Considering Treatment for Depression?
Treating Depression
Are you depressed? You can get treatment that works. Everyone with depression is in a different situation and there are many things you can do to talk with your psychologist about when you are depressed. A treatment regimine should include talking - yes talking - and possibly medication to help treat the depression. Please understand that medications alone arenot enough and it takes work to overcome depression. You have to work at finding a cure to your own depression - it takes time and energy on your part to commit to getting out of the depressed state. If you have been prescribed a medication it will require (sometimes) a bit of trial and error to get the medication dosages right.
Medications for Depression
There are many possibilities for medications and depression. An antidepressant is the most common form of treatment and it works by altering how you feel (mood) by changing chemical states in your brain. Sometimes a physician may prescribe more than one drug at a time (augmentation) in an attempt to get the full benefits of multiple drugs to help fight your depression.
Many physicians will begin by prescribing an SSRI (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). The side effects of these medications are generally low while their effectiveness is generally high. SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro).
There are also SNRIs that inhibit serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, NDRIs that inhibit norepinephrine and dopamine, and tetracyclic antidepressants.
If none of these medications is effective after awhile, your doctor might move on to another class of antidepressants called tricyclic antidepressants. These TCAs tend to have harsher side effects.
Finally, MAOIs, or monoamine oxidase inhibitors, are often prescribed as a last resort. These drugs can have serious side effects and require dietary restrictions because of rare but potentially fatal interactions with certain foods.
In addition to antidepressant medications, your doctor or therapist has a whole arsenal of other types of drugs to treat depression including stimulants, mood-stabilizing medications, anti-anxiety medications, and antipsychotic medications.
All antidepressant medications can cause unwanted side effects but not everyone will experience the same amount or intensity of side effects. Some are so mild you will not need to stop taking the antidepressant and many will go away or lessen within several weeks. Never stop taking an antidepressant without consulting your health professional first. Some antidepressants can cause withdrawal-like symptoms unless you slowly taper off your dose.
Children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 24 are more likely than any other age group to experience an increase in suicidal thoughts or suicidal behavior when taking antidepressants. It is important that young people in particular be closely monitored while taking these medications.
Talk Therapy as a form of Depression Treatment
Everyone has heard of talk therapy - sitting on the couch (or laying down) talking about your feelings and internal isssues. When treating depression talk therapy can greatly help you in dealing with your issues. Working with a psychologist can help you identify things that can trigger your depression and let you learn how to deal with the stressors in your life. If you are going through a major life issue talking with someone (especially someone you do not know) can help you work with someone that is neutral to the situation and can provide real feedback.
When Therapy and Medication Are Not Enough for Treating Depression
In some cases, depression may become so severe that a person will require hospitalization or a residential treatment program. Psychiatric hospitalization options include 24-hour inpatient care, partial or day hospitalization, or residential treatment, which offers a structured, supportive environment to get well.
References:
depression-treatment.com
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