Treating Depression:
The Options are Many
Treating depression and depression symptoms:
Be aware of the depression treatments that are available.
Treating depression with medication
There are many medications available for treating depression. These antidepressants are able to help in over eighty percent of cases. Antidepressants fall into four main categories, namely:
- Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MOAIs)
These are some of the first type of antidepressants made. MOAIs are used to control chemical imbalance by inhibiting the monoamine oxidase enzymes. - Tricyclics amines
This category of antidepressants came into increased use in the 1950s. They allow the nerve cells in the brain to get adequate amounts of serotonin and norepinephrine. - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI)
As the name indicates, SSRIs work on serotonin only. It reduces serotonin levels in the brain. Some SSRIs are: Zoloft and Prozac. - There are now some newer antidepressants that do not fall into any of the categories above, called 'atypical' antidepressants. These are:
- Wellbutrin
- Serzone
- Remeron
- Effexor, and
- Desyrel
Alternative depression treatment
- Psychotherapy
- Counseling
- Alternative medicine
- Self Help
- A combination of all or any two of the above
Psychotherapy
While counseling tends to be short-term, psychotherapy is long term. There are many different techniques of psychotherapy to treat depression. Some are: cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy and family therapy.
Counseling
There two aspects to counseling, talking therapies and straight counseling.
In "7 Steps to a Depression Free Life: A Self Help Guide", Nancy Miller states that "Talking therapies help people reach a deeper understanding of themselves..." This kind of treatment allows you to talk about the things that upset you or may have led to your depressive episode.
Counseling on the other hand provides a 'neutral' setting for you to discuss your problems without fear of anyone judging you.
Alternative Treatment options
Some of these include acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal remedies/supplements, light therapy, biofeedback and homeopathy.
Self Help
The first step towards helping yourself overcome depression is to evaluate your life and identify things that may be causing your depression. Once you have done this, take steps to eliminate these causes from your life where possible.
Other important steps in self help include:
- Improving your diet
- Stopping or seeking help to stop habits such as drug and alcohol abuse
- Exercise
- Getting adequate rest and sleep
- Developing a support system
It has been found that a combination of different methods work well together to treat depression. However the first line of treatment still remains medication.