Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act.^[1] The causes of depression are complex in nature. Depression can be caused by one or any combination of the following:

• Faulty mood regulation
• Genetic predisposition
• Stressful or traumatic events
• Substance abuse

Symptoms 

• Sadness
• Anxiousness
• Sense of Emptiness
• Loss of Hope
• Guilt
• Irritability
• Lack of Motivation

Treatment for depression varies from person to person. At Awakenings KC, we offer the following services to treat depression:

• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
• Psychotherapy
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
• Antidepressant Management
• Intensive Outpatient Therapy Groups (IOP)

Anxiety disorders include disorders that share features of excessive fear and anxiety. Fear is a natural response to a real immediate threat, while anxiety is a natural response to the anticipation of future threats. Fear and anxiety are natural survival instincts that everyone has, but culminate into anxiety disorder when fear and anxiety become excessive. Anxiety disorders paralyze us from making decisions in our everyday lives. Anxiety disorders cannot be diagnosed when substances such as stimulants are in use. Side effects of the stimulants could be the cause of anxiety, so proper diagnosis requires a period of sobriety.

Causes include:

• Genetics
• Stress from work, social settings, financials, trauma, etc.
• Existential panic
• Substance Abuse
• Excess Caffeine Use
• Lack of Sleep
• Poor Diet
• Lack of Exercise
• High heart rate

Symptoms

• Panic Attacks
• Muscle tension
• Irritability
• Racing thoughts
• High heart rate
• Insomnia
• Detachment from reality
• Concentration problems
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath

Treatment for Anxiety Disorder

• Psychotherapy (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
• Medication management
• Improve diet and exercise
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 
• Intensive Outpatient Program Groups (IOP)
  • Coping skills
  • Meditation
  • Stretching techniques
  • Group therapy with licensed therapist

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD is a psychological disorder that occurs when a person has experienced or witnessed traumatic events. It is natural to feel afraid or anxious after a traumatic event as they are natural survival traits. However, PTSD occurs when the fear and anxiety become extreme for an extended period of time. PTSD then consumes the person’s life and interferes with relationships, work, relaxation, etc. Not all traumatic experiences have to be physically dangerous to induce PTSD such as car accidents or assault. PTSD can occur when a person unexpectedly loses a love one or experiences catastrophic events.

Symptoms

• Panic attacks
• Flashbacks or reliving the trauma over and over
• Racing heartbeat and sweating
• Bad dreams and difficulty speaking
• Terrifying and crippling thoughts
• Easily startled and always on edge
• Loss of interest and distorted feelings of guilt

Treatment for those affected by PTSD differs from person to person based on experiences from different events. A combination of the following can be used to treat PTSD:

• Psychotherapy
  • Intensive Outpatient Program Group therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Medication Management
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be understood by defining the words obsessive and compulsive. Obsessive refers to reoccurring and persistent thoughts or urges might be unwanted or intrusive. Compulsive refers to repetitive behaviors or thoughts that a person experiences in response to an obsession or to rules that the person believes need to be applied rigidly. The symptoms of OCD are common in many people, but OCD does not occur until these symptoms and behaviors become intrusive in a person’s professional and personal life.

Symptoms

• Fear of contamination
• Aggressive behavior towards others or self
• Excessive cleaning
• Constantly ordering and arranging objects in a detailed, precise manner

Treatments

• Medication Management
  • Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SRIs)
  • Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
• Psychotherapy
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Intensive Outpatient Program Groups

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is a brain disorder that causes patterns of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity and interferes with functioning and/or development. There are no certain causes for ADHD, but scientists suggest factors such as genes, low birth weight, brain injuries, etc. can lead to ADHD.

Symptoms

• Failure to give attention to detail
• Difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or activities
• Zones out easily when spoken to
• Often easily distracted
• Lack of patience

Treatments

• Medication Management
  • Amphetamines
  • Methylphenidate
• Psychotherapy
  • Behavioral
  • Family
• Education and Training