Depression

Discover three popular options for treating depression

Given that over 25 million men and women face depression every day, it's not surprising that many have tried antidepressants. That said, not everyone who has depression chooses these hard medicines by opting for safer alternatives such as counseling, light therapy, body and mind solutions (yoga, meditation) and / or remedies. herbal and homeopathic.

Pharmaceutical antidepressant solutions are used more often to treat severe depression than mild depression and come in different forms that fight all types of depression in slightly different ways. One of the most commonly prescribed types of prescription depression medications are the SSRIs, which stand for serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These types of drugs target the chemical serotonin in the brain, which is essential for maintaining a healthy mental state. Four commonly prescribed SSRIs are Paxil, Prozac, Luvox and Zoloft.

Another type of regularly prescribed antidepressant is MAOI, which stands for monoamine oxidase inhibitor. MAOs are generally intended for those whose symptoms are not typical or who have not responded to other treatments as expected. Most medical professions only use MAOIs as a secondary treatment option. MAOs work by blocking the action of a chemical in the nervous system called monoamine oxidase. Monoamine oxidase is the substance that breaks down chemical messengers in the brain, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, that play a key role in regulating mood. The idea is that reducing the amount of monoamine oxidase in the brain's chemical balance restores mood. Some MAOs are Nardil and Parnate.

Although prescription antidepressants like those listed above work well for some, they can also cause a number of undesirable side effects, including nausea, sexual disorders, headaches, and back pain. Stomach. MAOs also carry the really scary additional warning to trigger suicidal thoughts. This is a particularly disturbing symptom that appears to be more common in young patients.

Diets should also be carefully monitored by people taking MAOIs. Eating the wrong foods or drinking the wrong drinks can trigger dangerous reactions such as sudden blood pressure spikes and high heart rate. Examples of food and beverages to be avoided are chocolate, very ripe fruit, aged cheese, sauerkraut, beer and wine.

Many are disappointed with the side effects and dietary restrictions associated with antidepressants, opting for safer and more natural solutions instead. What may surprise you is that in some parts of the world, some natural remedies have had such good results that they actually outperform prescription drugs.

St. John's wort, for example, is very popular in Germany and surpasses many important antidepressants. This herb is believed to increase serotonin levels in the brain while limiting serotonin absorption, which naturally improves mood and reduces the feeling of depression.

While St. John's wort is perhaps the best-known natural solution to depression, there are other herbs that have long been associated with mood regulation and general wellbeing support. This list would include herbs like passion flower, kava kava, and ginkgo biloba.

Although there is no doubt that depression occurs at any age, it is important to treat the symptoms safely and effectively using natural means. However, it is always important to remember that depression is a disease. A very serious illness that usually requires the help of a healthcare professional. This is especially true when you start or end a treatment plan.

If, after weighing up all of the options, you have come to the conclusion that natural treatment for depression is right for you, keep in mind that natural solutions take time to work to achieve the expected results.

Treating Depression - Facts, Figures, and Solutions

Let's face it, regular bouts of depression are terrible. Life with depression is worse. Today over 130 million people will wake up depressed. Most will try to find out what they can do about it. Statically speaking, more than half of the people who need depression treatment will not seek help. A large study of depression in the United States found that only 37% of people with depression in the first year asked for help and that the average waiting time for treatment was eight years old.

The most common conventional methods of treating depression are the widely prescribed antidepressants called SSRIs, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which include recognizable names such as Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil and Celexa. The other names you may recognize are Wellbutrin, Serzone and Remeron. According to Dr. Jeffrey Wood must regularly take the above and similar antidepressants for six to eight weeks before the benefits are recognized, and all drugs in this category produce a wide range of drugs' potentially serious side effects.

Because of the risks associated with treating depression with antidepressants, many people will choose to discontinue these drugs in favor of psychotherapy as an alternative. What might surprise most people is that research seems to suggest that psychotherapy is as effective as antidepressants without the risk of side effects. In addition, many natural, health-conscious people have found that the combination of psychotherapy in combination with homeopathic or herbal anti-depression remedies is an effective blow to effectively treat depression.

The psychotherapies often proposed for depression are cognitive behavior therapy, behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, short psychodynamic therapy, couple therapy and family therapy. There are others too, so be sure to ask your doctor about other options.

Although I generally believe in therapists, it is difficult for a layperson to understand how very extreme methods of treating depression such as electroshock therapy can be useful. My brother was electrocuted and for me it caused irreversible damage to both his personality and his way of seeing the world. My bottom line is that when you think about electroshock (ECT), think long and get more than a professional opinion before you think about this extreme therapy.

Others have found relief with alternative treatments. For example, many who suffer from depression known as seasonal mood disorder have found help with a form of treatment known as light therapy (daily sun exposure or special sun lamps). ).

Homeopathic or herbal depressants appear to be quite effective and can be used in combination with many other alternative treatments.

Practice can also lead to good results. A study of 156 adults over 50 years of age compared the use of antidepressants with participation in an exercise program. At the end of the study, both treatments showed equally good results. Perhaps the part of the study that interested me the most was that volunteers in the exercise group were less likely to fall into depression ten months after the end of the study, especially if they did so, continued their exercise program.

In summary, it can be said that there are no easy answers to treating depression without making treatment child's play. When you feel depressed, talking about your concerns with close friends and family is an important part of recovery. If you are older and need a geriatric psychiatrist to help you overcome your depression, contact the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry at (301) 654-7850.