Welcome to the Johnson Depression Center

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Major depressive disorder, often referred to as clinical depression, is a common illness that can affect anyone. It is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. Major depression is often disabling and prevents a person from functioning normally. It is the leading cause of disability for ages 18-44, is the primary reason why someone dies of suicide about every 12 minutes, and takes an economic toll of over $326 billion each year in the United States.

Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depressive disorder, is a common mood disorder in which people have periods of extreme mood swings that can range from manic highs to severe depression. About 314 million individuals—4% of the world’s current population—will suffer from bipolar disorder during their lifetimes. Overall, the suicide rate among those individuals living with bipolar illness is 20-30 times the rate of that in the general population, and the annual cost of bipolar disorder in the US is approximately $219 billion.

Anxiety disorders are the most common of emotional disorders and affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. Anxiety disorders last at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not treated. They commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses, including substance use disorders, which may mask anxiety symptoms or make them worse. 

Many people will experience difficult or traumatic events at some point during their lives. Traumatic events may be marked by a sense of a sense of horror, helplessness, and actual or threatened injury or death to self or others. It's relatively common to be impacted by traumatic events for a few weeks to a few months. However, sometimes traumatic events can have more lingering impacts that can take a toll on overall wellbeing, relationships, physical health, sleep, and employment. In some cases, people may experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Major Depressive Disorder.