How To Get Help For Depression – Psychotherapy, a common treatment for depression, involves identifying negative or distorted beliefs and behaviors and replacing them with constructive ones. Shutterstock
Depression is a serious mental health condition that causes real pain for both individuals and their loved ones.
Table of Contents
- How To Get Help For Depression
- Tips To Help Your Partner Through Depression — Ember Relationship Psychology
- Why Does Depression Make It Hard To Shower?
- Activities That Can Help You Deal With Depression
- Helping Someone With Depression
- Seasonal Affective Disorder — Lincoln County Health Department
- Ways To Ask For Help When Depressed
- Adjustment Disorders: What They Are, Symptoms & Treatment
- Self Help Strategies For Depression
- Infographic 7 Natural Ways To Deal With Depression »
- Things To Know About Depression And Older Adults
- Identify Depression Symptoms And Warning Signs
How To Get Help For Depression
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States, affecting at least 21 million adults (about 8.3 percent of the adult population), as well as nearly four million adolescents. . 12 and 17. (NIMH). According to the NIMH, for the majority of these men and women, and an even greater proportion of these teenagers, depression causes severe impairment.
Tips To Help Your Partner Through Depression — Ember Relationship Psychology
The good news is that there are many effective treatments for depression—and the sooner you start treatment, the better.
Because the development of depression is multifactorial—often influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors—the best strategy usually involves a combination of approaches; And remember that there is no single solution. Here is an overview of the options.
Each type of psychotherapy has different goals. According to the Mayo Clinic, these goals include helping people in the following ways:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps people identify harmful or ineffective thought and behavior patterns and replace them with more accurate thoughts and more functional behaviors.
Why Does Depression Make It Hard To Shower?
The goal of supportive therapy is to help people develop better self-esteem by encouraging and strengthening healthy coping techniques. It can also help people reduce anxiety and improve social and community functioning.
Psychotherapy aims to improve self-awareness and change old behavior or thought patterns about how core beliefs and experiences from childhood affect a person’s mental state.
Relationship therapy helps patients understand underlying problems and learn healthy ways to express emotions and improve relationships with others.
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is designed to help people identify and effectively deal with psychological, behavioral, interpersonal, and situational conditions.
Activities That Can Help You Deal With Depression
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 13 percent of Americans over the age of 18 report taking antidepressants, with women twice as likely to take antidepressants as men (about 17 in -percent vs. 8 percent).
Many types of depression exist today. Most fall into the following drug classes, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, are grouped by their effects on brain chemistry:
All these medicines require a doctor’s prescription and usually take a few weeks to start working. They also have possible side effects, such as weight gain, fatigue and restlessness, which your doctor should discuss with you, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Although it is not clear how they help with depression, antidepressants are drugs that moderate neurotransmitters, chemicals in the brain such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. These chemicals play many roles and affect things like mood and motivation.
Helping Someone With Depression
Once called electric shock therapy, ECT has come a long way since it was first used in the 1940s. It is safe, but there are possible side effects, such as memory loss, which may or may not be temporary, depending on the individual, according to the Mayo Clinic.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), ECT passes an electrical current through the brain while a person is under general anesthesia, causing a brief, controlled seizure that affects neurons and brain chemistry. Typically, a person wakes up 5 or 10 minutes later and is ready to resume normal activity in about an hour, according to NAMI.
That said, not everyone responds the same to ECT, notes Elizabeth Wassnar, MD, regional medical director of the Pathlight Mood and Anxiety Center in Denver. He explains that people should not normally drive on the day they receive treatment, and some people may choose to work a day or two.
ECT is initially given three times a week for an average of three to five weeks, says Dr. Wassnar. After this initial series, ECT treatments are usually given less frequently—twice a week, once a week, every other week, or less often—he explains, explaining that ECT is often covered by insurance.
Seasonal Affective Disorder — Lincoln County Health Department
Side effects of memory impairment have raised questions in the medical community about the benefits versus risks of ECT for treatment-resistant depression. But, says Wasnar, there are ways to reduce the impact of this side effect.
“ECT methods are being developed and a psychologist can work on ways to reduce the impact [of memory loss],” he says.
