Therapy for major depression

Major depressive disorder is one of the many mental disorders characterized by extremely low mood and low self-esteem. Patients with major depression usually do not have any interest or pleasure in activities that would otherwise be very enjoyable. Depression is a term often used to denote even the slightest mood disorders. However, major depression is extremely disabling condition, affecting one’s life, school and work habits as well as social relationships. One of the most serious concerns is that approximately 3.4% of people with major depression commit suicide. All of this can be prevented with successful treatment, which is now more efficient than ever before.

Treatment of major depressive disorder

There are many completely different approaches to treatment of major depression. Typically, treatments include psychotherapy, medication, and electro-convulsive therapy. The former is used only as a last option. Most of the people will find medications and counseling as very effective. People severely affected with depression may need a hospital stay or somebody to guide their care.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy or counseling is typically delivered by psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, or counselors. This kind of therapy can be administered to individuals or whole groups of patents. In most of the cases, where depression is at the advanced chronic stage, this kind of therapy will be combined with medication. Psychotherapy is equally efficient for people of all age groups. After a successful treatment, patients are less likely to suffer another depression episode and their counter-productive behaviors are normally changed to better.

Medications

A number of antidepressant medications are used to treat this medical problem. These medications are classified by how they affect the brain to change your mood. It normally takes at least six to eight weeks from the beginning of treatment until the patient starts feeling normally. The treatment is usually continued 16 to 20 weeks after remission, to reduce the possibility of recurrence. Zoloft is a medication primarily used to treat major depression in adults. Only during the 2007, Zoloft was prescribed 29,652,000 times in the United States, which makes it the most prescribed antidepressant ever. It is important to understand that brain chemistry slightly differs from one to another person, and finding the right medication usually takes some trials and errors. For some medications, it can take up to eight weeks before the body adjusts.

Electroconvulsive therapy

This treatment is also known as electroshock. It uses electrically induced seizures in anesthetized patients. The mode of action for electroconvulsive therapy is unknown, but doctors use this treatment for severe depression, which has not responded to another treatment.