Depression Treatment Approaches
There are many ways to combat depression. depression treatment recommendations of the treatment options include:
Psychotherapy, sometimes called talk therapy, is a way to improve your skills and to find help. It can be carried out by yourself or in groups and can involve psychiatrists, social workers or counselor. The use of medication is another crucial aspect of treatment.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy which can alleviate the symptoms of depression and mental health disorders. It's based on the notion that emotions, thoughts and behaviors are connected. Negative or unhelpful beliefs or thoughts can cause anxiety and cause self-defeating behaviors. A therapist can help you recognize the negative patterns and learn new ways to respond in various situations.
A therapist will use interactive sessions of question and answer to discover the source of your emotional problems. They will urge you to pay attention to the times when you feel depressed or anxious and talk about those moments. Together, you'll discover negative patterns of thinking, deformed perceptions, or behaviors that contribute anxiety and depression.
Your therapist can also help you to develop and implement self-help techniques to help you tackle your concerns now. These strategies are sometimes referred to as "cognitive methods of reorganization" and include goal setting, journaling and mindfulness meditation. Your therapist might suggest that you practice new behavior and coping strategies in a controlled, secure environment to help you develop.
CBT has been proven to be effective in numerous outcomes studies for mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders, depression, and addiction issues. It can be performed as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with an psychiatric drug.
Cognitive behavioral therapy requires an openness to change and an commitment to the process. If you're interested in learning more about this therapy, talk to your doctor or find a therapist that is specialized in CBT. Check your health insurance policy to find out whether these services are covered. And if you need financial assistance, there are online resources to help people with limited incomes to access treatment for mental illness. Finding help when you need it is the first step towards recovery and living a healthier life.
Interpersonal Therapy
Developed by the late psychiatrist Gerald Klerman, IPT is another form of therapy that focuses on specific issues that contribute to depression. It is based on the idea that depression is a predisposition that can be triggered by changes in a person's social environment. It also suggests that the interpersonal challenges which trigger depression can be treated through dealing with the relationship issues that exacerbate symptoms.
In contrast to other modern psychotherapies which attempt to find the root causes of one's behavior, IPT doesn't focus on looking into the subconscious motives or past traumas. This treatment approach recognizes that those suffering from depression have a difficult time expressing and coping with emotions like anger and frustrated and can make relationships difficult for family members and friends, as well as partners.
The initial phase of IPT lasts up to three sessions and is focused on identifying the areas of interaction could be contributing to the depressive symptoms. Your therapist will ask you to look over your most significant relationships including past and present and classify them into four potential problem areas that include unresolved grief (often associated with the loss of loved ones), role transition, role dispute or interpersonal problems.
In the middle stage of IPT typically is between sessions four to 14 sessions, your therapist will employ specific strategies to deal with the challenge area that's being addressed, such as helping you deal with distorted or delayed grief after the loss of a loved one, or helping you in navigating difficult relationship transitions, validating and expressing your anger, or establishing more flexible ways of communicating with other people.
Your therapist will help identify the skills you've acquired during your treatment and that you can apply at home. They will also advise you to maintain contact with your therapist even after sessions, for example, through weekly phone calls or a monthly face-toface meeting to avoid repeat relapses and keep improving your skills. Therapists might also recommend maintenance sessions for people suffering from chronic or recurrent mental health issues, such as PTSD.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
DBT is a proven treatment method created by psychologist Marsha Linhan to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). The therapy focuses on helping people to manage their emotions, behavior and develop skills that will help them build healthy relationship and cope with distress. DBT is divided up into four stages. The first phase focuses on changing the way you react to situations like the way you react when you're sad or angry. The second phase helps you build a sense regulation, so you can manage your emotions better. The third stage assists you to learn to sustain your efforts at change and build a life that's worth living.
The fourth and final step teaches you how to apply the skills you acquired in therapy outside of your regular sessions. Your therapist could use coaching via phone homework assignments, homework, and other tools to help you learn and apply these techniques in your daily life. A therapist who is trained in DBT will help you understand that your negative thoughts and feelings aren't necessarily "wrong" and are valid due to the challenges you've experienced in life. They'll also help you learn to manage and combine seemingly contradictory strategies, including acceptance and changing.
Numerous studies have shown that DBT is effective for many disorders. One research study one study compared DBT standard to treatment that is standard for women suffering from BPD. It found that DBT patients had significantly less parasuicidal behaviors, suicide attempts and hospitalizations for psychiatric disorders, as well as parasuicidal behaviours than the control group. DBT was also associated with reduced trait anger and improved social functioning.
In addition to group and individual therapy sessions, DBT includes practice at home (e.g., by using a telephone coaching system and homework), regular meetings with a therapist who's proficient in DBT and also participation in the DBT consultation team. The team consists of therapists who regularly meet to discuss common clinical issues such as dealing with suicidal patients or helping them maintain engagement in therapy.
The team meeting is a time where therapists are urged to, even in tough situations, to be compassionate and nonjudgmental towards their patients. They are also urged and helped to avoid burnout, and are monitored for conformity with DBT procedures.
Medication
Many people suffering from depression find that taking medication can ease symptoms and aids in recovery. If you're considering taking antidepressants, consult your doctor to learn more about the different options available. Every body reacts in a different way to medications and it could take some time before you discover the best combination of drugs for you. Talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes such as better sleeping habits or exercising that can help you beat depression.
If your depression is not responding to treatment or medication, you may need to consult with a specialist such as a psychiatrist. They will review your medical history and treatment options, and conduct a an extensive medical exam. They will be able to test whether there are any medical conditions that may contribute to depression, like hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis. They can also utilize a tool called pharmacogenetic testing, which can predict the way your body reacts to certain medicines in relation to genetic markers. These tests aren't currently covered by insurance.
In some cases doctors may add a drug to an antidepressant in order to increase its effects. This is referred to as augment therapy. Medications like aripiprazole (Abilify) or the brexpiprazole (Rexulti) or quetiapine (Seroquel XR) are FDA-approved for this purpose. Certain doctors may prescribe ketamine, an anesthetic medication that provides quick relief for those suffering from treatment-resistant depression. This procedure is carried out in a hospital or in a clinic.
Talk therapy is a crucial component of treatment for depression. However, many people don't seek help because they believe that the condition will go away on its own or that therapy is not effective. Therapy can help you develop skills and insight to speed up recovery and stop depression from recurring.
Talk therapies are often used in combination with other treatment options, such as lifestyle changes. It's important to stick with your treatment plan and take part in all therapy sessions even if you're not feeling depressed. Do not skip your medication, either. If you stop taking your medication, your depression will likely come back and you may experience withdrawal-like symptoms.