Treatment for Depression

by: James Pendergraft

Depression is commonly known as a major depressive mental disorder. This has a recognized clinical condition characterized by an all-encompassing low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. There are commonly three treatments for depression, and these include psychotherapy, medication, and electroconvulsive therapy.

Psychotherapy

This treatment is an intentional interpersonal relationship therapy used by trained experts to help their clients with their problems. It primarily aims to increase the sense of well-being of an individual and reduce their sense of discomfort. The doctors use a wide array of techniques based on experiential relationship building like dialogues, communication change, and behavioral changes of the patient. They improve the mental health of the clients. This may be performed by practitioners like psychologists, marriage therapists, licensed social workers, counselors, and psychiatric nurses.

Psychotherapy helps people overcome the overwhelming feeling and makes depressed people more focused. This can help depressed people identify the reason for their depression and make changes on the problematic aspects of these people like in relationships and the way that they handle problems.

Medication

Medication is probably the most advertised treatment for depression, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is also the most effective because depression is not just a medical and chemical imbalance in the brain. Medication may help relieve some of the symptoms of depression, but it does not provide a cure to the problem; it is not a long-term solution.

Some medications like antidepressants can come with many side effects and safety concerns such that when people withdraw from using them, a difficulty would soon arise. Medications are not at all unpleasant for a depressed person; they can also help for a speedy recovery and they can prevent possible recurrence.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

This treatment is used as the last resort when treating people with depression problems especially if they have not been respondent to any trials of antidepressant medications and any supported intervention like psychotherapy. Seizures are introduced to patients for a therapeutic effect in this type of treatment. Its effects are quicker, and it can be effective as a short-term treatment. It has side effects too like temporary memory loss, headaches, and disoriented movements of the patients. Through this treatment, it is also possible for patients to have a relapse.

Exploring the Options

Before venturing into any treatment, affected people must first learn what their options are. There are some treatments that work best for some people, while for others the treatment may seem to have no effect. Become informed first with the depression and explore the possible treatments that can be done with it.

1) Learn about the depression. Determine if the symptoms are due to medical concerns. If it is, you can treat it medically, but if it does not turn out as predicted, you can explore the other treatments for depression.
2) Take time to find the right treatment.
3) Don’t rely on medications alone.
4) Get social support.
5) Remember that treatment takes time and commitment.