Depression Treatment Modalities
Psychological treatment, also known as talk therapy, is a powerful method to help people manage depression. It is essential to find a therapist whom you feel at ease.
Mental health professionals will evaluate your full medical history and the severity of your symptoms during sessions. They may conduct a physical examination and request lab tests.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a well-established treatment for anxiety and depression. It helps you change unhealthy or unhelpful ways of being, feeling, and thinking by combining the latest research from neuroscience and psychology with self-help techniques that are designed to provide immediate improvements to your overall quality of life.
CBT is a method of teaching people that their thoughts and feelings are interconnected, and that the way they see a situation may influence their response to it. This approach focuses on changing negative thoughts patterns, which are also known as cognitive distortions. They include all-or-nothing thoughts, catastrophizing and personalization (believing that a negative experience is your fault). CBT assists therapists and patients to come up with a variety of healthy coping strategies.
CBT is a short-term, goal-oriented therapy, unlike psychoanalysis, which works in reverse to discover the root cause of a problem. CBT was invented in the 1960s by psychiatrist Aaron Beck, and it integrates various schools of thought that include rational emotional behavior therapy (REBT) and the gestalt theory.
In CBT, the therapist spends an hour or so looking at past events, but the majority of the session is spent discussing current circumstances and emotions. A therapist will ask sensible, concrete questions to discover what's bothering you and will challenge any unfounded beliefs or ruminations that contribute to your distress.
A therapist might also ask you to keep a diary that can be helpful to break down negative reactions into specific categories, such as "cognitive distortions." The counselor will then assist you in coming up with more effective ways to handle these kinds of situations.
You will be taught a series of coping skills such as mindfulness, which is the awareness of the present moment without judgment. Your therapist will guide you how to apply these techniques under controlled conditions to help increase your confidence. In the end, your counselor will try to make you your own therapist by helping you comprehend your coping and thinking patterns, and providing you with the tools needed to change them.
The typical course of CBT usually lasts between five and 20 sessions but this could be different. Sessions can be conducted in person via phone, in person or on-line and can either be a group or individual therapy.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
Depression is often associated with issues with relationships for patients. This is the reason why interpersonal therapy (IPT) is among the most widely employed depression treatment techniques. Developed in innovative depression treatment by psychotherapists Gerald Klerman and Myrna Weissman, IPT uses a variety of interpersonal theories and research to treat mood symptoms by improving the quality of a patient's relationships. The approach focuses on the relationship challenges that precede and/or follow depression-related episodes.
The first step of IPT is to perform an inventory of the interpersonal relationship that helps the therapist understand the current situation of a patient's important relationships and how those relationships are changing. It is usually an interview with a format which asks the patient to describe the way in which their relationships are performing and what specific issues might hinder their growth.
During the middle phase of IPT, the therapist works to establish a positive therapeutic alliance and encourages emotional expression. They also work on addressing the interpersonal issues that are identified by helping patients find ways to deal with situations in their lives and reduce their stress. This involves role-playing, and encouraging the patient's evolving responses within the context of the sessions.
In addition to addressing these relational issues The therapist will also provide psychoeducation on depression. They will stress that depression is not the fault of the patient and is a medical issue. This will help eliminate feelings of shame and guilt that accompany depression and improve compliance.
Following the completion of IPT The therapist might provide maintenance sessions to avoid the possibility of relapse. They will review the nature of depression and talk about how to recognize when a person has recurrent issues.
Online IPT can also be beneficial for people who don't feel comfortable meeting with a therapist face-to-face. This type of therapy offers the same benefits as in-person therapy, and can be equally effective for those struggling with depression. It's also convenient, and it eliminates the need to commute in heavy traffic or deal with public transportation. If you're interested in online IPT make sure to talk to your therapist regarding your needs and preferences.
Medicines
In some cases, your clinician may recommend medication to ease depression symptoms. Depression medications are often used in combination with psychotherapy (sometimes called talk therapy or counseling). Numerous studies have proven that combining treatment is more effective than any approach by itself. Talk therapy can help you discover how to cope with stressful situations in your life, and understand the thought patterns that can trigger depression.
Medications used to treat depression include antidepressants as well as other medications that regulate mood. Antidepressants balance the chemicals in your brain which regulate emotions. They are typically prescribed to people with severe depression. Before prescribing antidepressants to patients, doctors will typically suggest other treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of therapy that involves talking.
The first-line medication for treating depression are monoamine oxide inhibitors (MAOIs). They block an enzyme process that boosts brain chemicals associated with mood such as serotonin and norepinephrine. MAOIs are sometimes also used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a condition that causes depression during the dark days of winter. Common MAOIs include the phenelzine (Nardil) and the tranylcypromine (Parnate) and isocarboxazid (Marplan).
Other medications that are used to combat depression include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which boost the amount of serotonin in your brain. Examples of SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft). Doctors also make use of the class of drugs known as SNRIs that are similar to SSRIs but have more specific targets within the brain. These SNRIs include desvenlafaxine, (Feminipe), and venlafaxine (Effexor).
Certain medications for depression can cause adverse negative side effects. It is important to follow the prescriptions of your doctor. If you don't show up for your sessions with a psychotherapist, or ignore your therapist's recommendations your symptoms could recur and you may become dangerously suicidal.
The process of bringing depression under control isn't easy and takes time. It is common for it to take several tries before you find the perfect combination of treatment works for you. If you are having difficulty finding the right treatment for your depression, get an opinion from a psychiatrist or psychiatric nursing practitioner. They specialize in treating mental illnesses and have access to research and knowledge about what treatments are most likely to be effective for you.
Medication Management
There is no cure for depression. However, combining medication with therapy remains the most effective treatment. Medication management requires working with an expert in mental health who can evaluate, diagnose and prescribe medications. The majority of these medications are antidepressants or antianxiety medications. These drugs can also be used for eating disorders, sleep disorders and other signs.
Medication can be helpful for people who are in a crisis in that it reduces their symptoms and enhancing their ability to participate in talk therapy. Talk therapy is a kind of psychotherapy that helps people discover new ways to cope and alter their negative thoughts patterns. It may include learning how to recognize the warning symptoms of a depression episode and developing problem-solving skills and practicing relaxation methods. It could also involve family or group therapy sessions, which can teach family members how to spot and respond to warning symptoms.
In addition to individual psychotherapy, other modalities to treat depression include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) as well as interpersonal therapy (IPT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR). CBT is an evidence-based practice that helps people identify and address the negative thoughts, behaviors and beliefs that cause depression. It can increase the effectiveness of other talk therapies, and make patients feel more in control of their lives.
IPT focuses primarily on relationships and interactions, with the belief that these can trigger or exacerbate depression. EMDR assists people suffering from nightmares, flashbacks, or traumatic memories. It can alleviate depression and anxiety that are due to a stressful event, such as trauma or a car crash.
Diet and exercise are also natural remedies that can be employed to combat depression. Implementing steps to simplify your life, getting enough sleep and restricting alcohol or other recreational drugs can help lower stress levels. Meditation and relaxation techniques can improve mood. Other natural remedies for depression are writing in a diary, searching for websites and books that offer suggestions and tips, and reading.