4 Components to Treating Depression
Effectively Treating Chronic and Severe Depression
We all have our down days and feel sad from time to time. There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad… It’s one of the basic emotions that make us all human.
However, there’s a big difference between feeling a bit blue or the temporary sadness we feel due to specific life events and chronic or severe depression.
An individual suffering from chronic or severe depression experiences depression for weeks, months, even years on end… People facing depression usually feel that they’ll never escape the shadow of their sadness.
Fortunately, with the right help and support, even the most severe depressions are treatable and you can learn to move forward again in life with confidence and optimism.
Exploring Your Treatment Options
If you believe you may be suffering from depression, the first thing you should do is schedule a thorough checkup with your primary care doctor.
Many of the signs and symptoms of depression can be caused by health issues (such as vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances, and infections) or the side effects of prescription medications. If your depression is the result of one of these issues, your symptoms aren’t going to get better until you address the underlying health problem.
Once your doctor has ruled out any physical causes of your depression, it’s time to start considering your treatment options…
Just as depression affects each individual differently, there aren’t any “one-size-fits-all” treatments for depression. A treatment technique that worked wonders for one person may not work for another at all.
Having said that, some of the more common forms of depression treatment are:
• Lifestyle Changes – For some people, lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly, eating right, getting enough sleep, spending more time with family and friends, and practicing stress reduction techniques are all they need to begin feeling better. Even if you require additional forms of treatment, lifestyle changes can go a long way towards keeping your depression in check.
• Medication – While prescription medications may be the most widely advertised treatment for depression, that doesn’t necessarily make them the most effective. Antidepressants may help relieve some of the symptoms you’re experiencing, but they won’t help you overcome the underlying causes of your depression. If you’re considering an antidepressant to help treat your depression, make every effort to acquire all the facts you can and don’t forget about the other treatment options available.
We all have our down days and feel sad from time to time. There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad… It’s one of the basic emotions that make us all human.
However, there’s a big difference between feeling a bit blue or the temporary sadness we feel due to specific life events and chronic or severe depression.
An individual suffering from chronic or severe depression experiences depression for weeks, months, even years on end… People facing depression usually feel that they’ll never escape the shadow of their sadness.
Fortunately, with the right help and support, even the most severe depressions are treatable and you can learn to move forward again in life with confidence and optimism.
Exploring Your Treatment Options
If you believe you may be suffering from depression, the first thing you should do is schedule a thorough checkup with your primary care doctor.
Many of the signs and symptoms of depression can be caused by health issues (such as vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances, and infections) or the side effects of prescription medications. If your depression is the result of one of these issues, your symptoms aren’t going to get better until you address the underlying health problem.
Once your doctor has ruled out any physical causes of your depression, it’s time to start considering your treatment options…
Just as depression affects each individual differently, there aren’t any “one-size-fits-all” treatments for depression. A treatment technique that worked wonders for one person may not work for another at all.
Having said that, some of the more common forms of depression treatment are:
• Lifestyle Changes – For some people, lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly, eating right, getting enough sleep, spending more time with family and friends, and practicing stress reduction techniques are all they need to begin feeling better. Even if you require additional forms of treatment, lifestyle changes can go a long way towards keeping your depression in check.
• Medication – While prescription medications may be the most widely advertised treatment for depression, that doesn’t necessarily make them the most effective. Antidepressants may help relieve some of the symptoms you’re experiencing, but they won’t help you overcome the underlying causes of your depression. If you’re considering an antidepressant to help treat your depression, make every effort to acquire all the facts you can and don’t forget about the other treatment options available.
• Counseling and Psychotherapy – Professional counseling and psychotherapy (also known as “talk” therapy) can be extremely effective at helping people cope with and overcome depression. In fact, research has indicated that counseling and therapy are just as effective as medications at treating depression in most people, and without the side effects. Depression counseling and therapy can help you learn the skills and tools you need to understand the triggers of your depression, relieve depression’s symptoms, and reframe your thoughts and behaviors to minimize and eliminate depression’s recurrence.
