Depression

While it’s common to feel sad from time to time, ongoing sadness could indicate that you are suffering from depression. Dr. Kleinman can diagnose your condition and offer treatment options for depression using highly effective, well-regarded methods. As a board-certified psychiatrist in her practice at Amanda S. Kleinman MD Ltd in Chicago at One Magnificent Mile, she can help you improve your quality of life and work towards experiencing true joy and contentment. Schedule an evaluation by phone or online today. 

What is depression?

Depression is a mental health condition that describes deep sadness or low feeling that’s beyond what is typical. Dr. Kleinman treats patients who have struggled with depression for a few months or many years. Some patients may seek care from Dr. Kleinman when they feel like they haven’t been able to sustain their success from past psychotherapies. Other patients may consult Dr. Kleinman when they feel their depression has not responded well enough to medication.  

What are the symptoms of depression?

Depression can be identified with the following symptoms:

• Social withdrawal
• Loss of interest in favorite things
• Ongoing sadness
• Extreme sadness
• Thoughts of suicide
• Substance misuse
• Weight loss or gain
• Problems sleeping
• Feeling hopeless or worthless 
• Anxiety

Your symptoms may be mild or severe. They may come and go or linger for months or years.

What may increase my risk of depression?

Depression does not have a clear cause, but certain factors that may increase your risk of developing it. These include:

• Family history of depression
• Ongoing or extreme stress
• Past trauma
• Relationship challenges
• Being bullied by family, friends, or coworkers
• Having no or few friends
• Lack of a strong social support network 
• Loss of a loved one
• Divorce
• Job loss
• Financial challenges
• Medical problems 
• Substance misuse

Ways to reduce your risk of depression include adopting healthy habits, developing personal interests outside of work, and having a strong support network in place. Dr. Kleinman has the training and experience to help you work on improving all these areas in your life, which will help reduce your chances for depression in the future.

How does my specialist diagnose depression?

Dr. Kleinman diagnoses depression after discussing your symptoms and mental health history. She asks about your lifestyle habits, medications, emotions, thoughts, behavior patterns, and any past treatments before customizing a depression treatment plan that’s best suited to your needs. 

How does my specialist treat depression?

Dr. Kleinman offers psychodynamic psychotherapy and transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) along with medication management to treat depression and the worrisome symptoms associated with it. Psychodynamic psychotherapy and TFP will help you address the depression by addressing the underlying forces that may be causing it. This includes exploring your sense of self and personal identity, considering your concept of how things in life should work, and examining your patterns of interacting with and relating to other people. 

Dr. Kleinman also provides medication management to help reduce symptoms when they become too difficult to manage on your own. Good candidates for TFP are those with numerous depression episodes over their lifetime, depression episodes with recurrent suicidal thoughts or behaviors, or limited improvement after trying other treatments. 

TFP may be a good option for people who have participated in numerous advanced care settings with only temporary improvement. 

Request a consultation with Dr. Kleinman by phone or submit an online request today to get evaluated and treated for depression.