Non Drug Treatment For Depression

Ways To Treat Depression Without Drugs

Complementary And Alternative Therapies

Some people find help to manage their symptoms. For example, this may be aromatherapy, reflexology or acupuncture. Complementary therapies may also help manage some of the side effects of medication, if you decide to continue with it.

Some can interact with antidepressants and other types of medication. So if you are thinking about taking a herbal remedy alongside any medication, speak to your doctor or pharmacist about whether this is safe.

St John’s wort

is a herbal medicine that is sometimes used to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is available to buy without needing a prescription.

There is some uncertainty about the effects of St Johns Wort, as well as the correct dose to take and how it interacts with other medicines. It is best to seek advice from your doctor before taking it, especially if you are already taking any kind of medication.

Pharmacological Treatment Of Depression: A Systematic Review Comparing Clinical Practice Guideline Recommendations

• * E-mail:

  Affiliation Departamento de Farmácia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil

• Daniela Oliveira de Melo,

  Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing original draft, Writing review & editing

  Affiliation Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e Farmacêuticas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Diadema, São Paulo, Brasil

• Renério Fráguas,

  Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Visualization, Writing original draft, Writing review & editing

  Affiliation Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo Divisão de Psiquiatria e Psicologia Hospital Universitário USP. Laboratório de Investigações Médicas 21 FM-USP, São Paulo, Brasil

• Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Methodology, Writing review & editing

  Affiliation Departamento de Farmácia, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil

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Clinical And Methodological Issues

Context

Depressive disorders can be serious, disabling illnesses. Major depressive disorder ,1 defined as the presence of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure, along with at least four additional MDD diagnosis criteria or symptoms for a duration of at least 2 weeks, is the most prevalent and disabling, affecting more than 16 percent of U.S. adults .2 The burden of depressive illnesses, in both human and financial terms, is enormous. MDD, in particular, exerts a negative impact on physical health. It reduces participation in preventive activities3 as well as adherence to medical treatment,4 and it increases the likelihood of chronic conditions such as obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyles, diabetes, and cancer.5,6 MDD may be associated with a general increase in chronic disease. Mortality rates attributable to MDD and other depressive illnesses are high approximately 4 percent of adults with a mood disorder commit suicide, and about two-thirds of suicides are preceded by depression.7

In 2000, the U.S. economic burden associated with depressive disorders was estimated to be $83.1 billion, a number that has likely increased during the past 10 years. More than 30 percent of these costs are attributable to direct medical expenses.7

In addition to depression severity, the number of antidepressant failures can also influence the likelihood of clinical benefit.

Impetus for Review

Interventions for MDD

Pharmacotherapy for MDD

Psychotherapy for MDD

CAM for MDD

Populations Interventions Comparators Outcomes Timing And Settings

presents eligibility criteria for populations, interventions, comparators, outcomes, timing and settings of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. In this table, the term articles refers to any systematic reviews or meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials published in peer-reviewed journals or other sources. We limited the publication period to 2011 or later because methods research indicates that more than 50% of systematic reviews are outdated 5.5 years after publication.

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Focus On Goals To Change Behavior

The first step is to make plans and set goals for activities. Emotions can take control when we feel depressed or anxious. Instead, let your behavior your activities guide you. Think strategically about increasing your involvement in meaningful activities avoiding being busy for the sake of it. Goals should be small and realistic.

Focus on these three areas when setting goals:

• Exercise. Identify a reasonable daily exercise goal, whether its walking for 15 minutes, doing Tai Chi or seated exercises, or going to an exercise class. Ask for guidance from a physical or occupational therapist.
• Socialize. Keep socializing goals small and do-able. Dont jump in to hosting a dinner partyit could be as simple as answering the phone or saying hello to a cashier.
• Self-soothe. Take time every day for an activity that will lead to a positive emotionsomething that just feels good. For instance, relax with a cup of hot tea, soak in the bath or listen to music.

While planning activities that guide your day, consider these questions:

• Are there things you used to love to do that fell off the radar with your PD diagnosis? Consider re-introducing those activities.
• If the daily activities you used to enjoy are no longer feasible, are there new activities that can replace them?
• Can you modify an activity that used to be enjoyable and work it back into your life?

Tips to help you set daily goals:

There Are Established Methods For Managing Treatment

While the words treatment-resistant might seem synonymous with no hope, the reality is that tools do currently exist to help people with TRD. A 2012 study published in the journal Patient Preference and Adherence identified five main treatment strategiesoptimization, switching, combination, augmentation and somatic therapiesthat psychiatrists can use to create a personalized plan for patients.

