How to Treat Clinical Depression Without Alkoloids

Treating serious mood disorders such as clinical depression always makes for a challenging procedure; always consult a professional. Many physicians recommend medications containing alkaloids---naturally occurring chemical compounds made up of nitrate atoms---for depression treatment. However, some alkaloids have hallucinogenic properties, and some professionals therefore prefer to avoid them. Use awareness and professional assistance to treat your depression without the use of these chemicals.

Instructions

• 1

  Seek a proper diagnosis. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, only a licensed general practitioner, psychiatrist or psychologist can perform such a diagnosis. A correct depressive diagnosis requires the existence of a major depressive episode, though several other criteria exist.

• 2

  Enter psychotherapy. A good active first step toward recovery for all depressives, therapy provides only effective method of treating depression for sufferers under 18 years old. The most studied form of psychotherapy is cognitive behavioral therapy---a practice in which clients learn self-employed cognitive and behavioral skills.

• 3

  Continue on to more intense forms of psychotherapy if necessary. These may include mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, a recent area of study effective for individuals who've had more major depressive episodes; interpersonal psychotherapy, which focuses on interpersonal triggers of depression; and psychoanalysis, a controversial treatment that focuses on the unconscious.

• 4

  Seek medical treatment if necessary. The wide variety of medications not derived from alkaloids includes sertraline hydrochloride, escitalopram and fluoxetine. Serious and resilient cases of depression may require more serious medications such as tricyclic antidepressants, though these often have more side effects.

• 5

  In the most serious cases, enter electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)---usually considered the most serious and invasive modern treatment of depression, and widely considered a last resort. In ECT, the patient receives electrical stimulation while anesthetized, which induces seizures for therapeutic effect. According to NCBI.com, ECT is a highly effective short-term treatment for depression, though the duration of its positive effects still sparks debate.