Depression

Depression affects nearly 10% of the United States population and can turn your life upside down.  At the California Center for Psychedelic Therapy in the Larchmont Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, our founders Cole Marta, MD, and Brooke Balliett, LMFT and our team of highly trained and experienced mental health providers offer innovative treatments for depression to boost your mood and rediscover life. Schedule an intial evaluation at the California Center for Psychedelic Therapy by submitting an online request today. 

What is depression?

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions that affects many adults, teenagers, and children. It’s characterized by severe sadness and low mood that impacts your life in a negative way.  Fortunately, treating depression can transform your life, increasing motivation and renewing hope. See a mental health specialist at the first sign of depression to reduce the negative impact on your life. 

What are the common symptoms of depression?

Examples of symptoms linked to depression include:

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Weight gain or loss
• Appetite changes
• Extreme sadness
• Ongoing sad feelings
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Socially withdrawing from friends and family
• Feeling helpless, worthless, or hopeless
• Shame or guilt
• Mood swings
• Substance misuse
• Thoughts of suicide
• Difficulty concentrating
• Problems sleeping

You might also have physical aches and pains, a lack of motivation, and problems with interpersonal relationships or your career.

What increases the risk of depression?

Depression can appear because of:

• Financial challenges
• Substance misuse
• Lack of a strong social support network
• Genetics
• Job loss
• Divorce or breakup
• Loss of a loved one
• Ongoing or extreme stress
• Anxiety or other mental health disorders
• Traumatic stress

If you have a blood relative with depression or another mental health condition, your risk of developing one yourself is higher. The cause of depression isn’t always known. 

How is depression diagnosed?

The California Center for Psychedelic Therapy team diagnoses depression by completing a comprehensive psychiatric and psychological evaluation at your first appointment. We discuss your moods, emotions, behaviors, lifestyle, treatment preferences, medications, and previous treatments. Your psychotherapist and/or psychiatrist then customizes a depression treatment plan that’s most appropriate for your unique situation.

How is depression treated?

The California Center for Psychedelic Therapy offers the following treatments for depression:

• Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
• Psychotherapy
• Medication Management
• Psychedelic Integration Therapy

The psychiatric and mental health teams collaborate with you to reduce your symptoms of depression. Even when other treatments haven’t helped, psychedelic-assisted therapy can offer long-lasting symptom relief.

Some treatments for depression, such as psilocybin therapy, are not yet available outside of clinical trials, but the clinicians at California Center for Psychedelic Therapy have extensive experience conducting trials with new treatments like MDMA-Assisted Therapy and Psilocybin Therapy.  

You can meet with your therapist weekly or as needed for psychotherapy and medication management. It’s also important to eat nutritious foods, exercise often, get plenty of sleep, minimize stress, and maintain a healthy social support network.  Even with all of these pieces in place, sometimes professional help can help you gain insight and learn new behaviors that help you not only live, but heal and thrive. 

Schedule a depression evaluation at the California Center for Psychedelic Therapy by submitting an online request today.