Optimization, for instance, means that some people with TRD may benefit simply from giving their antidepressant more time to work or by taking a larger dose, Dr. Papp says.

For others, switching to a different class of antidepressantor adding one to the current treatment for a combined approachmay lead to remission. And augmentation may involve using medications that were developed for other uses, but that have since been approved for the treatment of TRD.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation can be an effective nondrug treatment for TRD

There are also somatic therapies, including transcranial magnetic stimulationwhich targets nerve cells in the region of the brain involved in mood control and depressionand electroconvulsive therapy , which induces changes in brain chemistry to help reverse symptoms of TRD.

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Focus On Overall Health

Although we think of depression as a mental health disorder and it is in reality, things arent so black-and-white. Your body and your mind are connected, and how you treat your body makes a big difference in your mental well-being. Overall health can contribute to how we feel mentally, so taking care of our physical health can help alleviate symptoms of depression.

This is usually referred to as a holistic health approach. Instead of focusing only on your depression symptoms, you can focus on living a holistically healthier life by eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

Depression affects all of these areas. When youre depressed, youre more likely to be sedentary. Youre more likely to have sleep problems and not eat well. By improving your overall health and taking care of your body, youll also be taking care of your mind.

Genesis Behavioral Health is the industry-leading provider of TMS therapy in San Antonio, Texas as well as a cognitive behavioral therapy provider each is a non-drug treatment for depression. We offer a wide range of modalities and an emphasis on multi-disciplinary care options. If youre looking for a non-drug treatment for depression, reach out to our intake department today to learn how we can help.

Phone: 210-404-9696

Email: intake@genesispsychiatric.com

Key Question 5 Is Short

Evidence

The evidence for efficacy of SPSP is shown in Table 6. SPSP is expected to have a similar efficacy to pharmacological treatment alone for mild or moderate depression. In particular, combination SPSP-pharmacological therapy may be considered not only for improving depressive symptoms but also for improving social function and reducing the rate of discontinuation of treatment .

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Does Insurance Cover Alternative Therapies For Depression

Many alternative therapies are not covered by insurance. You might have to pay out-of-pocket. However, there are free resources where you can learn about yoga and meditation, and you can exercise on your own . Do some research about resources in your community and ask your healthcare provider for referrals.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/22/2020.

References

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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a non-drug approach to developing the skills and actions that change patterns of thought and behavior related to depression.

Many factors can cause a person to become and stay depressed. How we think about things and interpret what goes on around us influences how we feel. So does our behaviorwhat we do, or dont do, in response to the stresses of life. Depression can have a biological cause. Brain changes that underlie PD are also thought to contribute to depression. But biology is not the only cause. Learning how to consciously change your thoughts and behaviors can help treat your depression.

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Key Question 4 Is Cbt More Efficacious Than Other Psychotherapies For Adult Patients With Mild Or Moderate Depression

Evidence

The evidence for efficacy of CBT is shown in Table 5. The efficacy of CBT appears similar to that of other interpersonal psychotherapies or other kinds of psychotherapy .

Recommendations

CBT may be considered a non-pharmacological treatment in adult patients with mild-to-moderate depression .

Add Greenery To Your Home Or Office

You may also find it helpful to add indoor plants to your home or office environment. Natural settings are associated with improved mental well-being, so it makes sense that “bringing the outdoors in” might help improve your mood.

Studies have shown that adding indoor plants to your home or office can help in a variety of ways, including:

• Improving the workplace: Research has shown that office spaces enhanced with indoor plants improve worker concentration and workplace satisfaction.
• Reducing stress levels: Another study found that actively interacting with indoor plans by caring for them can reduce both physiological and psychological stress.
• : Research has found that students who spent most of their time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic had better mental health if they were exposed to more green plants. While about a third of the participants reported symptoms of moderate depression, those exposed to more greenery had lower levels of depression and anxiety.

Choosing certain plants may provide additional benefits. For example, research suggests that the scent of a lavender plant can help people feel calmer and more relaxed. No matter what type of plants you choose, greenery can be a great way to beautify your surroundings and potentially improve your mood.

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Key Question 7 Is Combination Ipt

Evidence

The evidence for efficacy of IPT is given in Table 7. In adult patients with mild or moderate depression, the efficacy of combination of IPT and pharmacological treatment is not significantly greater than that of pharmacological treatment alone, but the combination treatment been suggested to be more efficacious than pharmacological treatment alone for severe depression .

