When the new chapter feels hollow
Lots of people come to Tucson for a fresh start: retirement after decades of work, a job at the university, a move closer to family. The sunshine is real and so are the mountain views. But a fresh start can also strip away routines, coworkers, and the friends you used to see every week. Months later, some people find themselves sleeping late, skipping plans, and wondering why they feel so flat.
That flatness can be depression. It is common, it is a real medical illness, and it is very treatable at any age.
Recognizing depression
- A low, empty, or hopeless mood most of the day
- Losing interest in golf, hiking Sabino Canyon, church, or grandkids
- Changes in appetite or weight without trying
- Sleeping much more or much less than usual
- Feeling slowed down, or restless and unable to sit still
- Trouble thinking, remembering, or making decisions
- Thoughts of death or suicide
In older adults, depression can look like memory problems, aches, or irritability more than sadness. If you are concerned about a parent or partner, trust your instincts.
Summer can be the hard season
In much of the country people dread winter. In Tucson, many people feel worst in June, July, and August, when triple-digit heat keeps them inside for weeks at a time. Less sunlight on the skin, fewer walks, and fewer social plans can set off a seasonal slump. If your mood drops every summer, tell your provider. Planning early-morning outings and indoor activities can help, and so can timing a medication change before the hard months.
A careful, complete evaluation
Your provider will ask about mood, sleep, appetite, energy, and recent losses or changes. A short tool called the PHQ-9 helps us measure your symptoms and track progress. We also screen for bipolar disorder, since its treatment differs, and we review physical health issues that can cause depression, such as thyroid disease, low vitamin B12, chronic pain, or side effects from blood pressure and other medicines. A psychiatric evaluation is the starting point for many patients.
Medicines and how we use them
Common choices include SSRIs like sertraline and escitalopram, SNRIs like duloxetine, which can also ease nerve and joint pain, and bupropion, which tends to be energizing. Mirtazapine may help people who are not sleeping or eating well. Most antidepressants need four to eight weeks for their full effect. Your provider will start with a careful dose, especially if you are older or take several other medicines, and adjust as needed.
If the first medicine does not help enough, there are many next steps, such as a dose change, a switch, or an added medicine. Once you feel well, continuing treatment for several months makes it less likely that depression returns. Please talk to us before stopping, because stopping suddenly can cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
Grief, widowhood, and starting over
Losing a spouse after decades together is one of the hardest things a person can face, and it often comes on top of other changes, like moving to a smaller home or leaving a church community back east. Grief is not an illness, and it takes the time it takes. But when months pass and you still cannot eat, sleep, or find any reason to get up, depression may have joined the grief. Treatment does not erase love or memories. It helps you carry them while you keep living.
Questions to bring to your first visit
- Which medicines and supplements do you take, including over-the-counter sleep aids?
- When did the low mood start, and did anything change around that time?
- Has anyone in your family had depression, bipolar disorder, or alcohol problems?
- Have you tried an antidepressant before? What happened?
Writing these down ahead of time helps your provider move faster toward the right plan.
Students and young adults
UA students may struggle with depression during their first year away from home or under academic pressure. We see students 15 and older and keep a close eye on anyone under 25 who starts an antidepressant, because the FDA warns about possible new suicidal thoughts in that age group.
Genetic insight for tough cases
GeneSight testing uses a simple cheek swab to look at genes that influence how your body breaks down many antidepressants. For people who take several prescriptions or have had side effects before, it can help your provider choose more confidently.
Staying on track
Regular medication management visits let us adjust your plan as life changes. Our office is at 177 N Church Ave near downtown. If you are ever in crisis, call or text 988 or call 911. To begin, become a patient.
Why Choose Catalina Ridge Mental Health?
- Providers across the Tucson metro and all of Arizona who actually listen and take their time
- Now accepting new patients because waiting makes everything harder
- We accept most major insurance and Medicare — and work with you on costs
- A practice that treats you like a person, not a number