Treatment Options Available for Depression

Being diagnosed with depression can throw your life off-balance; it can make you vulnerable to life’s idiosyncrasies, and can turn you into a social outcast. But, you need to hold your life by its collar and get better out of it. There are various treatments available for depression, while some patients are suggested psychotherapy, some others are prescribed antidepressants, and yet there are some people who are recommended both. Also, those patients who do not respond to standard depression treatment options are made to undergo electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also called electroshock therapy.

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Psychotherapy: Often referred to as the talking therapy, this is the most common and widely known treatment for depression. This is usually recommended to patients who suffer from mild and moderate forms of depression. Essentially, a licensed psychiatric practitioner tries to identify the behaviours,  emotions, and ideas that cause depression. This information is then used to take the patient away from the depressed state of mind, and is healed before the mental state deteriorates. This as you may have understood is the first line of action for depression treatment.

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Medicines : There are anti-depressants usually given to patients so that it balances the natural chemicals in the brain, which are called neurotransmitters; these affect your mood and emotional responses. These antidepressants work on neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The most popular types of antidepressants are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Here is a list:

• Fluoxetine (Prozac)
• Citalopram (Celexa)
• Sertraline (Zoloft)
• Paroxetine (Paxil)
• Escitalopram (Lexapro).

Other types are serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). These medicines should be taken as prescribed by the doctor.

Electroconvulsive Therapy: A rather debatable method of treatment, this therapy sends electric currents through the brain with the intention of a brief seizure. This method has now become more humane with the help of general anesthesia, unlike previously when this therapy was used without any anesthesia and was leaving patients with memory loss and fractured bones. The electroconvulsive therapy is usually a success when patients fail to respond in other methods. The therapy is usually given three times a week, for a total of up to three to four weeks.

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Alternative Treatment: Treatments such as, acupuncture, guided imagery, chiropractic treatments, yoga, hypnosis, biofeedback, aromatherapy, relaxation, herbal remedies, and massage are considered to be alternative treatments. These are often considered to be more effective than other traditional practices; however, while some such treatments have been accepted as a mode of modern health care system, others are yet to prove their might and safety.  

It is advisable to go for treatments as soon as possible in order to avoid any really serious mental illness.

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