Recommendations

The combination of IPT and pharmacological treatment does not seem to be more efficacious than pharmacological treatment alone for mild or moderate depression, but the combination treatment may be considered for severe depression .

Advanced Treatment For Depression

A safe treatment.

NeuroStar is a safe, effective treatment for MDD WITHOUT the side effects of medication.1,9 for a full list of possible side effects associated with NeuroStar.

If antidepressant medications have failed you, NeuroStar could be a new possibility.

A proven, effective treatment.

Over 5 million NeuroStar Advanced TMS treatments have been performed in over 141,00 patients. In real world outcomes, 83% of patients experience an improvement in the severity of their depression, with 62% of patients showing complete remission.**,12 Research shows response rates for medication decrease with every subsequent treatment. 6,7,17,18

A specialized treatment.

Focusing treatment at the source of depression means none of the side effects of medication. Speak with your doctor and find a NeuroStar provider near you to see if you are a candidate for NeuroStar Advanced TMS treatment. Find a NeuroStar provider.

*Free consultations are determined by providers and may not be guaranteed.

***Patients received more than one course of treatment and were treated with standard of care. Standard of care also included medications. CGI-S represents the scale used to define response and remission.

The NeuroStar Advanced Therapy system is intended to be used as an adjunct for the treatment of adult patients suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder .

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Managing Depression In Adolescents And Young Adults

A combination of psychoeducation and supportive management with the addition of psychological treatment is recommended first line for adolescents and young adults who are not at immediate risk of suicidal behaviour.12

Psychoeducation and supportive management involve active listening, empathy, recommending e-Mental health tools, counselling to encourage completion,8 and providing lifestyle advice tailored to suit each individuals circumstances.12

There is little evidence of CBT and IPT effectiveness in young adults, but robust evidence of these therapies in adults can be extrapolated to young adults aged 18 to 24.12,13

Criteria For Inclusion/exclusion Of Studies In The Review

We specified our inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the population, intervention, comparators, outcomes, timing, and settings identified through the topic refinement exercise . Our exclusion of most nonEnglish-language studies is based on limitations of time and resources, but we will attempt to include all articles published in English, German, and Italian because these are languages the Evidence-based Practice Center staff can work with easily. We will exclude study designs without control groups to ensure that our pool of included studies can inform the causal link between the intervention and outcomes.

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Physical Complications Exercise And Emerging Therapeutic Interventions

The physical consequences of depression are important both in the acute episode and long term. Physical examination and investigations are important because undiagnosed physical illnesses are common in psychiatric patients, may be the cause of their psychiatric symptoms and may result from their depressive illness. The long-term effects of depressive illness may include both cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis , while the acute effects of depressive stupour can include dehydration, infection, decubitus ulcer and deep vein thrombosis . The careful assessment and investigation of patients with severe depression is therefore important and management should place emphasis on adequate hydration, nutrition and mobilisation. Care should be taken not to rehydrate patients with hyponatraemia or carbamazepine) too rapidly as this can cause central pontine myelinosis . Fluid balance charts should be instituted at an early stage and electrolytes checked regularly.

Exercise is important in avoiding acute complications such as DVT and, although we know of no evidence that it is effective in the treatment of severe depression, there are data suggesting a beneficial effect on mood and sleep. We suggest that an exercise programme be part of the activity schedule of in-patient units treating severe depression.

Tend To Your Social Life

When you’re depressed, there’s no reason to go it alone, and there are all sorts of reasons to reach out to friends and family. Make plans with loved ones and keep those dates. Join a club or sign up for a group activity such as a local dodgeball league or a French class.

Other things you might try:

• Join a support group. Talking to other people who are going through similar experiences and challenges can be informative and helpful.
• Schedule activities. Having routines can be helpful when you are going through depression. Create a daily schedule that includes spending time with others. You are more likely to stick to it if it’s a scheduled event.
• Volunteer.Joining a cause that you care about is a great way to meet new people and expand your social circle.

The problem is that depression often causes people to withdraw, which only further exacerbates feelings of isolation and loneliness. Even when you don’t feel like going out or being social, try reaching out in whatever way is most comfortable for you. Enlist a few of your closest loved ones who understand what you are experiencing.

Doing the things you used to do might not bring you quite the same enjoyment when you are depressed, but getting out of the house and spending time with people who care about you can help you feel better.

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