Treat depression from the comfort of home
Depression can disrupt your life, stealing your joy and motivation. Now you can get evidence-backed treatment for depression from the comfort and privacy of home with telemedicine care.
By Workit Health Content Team
Medically Reviewed by Thomas "Keith" Riddle, PA-C
Reviewed: August 11, 2022
Depression is treatable
More than 8% of American adults live with depression. Depression is an overwhelming feeling of sadness or loss of interest in day-to-day life that can make you feel hopeless. This mood disorder can have a major impact on quality of life. For some, it affects their appetite, sleeping patterns, ability to work, and relationships.
Depression is treatable. About 80-90% of people who face depression benefit from treatment and find long-term improvement in their mental health and quality of life.
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At Workit, our program combines safe, FDA-approved medications—when clinically appropriate—with science-backed therapy with outstanding results.
SSRIs
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the safest and most proven first-line of treatment against depression. They affect brain chemistry and work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. Many people begin to see a reduction of their symptoms within the first 2 months of treatment. SSRIs are not habit-forming, so they are a good option for many in addiction treatment.
SNRIs
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can be more effective for treating depression in some people. They affect brain chemistry by blocking the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. SNRIs can also sometimes be used to treat other conditions, such as anxiety disorders and chronic pain. Your Workit clinician will help you choose the best medication for you.
Atypical Antidepressants
“Atypical antidepressants” is an umbrella term used for medications that are approved to treat depression that don’t fit into other classes of antidepressants. Medications like bupropion, mirtazapine, nefazodone, trazodone, and vortioxetine work differently than SSRIs and SNRIs.
Asking for help is easier than ever
Asking for help for any health condition can be challenging. Depression can make it especially difficult to reach out for support.
Workit’s 100% virtual treatment means you can receive expert care from the privacy of your home. Our experienced clinicians understand depression.
Meet with your care team via private video appointments and receive your medications e-prescribed to your local pharmacy. Complete Workit courses that are grounded in evidence-based techniques proven to help you recover from depression.
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FAQs About Treating Depression
How is depression different from normal sadness?
Everyone feels sad occasionally, but that is different from a clinical diagnosis of depression. Depression is a mood disorder that can affect every part of your life. Your care team will use more rigorous diagnostic tools, but a general rule of thumb is that symptoms of depression must be present most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.
These symptoms include things like persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, emptiness, or pessimism; loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities; decreased energy or fatigue; difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions; changes in sleep patterns (trouble sleeping or sleeping much more); thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts; and other symptoms.
What causes depression?
There is no single answer that applies to everyone.
For some people, depression appears to be hereditary, running through generations of their family. Depression can also arise out of trauma, stress, grief, or difficult life circumstances. It can be a result of brain chemistry, when neurotransmitters aren’t produced or processed as expected. Depression can be created or made worse by alcohol or substance use, and by withdrawal from those same substances. Depression can also accompany some medical conditions and chronic pain.
Having depression is not a sign of weakness; it is a medical condition with many possible causes.
How does telehealth treatment for depression work?
Workit Health’s program for treating depression includes all of the components of effective treatment—all available via our app.
Our telehealth depression treatment includes
- virtual appointments with a licensed clinician
- medication management (when clinically appropriate)
- access to online recovery group meetings
- unlimited access to chat-based messaging with your Care Team
- a hand-picked therapeutic recovery curriculum
Can I drink while taking medication for depression?
Mixing alcohol and depression meds can make depression worse instead of better, and can put your health at risk. If you are considering drinking while taking anti-depressants, talk to your doctor first, and then follow their guidance.
With some medications, your doctor may okay moderate drinking. If you don’t know whether you’ll be able to abide by your doctor’s suggested limits, it’s safest not to drink at all.
If you have a dual diagnosis of alcohol use disorder and depression, make sure your doctor knows about both. It may affect which medication or therapy is most effective for your treatment.
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Dual diagnosis
Struggling with substance use as well as depression? We can help!
Depression Blog Content
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Our pages are medically reviewed and fact-checked by accredited medical professionals to ensure that all statements about medical conditions, symptoms, treatments, procedures and tests, standards of care, and typical protocols are accurate and reflect current guidelines as well as the latest research. However, please remember that the information on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace or substitute for any medical or other advice. Workit Health, Inc. and its affiliated professional entities make no representations or warranties and expressly disclaim any and all liability concerning any treatment, action by, or effect on any person following the general information offered or provided on this page. If you have specific concerns or a situation arises in which you require medical advice, you should consult with an appropriately trained and qualified medical services provider.
