THUNAIThe good news is that depression is both treatable and curable. Seeking help is the first step towards getting better. There are many types of depression and different treatments will help different individuals.Treatments for depression fall into two main categories (but many sufferers will need both):
those that involve talking to a professional
those involving prescribed drugs.
We also explore other holistic, body-mind integrative therapies such as creative healing therapies (storytelling or dance), yoga, breathing exercises and meditation on this website.
There is overwhelming evidence that a conjunction of therapies work well for most individuals and also allow them to manage their condition and day to day life better.
Psychotherapy or Talk Therapy for Depression:
Discussing your feelings with a professional can help in dealing with them. Sometimes it is a relief just to share the problem; sometimes someone else’s non-judgemental listening and perspective can help you to sort out what the problem really is.
Often it is easier to share feelings with a stranger and not have to feel guilty about 'burdening' others with the details. The three main types of talk therapists are Counsellors, Psychotherapists, and Psychiatrists. Psychiatrists can also prescribe medications to treat some of the symptoms that can help deal with a crisis.
There are different types of talk therapies:
Person-centred approach- This is based on the idea that the therapist offers you empathy, warmth and openness and that in itself is therapeutic.
Cognitive Analytical therapy - With your therapist, you identify chains of events, thoughts, emotions and motivations that explain how a target problem (for example self-harm) is established and maintained.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) - helps patients step back and consider the accuracy of their negative thoughts in a structured manner. Please see “CBT Basics” for a discussion on how CBT works on thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
Gestalt Therapy - Gestalt therapy is a humanistic, holistic, person-centered form of psychotherapy that is focused on an individual's present life rather than delving into past experiences. This approach stresses the importance of understanding the context of a person’s life and taking responsibility rather than placing blame. This is not just talk therapy - it is more experiential.
Personal construct therapy - Aims to help clients articulate, elaborate, and extend the network of meanings by which they construct a sense of self.
Psychodynamic therapy - Involves the interpretation of mental and emotional processes rather than focusing on behavior.
Dynamic interpersonal Therapy (DIT) - A type of psychodynamic therapy to help people with emotional and relationship problems. It has been developed for the treatment of depression and anxiety.
Rational-emotive behavioural (REBT) - REBT can help you with negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, guilt, and extreme or inappropriate anger. It helps you identify current self-defeating thoughts and feelings, challenge the rationality of those feelings, and replace them with healthier, more productive beliefs.
Essentially, talk therapies all look at how you work and how you relate to other people. Some of them, such as existential and transpersonal therapy look at what you want out of life, and others such as psychodynamic therapy look at how your past experiences influence you.
Drug treatments for depression:
Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed drugs for depression. Generally, they increase the levels of signalling chemicals called neurotransmitters in the brain. They typically take several weeks to work and patients may need to persist through some initial side effects. While patients need to come off them gradually, people with recurrent depression may take antidepressants indefinitely.
These drugs have to be prescribed by an experienced Psychiatrist as they are powerful and have unintended consequences. Please take them only on your doctor’s recommendation. Stick to the dosages and timing as prescribed.
Body based therapies can aid the recovery a lot by calming your nervous system and allowing you to be able to absorb the cognitive inputs from above therapies.