Depression treatment
Treatment of depression varies broadly and is different for each individual. It is important to discuss all treatment options with your physician or psychiatrist to decide on the proper combinations. Each person has different levels of depression and a treatment plan should be customized to the individual.
Most treatments will involve a combination of drug therapy and natural remedies for a fully balanced physical and emotional state. Depression treatment is a combination of antidepressant medication and therapy. There are two primary modes of treatment, typically used in conjunction: medication and psychotherapy. A third treatment, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), may be used when chemical treatment fails. Serious or prolonged depression is often treated with anti-depressive medication. Medication used against depression generally increase the level of neurotransmitters like serotonin in the central nervous system, or they mimic the neurotransmitters.
The medications mostly used today increase the serotonin concentration by decreasing the removal of serotonin from the space around nerve cells. Examples of this medication type are: Fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), escitalopram (Lexapro, Celexa), sentraline (zoloft).
Psychotherapy is sometimes used by depression, usually in combination with medication. Psychotherapy is the treatment that employs talking as the primary function. During psychotherapy there is minimal usage of medicines. The most widely used therapeutic strategy is the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This therapy involves recognizing destructive patterns of thinking, then modifying or replacing these with more realistic or helpful ones. Interpersonal Therapy is a short-duration treatment for depression related disorders. Although not much research has been done on psychotherapy, therapists use it worldwide as the first step for treating depression and related troubles.
Sometimes serious depression is treated by applying electric shock through the head, electroconvulsive therapy. By seasonal depression, light therapy maybe useful.
Adjustment of lifestyle should always be considered by depression or depressive symptoms. Lifestyle measures can sometimes be enough to cure depressive symptoms before a serious depression develop. Lifestyle adjustments can be:
- To slow down a stressful life with too much work or activities.
- Enough rest and sleep.
- A good diet with enough of necessary nutrients.
- Some physical exercise.
- Meditation.
- Supplement of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, lecithin, amino acids and essential fatty acids.
- Stimulants like coffee or tea may help against depressive feelings in moderate amount.
If you know the symptoms of depression, you should also know some strategies for reducing the problem. Depression can be the result of many things, and it is necessary that you avoid those circumstances that upset you or make you feel depressed. Positive thinking always gets your brain going. Involve yourself into lots of singing and dancing activities that will signal that your brain is really happy.
Other alternative treatments used for depression include exercise and the use of vitamins, herbs, or other nutritional supplements. Alternate treatments such as acupuncture and hypnosis may be beneficial to help alleviate symptoms of depression and melds the body, mind and spirit.
The effectiveness of treatment often depends on factors such as the amount of optimism and hope the sufferer is able to maintain, the control s/he has over stressors, the severity of symptoms, the amount of time the sufferer has been depressed, the results of previous treatments, and the degree of support of family, friends, and significant others.
Write a comment