Depression, better known as major depressive disorder, is a common but serious medical illness. It affects the way you act, think and feel. There are a few kinds of depression including:
- Major depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Atypical depression
- Situational depression
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
- Psychotic depression
- Peripartum depression
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Persistent depressive disorder
If you have a persistent feeling of sadness or feeling down that impacts your daily life, you may have clinical depression. Because there are many types of depression, the first step is to talk to your doctor to get an appropriate diagnosis.
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Are the Varied Types of Depression Treated Differently?
Every 40 seconds, a person is lost to suicide. This is a scary statistic but shows why finding the right diagnosis to help with depression symptoms is so important. The different kinds of depression may be treated in alternative ways. The first step is to get the correct diagnosis so that a medical team or doctor has the information needed to set up a treatment plan.
Counseling
Counseling, also known as talk therapy, can help with all types of depression. In counseling sessions, you’ll work with a counselor, psychiatrist or psychologist. You may learn new coping strategies, talk through issues you’re dealing with or work through behavior therapies, like dialectical behavior therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy.
Medical Integration
Before starting on any kind of medication, it’s important to have a full medical workup and to look for any underlying causes of the symptoms of depression. For example, lethargy or exhaustion could be linked to low levels of nutrients in the body from a vitamin deficiency or a lack of oxygen reaching the parts of the body due to anemia.
Depression is caused by many different factors that need to be considered, such as:
- Certain medications: Drugs such as corticosteroids and isotretinoin, a medication used to treat acne, have been linked to a risk of depression.
- Genetic: A family history of depression may increase your risk of depression.
- Trauma: Past abuse, whether physical, sexual or psychological, can lead to clinical depression later in life.
- Chronic pain: Chronic pain depletes a person’s energy over time and can lead to depression.
- Grief: Grief, like from losing a loved one, can lead to depression.
- Conflict: Vulnerable people dealing with personal conflicts between friends and family members may suffer from depression or a higher risk of developing depression.
- Substance abuse: Approximately 30% of people (WebMD) with addictions and substance abuse problems also suffer from clinical depression or major depression.
These are all different factors that can play a role in the risk of developing and the development of depression. If you suffered from abuse, have dealt with substance abuse or have any of these factors in your life, you may have a predisposition to depression that needs to be addressed.
If the cause of depression in your case is linked to the use of a medication or to a chronic illness, getting your depression under control may rely on controlling the illness or switching medications. Once the reason for the symptoms is discovered, the staff at FHE Health can talk to you more about your options for integrating medications and medical treatments into your treatment plan.
In some cases, treating an underlying condition is all that is needed to relieve the symptoms of depression and to get you back to feeling like yourself again.
Medication Options
When depression is not linked to an illness or factors that can be controlled easily, you may need to take specific medications designed to treat it directly. Depression is often treated with medications prescribed by a medical professional, and there are many different kinds that could work for you. Oftentimes, these are given in combination with one another to address different symptoms. No two patients are alike, so it’s possible that you may need to try several medications before you find one, or a combination, that works for you. There are a few major groups of medications for depression that you can try including:
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Antipsychotics
- Selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Atypical antidepressants
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Not all of these medications work for every patient. For example, a patient with psychotic depression or bipolar disorder may benefit from taking anti-psychotics and antidepressants together, whereas someone struggling with depression and anxiety may benefit from using SSRIs, SNRIs or antidepressants. If we believe that medications would help in your treatment plan, we will discuss using medications with you and talk about the benefits and downsides to doing so.
Natural Options for Depression Treatment
After hearing the benefits and downsides of using medications for depression, you might opt not to use them. If you do not want to or cannot take medications or are looking for a way to boost your health to treat depression, you may want to consider lifestyle changes. Even small changes to your lifestyle can help fight depression. Some changes that help include:
- Healthy eating
- Exercising
- Losing weight
- Meditation
These seemingly small changes help boost the production of serotonin, can improve your self-image and sense of well-being through mindfulness and give you more confidence.
Can Depression Be Cured?
Over 16 million adults had been through at least a single major depressive episode as of 2016. Depression cannot be cured, but the symptoms can be treated. The illness can go into remission, and you can feel like yourself again with the appropriate treatment plan.
Living With Depression Disorder
According to Science Direct, depression has a high risk of recurrence, with 50% or more patients reporting more than a single major depressive episode in their lifetimes. As a chronic condition, you need to learn to live with depression, to seek treatment when necessary and to build up a strong support system.
Some great ways to manage depression include:
- Building up a support network of friends and family members
- Going to regular medical appointments to discuss your current symptoms with medical providers
- Having a plan of action to reduce anxiety about the potential for recurrence after remission
- Going to a support group
- Taking the medications you receive as prescribed and informing your medical provider if they are not working as intended
Call FHE Health for Help With Depression Treatment in Adults
At FHE Health, we focus on treating mental health conditions as well as substance abuse and addiction patients. We know how hard it can be to overcome these challenges and are always here to help. Our compassionate team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call at (844) 299-0618.
