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The Best Way to Treat Depression

According to the Mayo Clinic, depression is one of the world's most common afflictions. Depression is an overwhelming condition that has both emotional and physical effects. Common symptoms include sadness, loss of interest in normal activities and trouble with concentration and sleeping. Three common treatments for depression are medication, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

  1. Medication

    • Medication is a powerful tool in dealing with depression---especially when combined with psychotherapy. While dozens of antidepressants are available, your doctor will help you decide on the correct one based on your symptoms. Antidepressants are classified by how they affect the chemicals in your brain. Most often, your doctor will begin by prescribing a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). This classification includes drugs such as Prozac, Lexapro, Paxil and Zoloft. SSRIs are generally better tolerated than other antidepressants. If SSRIs do not seem effective, your doctor may prescribe tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), an older type of antidepressant that has more side effects than SSRIs. As a last resort, your doctor may choose a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), which can be very effective but can also have serious side effects.

      Some antidepressants can take 8 to 12 weeks to fully kick in. However, most people will notice an elevation in mood before that. Many factors, such as genetic predisposition, can affect how long these drugs take to work. Your doctor will likely need to experiment with the correct dose or combination of drugs before achieving the desired effect. In the case of side effects (if they are mild), your doctor will most often advise you to continue your dose and see whether they go away.

    Psychotherapy

    • A psychotherapist will help you try to discover the root of your depression. Psychotherapy, a blanket term for addressing mental-health issues by talking with a professional, provides a valuable opportunity to better understand your depression and to identify patterns or behaviors that are harmful. It can also aid you in developing coping techniques, set goals and solve problems. In many cases, psychotherapy can help a person with depression experience happiness and fight off sadness and anger. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most effective psychotherapy for depression is cognitive behavioral therapy, wherein the patient learns to replace negative behaviors and thoughts with positive ones.

    Electroconvulsive Therapy

    • Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) consists of the application of electrical currents to the patient's brain to bring on a seizure. This technique is most often used on people for whom suicide is a definite risk and in cases wherein medication has not worked or is not an option (many elderly people, for example), or psychotherapy has been unsuccessful. Despite the Mayo Clinic's assertion that "many people are leery of ECT and its side effects," ECT can alleviate depression symptoms quickly and safely. Although doctors are unsure of the exact medical reason the method wards off depression, the Mayo Clinic continues, ECT may work by reconfiguring certain neurotransmitters' work in the brain. Possible side effects of ECT are confusion and, in fewer cases, temporary partial memory loss.

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