Depression Treatment – Selective-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
Selective-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are commonly prescribed medications for depression. The name “selective-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor” indicates how the medicine works in the brain by altering norepinephrine, one of the brains naturally occurring chemical messengers. SNRIs attach to cells in the brain in a way that interferes with the cell’s ability to vacuum back up the […]
Depression Treatment – Sleep
The relationship between sleep and depression is complicated—on the one hand, changes in sleep are a symptom of depression itself; on the other hand, sleep problems can cause depression-like symptoms that go away if the sleep problem is adequately treated. Thus, for a person with significant sleep and depressive symptoms, evaluation by a medical or […]
Depression Treatment – Self Help
Self-help refers to materials that depressed people can use on their own to try and improve their depression symptoms. In some cases, people who have not seen a professional about depression may access these resources. At other times, the materials are recommended by medical or mental health professionals to support ongoing psychotherapy or antidepressant treatment. […]
Depression Treatment – Psycheducation
Psychoeducation is a term to describe education about mental health issues. The education may be at a societal level to increase public understanding of mental health. However, in the context of treatment it typically refers to education that is directed at those experiencing mental health problems and/or their family members. Because depression is frequently misunderstood, […]
Depression Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Psychodynamic psychotherapy can be an effective psychotherapy for the treatment of depression. To learn how psychodynamic therapists think about depression, it is important to first understand the difference between consciousness and unconsciousness. Consciousness is the state of being aware of something, either inside or outside of ourselves. Unconsciousness is the state of being unaware of […]
Depression Treatment – Commonly Used Medications
SSRIs and SNRIs are the most commonly used medications for depression, largely because they are safer and have fewer side effects than some other types of medication used to treat depression. However, in cases where a person is not helped by SSRIS or SNRIs, other types of medications are sometimes used. The major classes of alternative […]
Depresssion Treatment – Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is an effective psychotherapy for preventing future episodes of depression after someone has recovered from an episode of depression. Thus, MBCT is not a treatment for someone who is depressed right now. Instead, MBCT is a treatment for someone who has been depressed in the past and is interested in learning […]
Depression Treatment – Lifestyle Modifications
Certain lifestyle factors may make a person more or less susceptible to developing depression and they can be helpful in decreasing the impact of depression once it does occur. Conversely, being depressed may make people more likely to engage in lifestyle choices that can put them at risk for other chronic health conditions . For […]
Treatment – Evidence-Based Treatment
“Evidence-based treatment” is a term used in health care to describe treatments that have performed well in scientific studies and are effective for treating a specific health problem. Treatments that are “evidence-based” for depression have been shown in research studies to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression. Although it may seem odd to have […]
Treatment – Brain Stimulation Therapies
Brain stimulation therapies are a group of treatments for depression that involve procedures to stimulate the brain with electricity, magnets or implanted devices. In general, the brain stimulation therapies are only used in cases of severe depression after people have not had success with psychotherapy and medications. Brain stimulation therapies or similar procedures are often […]
Depression: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or ACT, is generally pronounced as the word rather than the acronym, and is an effective psychotherapy for the treatment of depression. ACT is based on the belief that depression, and all human suffering, is caused by repeated attempts to avoid uncomfortable emotions and experiences. According to ACT, when people attempt […]
Depression in Older Adults
Depression in older adults is about as common as it is in the general population (12% versus 16%) but is detected and treated at a much lower rate. Although depression is not a normal response to getting older, there are several life events that occur with aging that can trigger depression such as reductions in […]