• Alternative Treatments – Alternative treatments for depression – such as vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies – are widely available and commonly considered by people suffering from depression. While some of these treatments appear promising, the efficacy of these treatments is still being researched and the jury is still out as to how well these remedies work. Should you decide to try alternative forms of treatment, be sure to inform your health care professionals so they can effectively coordinate your treatment.
Perhaps the most effective way to overcome your depression is to ask a lot of questions, become informed about your treatment options, consider a combination of approaches until you find the one or ones that are most effective, and work with your health care providers to tailor your treatments to your specific symptoms, needs, and concerns.
• Alternative Treatments – Alternative treatments for depression – such as vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies – are widely available and commonly considered by people suffering from depression. While some of these treatments appear promising, the efficacy of these treatments is still being researched and the jury is still out as to how well these remedies work. Should you decide to try alternative forms of treatment, be sure to inform your health care professionals so they can effectively coordinate your treatment.
Perhaps the most effective way to overcome your depression is to ask a lot of questions, become informed about your treatment options, consider a combination of approaches until you find the one or ones that are most effective, and work with your health care providers to tailor your treatments to your specific symptoms, needs, and concerns.
Finding the Treatment That’s Best for You
When evaluating your treatment options, remember to:
• Learn as much as you can about your depression – The more informed you are about the type of depression you’re experiencing and its symptoms, the better you’ll be able to evaluate your treatment options and work with your health providers to make you recovery as smooth as possible.
• Don’t rely solely on medications – Even though a variety of medications can be quite effective at relieving depression’s symptoms, they don’t treat the underlying causes of depression. Depression treatment has a lot to do with learning to live a life style that supports overall mental, emotional and physical health. Exercise, eating healthy, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep a day is essential the management of depression and symptoms. Other treatments, such as cognitive and behavioral therapy approaches are shown to be the most effective kinds of therapy.
• Be patient – It can take some time, as well as trial and error, to find the treatment that works best for you. And all depression treatments take some time to be effective. From time to time, treating your depression may seem overwhelming or frustrating slow. While you should always communicate your concerns with your health care providers, recovering from depression has its ups and downs just like everything else in life.
• Get support – Remember that asking your friends and family members for support and assistance is a sign of strength, not weakness. Your relationships can play a critical role in the speed and effectiveness of your recovery from depression.
As you now know, there are a variety of techniques to help you cope with and overcome depression.
While there aren’t any quick fixes for depression, if you’re willing to commit the time and energy necessary to see your treatment through, you should find yourself out from under the shadow of depression and on the road to a more joyous life sooner than you may think possible.
When evaluating your treatment options, remember to:
• Learn as much as you can about your depression – The more informed you are about the type of depression you’re experiencing and its symptoms, the better you’ll be able to evaluate your treatment options and work with your health providers to make you recovery as smooth as possible.
• Don’t rely solely on medications – Even though a variety of medications can be quite effective at relieving depression’s symptoms, they don’t treat the underlying causes of depression. Depression treatment has a lot to do with learning to live a life style that supports overall mental, emotional and physical health. Exercise, eating healthy, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep a day is essential the management of depression and symptoms. Other treatments, such as cognitive and behavioral therapy approaches are shown to be the most effective kinds of therapy.
• Be patient – It can take some time, as well as trial and error, to find the treatment that works best for you. And all depression treatments take some time to be effective. From time to time, treating your depression may seem overwhelming or frustrating slow. While you should always communicate your concerns with your health care providers, recovering from depression has its ups and downs just like everything else in life.
• Get support – Remember that asking your friends and family members for support and assistance is a sign of strength, not weakness. Your relationships can play a critical role in the speed and effectiveness of your recovery from depression.
As you now know, there are a variety of techniques to help you cope with and overcome depression.
While there aren’t any quick fixes for depression, if you’re willing to commit the time and energy necessary to see your treatment through, you should find yourself out from under the shadow of depression and on the road to a more joyous life sooner than you may think possible.