Suffering from depression feels like a never-ending battle with sadness and despair. But once your doctor gives you a diagnosis, you can begin working together on a solution to the issue. Together, you can come up with an answer that will free you from the chains of hopelessness that have been dragging you down for so long.
Depression Treatment Options
There are several treatment options or combinations of options that your doctor may recommend depending on the type of depression you have. Most commonly, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant or a mood stabilizer as part of your treatment. This may be used on its own or combined with talk therapy with a mental health professional. In certain rare cases, a patient doesn’t respond well to antidepressants and may require electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock therapy.
Types of Antidepressants
There are many great antidepressants and mood stabilizers on the market today that are very effective in treating depression. Most of these drugs work by either changing the amount of three neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine) that are available in the brain or by changing the sensitivity of the receptors that react to these neurotransmitters. Other drugs work on other parts of the brain to elevate mood or affect other brain functions that have been shown to alleviate depression symptoms.
· Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) – change the levels of norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain.
· Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) – changes the levels of all three neurotransmitters in the brain.
· Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – these drugs work by changing how sensitive the serotonin receptors in the brain are.
· Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) – these drugs change both the serotonin and norepinephrine receptors.
· Lithium – elevates and levels out mood, but can be toxic in large doses so must be carefully monitored by your doctor.
· Antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, stimulants – also used to treat cases of depression that don’t respond to other medications or are coupled with other conditions such as ADHD or hallucinations.
Benefits of Psychotherapy
In most cases, your doctor will recommend that you see a psychologist or psychiatrist for professional psychotherapy treatment. This is extremely helpful in treating depression and whether or not you are also treated with antidepressants or electroconvulsive therapy, you will probably find that psychotherapy is very rewarding and can really make a difference in how you feel and how fast your depression symptoms dissipate. The purpose of this type of talk therapy treatment is to help you treat the emotional component of your depression and learn new methods of handling the activities of everyday life. The stimuli and input of the external world can be stressful and a trained mental health professional can give you insights into how and why your depression exists and what you can do to regain a sense of balance and joy in your life. Coupled with your other treatment methods, this treatment can really be a wonderful way to regain a higher level of happiness and security. Such peace and calm can be a remarkable gift after the gloom and darkness of depression.
Depression is a serious illness that millions of people suffer from year after year, but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence. If you think you might be one of these millions of sufferers, see your doctor and get diagnosed. Then work with your doctor to find the best treatment for you. Be patient and don’t give up hope. It may take some time to find the right antidepressant drug for your body and your symptoms, but have faith, because you will find the right one for you. And don’t forget the value of psychotherapy as a treatment. You will get great results from the time and effort you put into it. With commitment to treatment and hope in the future, you will find that there is light at the end of the tunnel and depression is something you can beat. Get help today!
Depression Treatment Options
There are several treatment options or combinations of options that your doctor may recommend depending on the type of depression you have. Most commonly, your doctor may prescribe an antidepressant or a mood stabilizer as part of your treatment. This may be used on its own or combined with talk therapy with a mental health professional. In certain rare cases, a patient doesn’t respond well to antidepressants and may require electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock therapy.
Types of Antidepressants
There are many great antidepressants and mood stabilizers on the market today that are very effective in treating depression. Most of these drugs work by either changing the amount of three neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine) that are available in the brain or by changing the sensitivity of the receptors that react to these neurotransmitters. Other drugs work on other parts of the brain to elevate mood or affect other brain functions that have been shown to alleviate depression symptoms.
· Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) – change the levels of norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain.
· Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) – changes the levels of all three neurotransmitters in the brain.
· Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – these drugs work by changing how sensitive the serotonin receptors in the brain are.
· Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) – these drugs change both the serotonin and norepinephrine receptors.
· Lithium – elevates and levels out mood, but can be toxic in large doses so must be carefully monitored by your doctor.
· Antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, stimulants – also used to treat cases of depression that don’t respond to other medications or are coupled with other conditions such as ADHD or hallucinations.
Benefits of Psychotherapy
In most cases, your doctor will recommend that you see a psychologist or psychiatrist for professional psychotherapy treatment. This is extremely helpful in treating depression and whether or not you are also treated with antidepressants or electroconvulsive therapy, you will probably find that psychotherapy is very rewarding and can really make a difference in how you feel and how fast your depression symptoms dissipate. The purpose of this type of talk therapy treatment is to help you treat the emotional component of your depression and learn new methods of handling the activities of everyday life. The stimuli and input of the external world can be stressful and a trained mental health professional can give you insights into how and why your depression exists and what you can do to regain a sense of balance and joy in your life. Coupled with your other treatment methods, this treatment can really be a wonderful way to regain a higher level of happiness and security. Such peace and calm can be a remarkable gift after the gloom and darkness of depression.
Depression is a serious illness that millions of people suffer from year after year, but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence. If you think you might be one of these millions of sufferers, see your doctor and get diagnosed. Then work with your doctor to find the best treatment for you. Be patient and don’t give up hope. It may take some time to find the right antidepressant drug for your body and your symptoms, but have faith, because you will find the right one for you. And don’t forget the value of psychotherapy as a treatment. You will get great results from the time and effort you put into it. With commitment to treatment and hope in the future, you will find that there is light at the end of the tunnel and depression is something you can beat. Get help today!
