Treatment for Depression

People who are suffering from depression often refrain from getting treated because of the social stigma that accompanies their condition. It’s an unfortunate thing, especially since a lot of progress could be made if only the person would only get some treatment. Luckily, however, society is starting to be more open-minded about depression and getting treatment for this disorder. The health sector is finally making progress in loosening the sclerotic beliefs of society about ‘depression as a weakness’ and society has finally become more accommodating for people who suffer from this disease.

As it is, the health sector has also advanced in the treatment for this condition, and many people’s lives are being vastly improved.

Here are the three most common treatments used for depression:

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is the first-line treatment against depression in most cases. This is often used in cases of mild or moderate depression. Psychotherapy is also called ‘talk therapy’. In psychotherapy, the doctor ‘talks’ with the patient, and this helps the patient deal with depression. It might seem pretty simple and some might be a bit doubtful as to how ‘talking’ could alleviate depression. However, psychotherapy has been proven again and again to be highly effective. It not only treats depression; it even helps prevent it from recurring or from coming back.

There are many different types of psychotherapy. But arguably the most common ones are cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy and interpersonal therapy. This three may also be used in conjunction with each other for a more effective treatment.

Their differences lie mainly on techniques for reframing negative thoughts and using some behavioral skills that will ward off depression. Usually, the doctor would try to seek out the root of the person’s depression so that the patient will understand why he or she feels that way. The person is then helped through the trauma that the particular event might have caused.

Psychotherapy is also aimed at helping the person find better ways of coping. It equips the person with better coping mechanisms that are problem-focused instead of emotion-focused.

It also helps them recognize triggers for depression, so they can consciously try to abate them when they come. This is also geared at helping the person analyze some of his illogical assumptions whenever something distressful occurs. In short, psychotherapists can help patients put things in their proper perspective. For instance, if someone is depressed because he thinks his co-workers do not like him, the psychotherapist will not only talk the him through his feelings; he will also help the patient determine whether his assumptions were right in the first place – in other words, whether he really has something to be depressed about.

Antidepressant Therapy

Often used in conjunction with psychotherapy is antidepressant therapy. According to researchers, people who exhibit the symptoms of depression usually have incorrect neurotransmitter levels in their brain; neurotransmitters are substances in the body that transmit electrical signals from one brain cell to another.

There are three neurotransmitters that affect a person’s mood; namely, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. If there is a disturbance in their functions, depression may occur. Antidepressant drugs work by correcting these imbalances to stabilize the person’s mood.

Several types of antidepressants have been created over the years. All of them can reduce the symptoms of depression but some may be more effective for specific types than others. These are the different kinds of antidepressants:

Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) - this type of antidepressant affects the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and serotonin. TCAs are highly effective. Unfortunately, they cause more side effects than the other types of antidepressants so the use of this drug is confined mostly for severe cases, especially cases wherein the depressed person is at great risk for suicide.

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) - this antidepressant class is used to treat people who do not respond to other treatment modalities. MAOIs are also used to treat mental illnesses. However, when taking this kind of drug, the patient must be very careful about following dietary restrictions. Some foods and beverages like cheese and wine commonly interact with this drug. And since depressed patients are prone to alcoholism and overeating, this type of drug is generally used only if there is no other alternative and if the patient can be monitored.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) - this type of antidepressant helps maintain serotonin levels in the brain. People who are depressed are said to have low levels of serotonin. Either there is a disorder in serotonin synthesis or in its transport. SSRIs work by inhibiting the reuptake or reabsorption of serotonin by the source neuron.

This is how the process usually works. A neuron releases serotonin into the junction between it and the next neuron; this junction is called the synaptic cleft or chemical synapse. The serotonin binds itself to receptors on the next neuron; signal is thus transmitted from the source neuron to the adjacent neuron. After they have done their work of transmitting brain signals from the first neuron to the next, the former neuron reabsorbs the serotonin from the synapse so that it can be reused for the next transmission.

SSRIs inhibit reabsorption of the serotonin. Serotonin therefore stays in the synapse and alleviates serotonin deficiency.

Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) - like SSRIs, SNRIs also work by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain. The difference is that SNRIs also affect norepinephrine and inhibits its reuptake, making the drug more effective and more applicable to a wider range of depressive disorders.

Doctors may also combine stimulants and anti-anxiety medications to help with the treatment. These drugs, however, will not be able to treat depression if they aren’t taken along with the antidepressants.

After the symptoms of depression have disappeared, the patient will still be advised to stay on antidepressant therapy. This is to prevent relapses, which are highly common in cases of depression. Over the next few weeks, if the patient constantly and consistently shows progress, he will be weaned off the medication until it is discontinued entirely.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy is a treatment that involves electrical induction of modified grand mal seizures. Indeed, when a person goes through ECT, he will look as if he is being electrified. In fact, a lot of people think this treatment is inhumane and dangerous. This is a gross misconception.

ECT is widely accepted by all mental institutions. It is used to treat cases of depression which are particularly severe. However, this type of treatment is mostly held off until the doctors are sure that the other treatment modalities, particularly antidepressant therapy, failed to work. In some cases though, like when suicide risk is markedly high, ECT becomes a first-line treatment. When a patient is known to have a history of depression and known to be unresponsive to antidepressants but responsive to ECT, he may also be given ECT as a first-line treatment.

Electroconvulsive therapy is highly effective and is perfectly safe. The risks that are involved in ECT therapy are mainly associated with misuse of equipment or negligence among the health care staff. This treatment has been in use since the early 1940’s, although why it works still remains a mystery.