Unipolar Depression Treatment

In June 2005, the "Journal of General Psychiatry" reported that as many as 6.7 percent of people in the United States suffer from unipolar depression disorder. Of this group, only two out of three actually sought treatment. For those who did seek help, as many as 80 percent showed an improvement in their symptoms.

Identification

• Unipolar depression--also known as major depression--is a personality disorder characterized by long bouts of sadness, self-doubt, loneliness and despair. The intensity of these moods is more severe than cases of generalized depression. Unipolar and bipolar variations of this disorder are the two most prevalent types. The bipolar version occurs in cycles, where feelings of depression and feelings of joy and exuberance alternate. Physical symptoms that accompany these moods include fatigue, anxiety, sleep disturbances and irritability.

Medication Treatments

• Antidepressants are commonly used to treat unipolar depression. Tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors are the types of medications used in treatment. They are designed to alter a person's brain chemistry by targeting specific neurotransmitter areas. Different levels of neurotransmitters within the brain affect a person's mood states. Each category of antidepressants works to affect how a particular neurotransmitter is released in the brain. Most antidepressants carry the risk of side effects, such as tremors, loss of sex drive, increased feelings of sadness and nausea.

Therapy Treatments

• Many who experience symptoms of depression seek therapy as a form of treatment before resorting to medication. Therapy approaches used to treat unipolar disorders include cognitive behavioral, behavioral modification and interpersonal therapy. Cognitive behavioral approaches work towards establishing a more healthy perception of self and others. Behavioral modification therapies concentrate on changing a person's behaviors first. Once change has occurred, perceptions of self change accordingly. Interpersonal therapies work toward uncovering whatever unconscious motivations are causing a person to feel depressed.

Natural Supplements

• The use of natural supplements is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to antidepressant medications, partly because of the side effects associated with antidepressants. Supplements are made from plants found in nature. Their therapeutic effects are meant to be holistic, as opposed to the targeted mechanism of prescription drugs. Holistic treatments work to treat the whole body system, while prescription medications are formulated to target specific areas in the brain. Supplements used to treat unipolar depression include. St. John's Wort, Sam-E and omega fish oils.

Alternative Treatments

• Alternative treatments for unipolar depression range from electroconvulsive therapy to meditation methods. These are non-traditional approaches and many are still in the experimental stage. Electroconvulsive therapy is the most invasive technique where electric shocks are applied to a person's brain. This approach is typically used as a last resort in cases of severe depression where no other treatments have worked. Another fairly new treatment method called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation uses magnets to alter a person's brain-wave patterns.