Depression Treatment: What Are The Options For Effective Depression Treatment

 Depression treatment and its effectiveness, as with most things in life, really depends on the individual. Having said that, it is widely believed in the medical industry that the best treatment for depression involves psychological treatment and medication.

Depression Treatment

Whatever the cause of depression, both psychological treatment and medications help relieve the main symptoms. It is best if a person with depression works closely with their physician or mental health professional, which is right for them. Some people counter well to psychological treatments, while others respond greater to medications. While some people may only require psychological, "talking" treatment, others (me included!) Require BOTH psychological treatment and medication.

A Word of Caution: I am not saying that every person who has depression should take medicine. For now what I would like to share with you, are my experiences with depression medicine, which I have used to treat my depression.

Before we get into the effects of depression medicine, I think it would be helpful to outline what drugs are used to treat depression.

Medications Used To Depression Treatment:

The most general or usual medications to treat someone with depression are anti-depressants.

So what are anti depressants?

They are drugs designed to reduce or relieve the effects of depression.

Types of Anti Depressants:

Several types of anti-depressants are available. Each type, family or class has its own way of helping with depression. Within the classes, each drug is slightly different. Side-effects and warnings are common for each class of antidepressants, and many different medications have additional side-effects or warnings.

Let's take a look at each family of anti-depressants that most people have heard of.

SSRIs:

SSRIs stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These drugs prevent the neurotransmitter serotonin from being reabsorbed by the nerve cells that release it, forcing serotonin to function actively.

SSRI consists of:

• Fluoxetine.

• Sertraline - This is what I manage for my depression.

SNRI and SSNRI:

These two words are essentially synonyms.

SNRI stands for serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, while SSNRI stands for selective serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, but there is really no appreciable difference. Both duloxetine and venlafaxine belong to SNRI. I was on venlafaxine for 3 years before I stopped working for myself.

There are other classes or families of anti-depressants, but the above 2 are the ones I used, and I don't want this article to be too technical!

Unfortunately, when it comes to anti-depressants, one size does not fit all! It is only through trial and error by trying anti-depressants as indicated by your doctor or psychiatrist, until you find one that works for you. Furthermore, it is trial and error with the dosage amount. Every time I was put on an anti-depressant, my psychiatrist started with a lower dose and increased it over time.

As with all prescribed medicines, there are potential side effects. I was lucky with both venlafaxine and sertraline that the only side effect I had with each anti-depressant was a headache and mild nausea. These side effects lasted only a few days, so the big positive benefit I got was a small price to pay for it.

It is important to note that a doctor or psychiatrist should monitor a person's anti-depressant medication to see if it is still working and if the dose is correct.

How Anti Depressants Work:

Anti-depressant drugs help reduce the symptoms of depression.

These symptoms of depression include:

1. Feeling extremely sad for no particular reason.

2. Loss of interest or pleasure in the things you usually enjoy.

3. Too little or too little gold.

4. Vain feelings or excessive guilt or anxiety.

5. Difficulty in thinking, decision making or concentration.

People with depression often have imbalances in certain natural chemicals in the brain. Therefore, anti-depressant drugs help the brain to restore its normal chemical balance and thus reduce symptoms.

I am often asked the question, "How long do they take to work?"

For me, it took 2 to 3 weeks to do anti-depressant work. But my research indicates that it may take up to six weeks after the first dose of the drug to have an anti-depressant effect. For some people it may take eight weeks or a little longer to feel better, and the maximum benefit is realized after six months.

Antidepressant medication is usually very effective. About 70% of people with major depression start feeling better with the first type of anti-depressant they are prescribed.

Before I started taking anti-depressants, my depression got worse. Even though I was using "taking therapy", my depression symptoms did not progress much. My "break-through" from my depression occurred only once when I started taking anti-depressants.

Psychological Treatment:

Psychological treatments used by psychologists and psychiatrists are very effective in helping a person recover from treatment and even depression. I would like to say that my psychological treatment has been important in treating my depression to the extent that I am now leading a very happy and joyful life.

What are Psychological Treatments?

One of the most effective psychological therapies is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

• CBT is a structured program that believes that affects people's way of thinking.

• CBT teaches people to think and believe sensibly and intelligently about common difficulties, helping a person to swap their perception patterns and the way they react to definite situations.

• I like to think of CBT as "my thoughts affect my feelings."

When people are depressed, they may think negatively about:

1. To yourself e.g. "I am a failure.", "No one will remember me if I died."

2. The world e.g. "The world is a cruel and scary place."

3. Their future e.g. "I have nothing to live for and my life will not get any fine and stronger."

Negative thinking interferes with recovery and makes the person more susceptible to depression in the future. It is important to identify unexpected ideas and replace them with more rational and realistic ideas.

This is why I find CBT so powerful because it provides me with the tools I need to challenge my negative thoughts.

Another psychological treatment is interpersonal therapy (IPT).

IPT is used when a person with depression is easily disturbed by other people's comments. They may feel criticized when no criticism was intended. So what does IPT do, is it helps people find different ways with others.

And then there is family therapy.

Family medicine helps family members and close friends learn about depression and recognize that it is a real medical illness that can be treated. Family and close friends of a depressed person need to know more about the disease as their support and understanding is very important.

Concluding Thoughts:

Individuals who are depressed may need the help of an antidepressant to treat their depression, and they should consult their doctor. The earlier that depression is treated, the more likely it is to recover quickly. If a person who works the first anti-depressant does not work, then they should not be discouraged because they can try another one, which can really make a difference in helping with their depression.

Once a person starts taking anti-depressants, their mood should be monitored by a doctor or psychiatrist. In addition to anti-depressants, I highly recommend that a person who has depression see a psychologist or psychiatrist for CBT. This 2 approach has worked very well for me for the last 20 years and I will continue with both anti-depressants and CBT to ensure that I maintain a great quality of life today.

Depression Treatment is available to help and assist a person who has depression. Never give up at all! Depression is not a part of you, it is only a part of you that can be treated.