Treatment!!

Okay. So I've talked about depression, symptoms, types, blah blah blah. But I havent said anything about getting over your depression. Does it just go away? No. So, how do you get better? Like any illness, there are several treatment options. Problem is, a lot of people don't get the proper treatment. They think they aren't depressed and actually suffering from a serious mental illness. Or, they ignore the problem, because they are too disabled to reach out for help or they think it will go away by itself. So. Saying you are reaching out for help, where do you go?

Options:
1) See a psychiatrist, psychologist or other specialist. For some cases, this is enough to treat the depression and recover from it. Sometimes, just letting everything out, thats been bottled up is enough. Talking it through and performing certain exercises and such helps. Also, the specialist can prescribe antidepressants or other treatment if they feel it is necessary.

2) Electro-shock Therapy (ETC) (also known as Electroconvulsice therapy). During this treatment, electrically induced seizures are created to cause theraputic effects in patients. First introduced in the 1930s, now almost 1 million people (worldwide) recieve ETC for major depression, biopolar disorder and more. There are several theories as to how this treatment helps. One is that this treatment may "change the way the brain receptors recieve important mood-related chemicals, such as serotonin and dopamine and norepinephrine" (http://www.electroboy.com/electroshocktherapy.htm). Another is that it might cause "memory loss and disorientation that creates a temporary illusion that problems are gone" (http://www.electroboy.com/electroshocktherapy.htm). This is generally used as a second option, if other treatment has not worked.

3) Antidepressants. see next posting

By the way. There are probably way more treatments out there. But this I dont feel like looking them all up and since I already have the needed length in this posting for my class, I'm going to stop typing. :D

http://www.electroboy.com/electroshocktherapy.htm
www.wikipedia.org

Treatments- Antidepressants

Antidepressants. We've all heard of them. We've all seen or heard advertisements for them everywhere; on the TV, radio, Internet, billboards, magazines, etc. Zoloft. Prozac. Paxil. Celexa. Cymbalta. All antidepressants commonly advertised and commonly known. But do we all know what they are? What they do? The answer is no.

Antidepressants are a common treatment for depression
and is an effective one for most people. However "antidepressant drugs are not happy pills, and they are not a panacea. They are prescription-only drugs that come with risks as well as benefits, and should only ever be taken under a doctor’s supervision" (http://www.healthyplace.com/). Whether or not antidepressants is a good treatment choice is different for each person, depending on the patient's age, personal preferences and history of illness. Most combine therapy with medication and are usually taken for a period of 4 to 6 months.

So what do they do? Most are thought to work by slowing the removal of certain chemicals from the brain called neurotransmitters, like serotonin. The neurotransmitters are essential for normal brain function. They are involved in mood control and repsones & functions (sleeping, eating, pain, etc). The antidepressants make these chemicals more available, therefore relieving the depressin symptoms.


It is my opinion that antidepressants are overprescribed. I don't think many know much about antidepressants, or depression either, and think they're depressed when they are really not. They go to a family doctor, ask for a prescription for a readily available antidepressant (ex: Cymbalta) and get it. Some family doctors wouldn't know enough about depression to distinguish between real depression and just feeling blue. A lot of people taking antidepressants haven't even talked to a specialist, haven't even been diagnosed. With a little more well known information out there, maybe then only the people who truly need the antidepressants will be taking them for the right reasons. They don't call now the Age of Depression for nothing.


http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/treatment/antidepressants/index.asp

Common Symptoms

So how do you recognize someone is depressed so you can get them help? Depression comes with various, noticable symptoms and some symptoms that are harder to spot. A depressed person does not always show all or experience all symptoms or the same symptoms as another depressed person. Each case is unique. Different serverity, longevity and other factors all contribute to the symptoms shown by each victim.

Persistent sadness, anxiety, irritability, and changes in sleeping patterns (sleeping too much or too little) are all common symptoms of depression. Hopelessness, guilt, worthlessness, helplessness and pessimism are feelings commonly assoicated with people suffering from depression. Also, loss of interest in all activities/hobbies, especially once favored activities/hobbies, changed eating habits (overeating, undereating) and decreased engery/fatigue could possibly point to depression. Constant headaches or other aches & pains could be yet another symptom of depression. If someone is having difficulty concentrating, making decisions or memory problems, it could be a sign of depression. A big warning sign of depression is talking about death (what its like, does it hurt, etc), talking about suicide or attempting suicide.

If someone brings up suicide or death often, do not take it lightly. It could be that depressed person is reaching out to you, for help by bringing these topics up. Also, if they are showing the signs of a depressed person, get help! Tell an adult or family member if you are unable to get them help directly.




http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/complete-publication.shtml#pub3