer targeted care that helps adult men, women, and first responders find the behavioral health care they need for recovery.
AM Healthcare addresses the underlying causes of depression through targeted psychotherapy and collaboration with skilled psychiatrists. This allows us to address several factors that can contribute to depression, such as a brain chemistry imbalance, trauma, grief, chronic illness, and more.
Yes, part of providing comprehensive care includes addressing co-occurring mental health conditions. For example, depression commonly co-occurs with anxiety, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders. Addressing these conditions simultaneously leads to better treatment outcomes and lasting recovery.
AM Healthcare and our partners use several types of therapy for treating depression, which include various psychotherapies and holistic modalities. The most commonly used specifically in treating depression include trauma-informed CBT, DBT, EMDR, and medication management as needed.
Before therapy begins, there is an initial intake session to gather information about your mental health history and goals. This is then followed by therapy sessions that focus on discussing progress, addressing current issues, and developing coping strategies. Your clinician may use techniques like active listening, goal setting, and skill-building exercises, depending on your individual needs.
AM Healthcare and our partners utilize an extensive aftercare program that keeps alumni connected to ongoing support services. Through these programs, alumni gain consistent access to a community that not only understands their struggles but also actively exposes them to positive activities and companionship. This encourages our alumni to stay in recovery and consistently practice skills that encourage wellness.
AM Health Care accepts most major insurance providers’ PPO policies. The best way to find out whether your insurance will cover treatment at AM Health Care is to contact our team. If you’d like us to reach out about your insurance, use our verify insurance form.