According to NAMI, another option for treatment-resistant depression is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which uses magnetic fields to stimulate neurons, targeting an area of the brain thought to be involved in mood regulation. .
When psychotherapy and medication do not relieve the symptoms of depression, or there is a high risk of suicide, doctors may recommend electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Ways To Ask For Help When Depressed
Researchers continue to make progress in developing new types of antidepressant treatments. One such development is psychologically assisted therapy. In 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two first-in-class drugs:
Some mental health providers offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy—in which ketamine is given alongside a psychotherapy session—says Sarah Noring, Ph.D., director and program manager of PsyBio Therapeutics in Coconut Creek. Florida.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can be helpful for treatment-resistant depression and severe or severe suicidal thoughts or behaviors, she adds.
Although not yet FDA approved, another psychoactive drug called psilocybin has shown promise in clinical trials for both depression and treatment-resistant depression. A small clinical trial published in the November 2020 issue of JAMA Psychiatry found that psilocybin treatment, combined with adjunctive psychotherapy, can provide rapid and long-term relief of depressive symptoms in adults with depressive disorder big
Adjustment Disorders: What They Are, Symptoms & Treatment
Dr Noring cautions that any risks associated with psilocybin – recreationally known as “magic mushrooms” – have not been fully studied. “All potential treatments, approved or self-medicated in nature, should be fully discussed with an appropriately trained and licensed health care professional prior to use,” says Noring.
Another announcement in the treatment of depression, recently approved by the FDA in August 2022, is dextromethorphan-bupropion (Avelate), an N-methyl D-aspartate receptor antagonist. Unlike other antidepressants, which usually take at least six weeks to work, Ovalty usually works within a week of continuous use.
Although most people with depression need treatment from a medical professional, certain lifestyle changes can complement this treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic:
Good nutrition, in addition to expert treatment, is the foundation of the management of any mental illness. “Most treatments for nutritional depression (malnutrition) will have limited effectiveness – they won’t work as well,” explains Wassnar.
Self Help Strategies For Depression
In fact, research has shown the growing role of nutrition in the management of depression. For example, the SMILES trial, published in January 2017 in BMC Medicine
She found that nutritional counseling by a registered dietitian for people with moderate to severe depression “can provide an effective and affordable treatment strategy for the management of this extremely common mental disorder.”
Other studies have shed light on the potential link between diet, depression and gut health. A review article published in Nutrients in July 2019 indicated that the quality of the diet affects the gut microbiota (the bacteria and other microorganisms that occur naturally in your gut), which in turn affects the risk of depression.
Some people with depression turn to the herb St. John’s wort as a home remedy, but are concerned about interactions with other medications, according to the Mayo Clinic. According to the Mayo Clinic, do not use St. John’s wort while taking antidepressants, as the combination can cause serious side effects.
Infographic 7 Natural Ways To Deal With Depression »
Led by the US Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA is dedicated to advancing public health efforts to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness among Americans. If you need help with depression or similar mental health issues, contact its national helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).
Dedicated to improving the lives of Americans affected by mental illness, NAMI offers many depression resources, including free discussion groups. Find one in your area.
This social enterprise highlights the importance of talking about depression and raising public awareness of the condition. Check out her blog posts written by people living with depression, including how to prepare for your first mental health appointment.
Daily Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, as outlined in our editorial policy. We use only reliable sources, including peer-reviewed research, board-certified medical experts, patient experience, and leading institutions.
Things To Know About Depression And Older Adults
Research has shown that physical activities such as jogging, resistance training, and even simple exercises such as walking and yoga can effectively relieve depression.
According to new research, familiar smells can trigger memories that help people with depression break negative thought cycles.
There is a surprising link between body temperature and depression, researchers wonder if heat therapy could one day be used to treat depression…
Research suggests that boulder therapy—an intervention that combines rock climbing with psychotherapy—can reduce symptoms of depression.
Identify Depression Symptoms And Warning Signs
Studies show that chronic depression can lead to memory problems and other cognitive problems. Here’s why and how to reduce the risk of memory problems…
There is no diet that can cure your symptoms. But research shows that eating foods rich in omega-3s, vitamin D and other nutrients can help you feel better.
If you do, you may have treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
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