Why Is It Important To Seek Therapy Promptly
Early treatment of depression is essential because depression itself changes the brain. Research shows that depression is linked to inflammatory changes in the brain. As a result of such changes, the longer an episode of depression lasts, the greater the likelihood of a recurrence of depression. Untreated, depression can become a progressive disease leading to neurodegeneration. Untreated depression especially compromises the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain essential for reasoning and decision-making and enabling control of emotional reactivity. Therapy helps patients develop the skills not just to beat back a current episode of depression but to prevent future ones as well.
Should You See A Psychiatrist Or Psychologist For Depression
Depressive disorders may take treatment in one of several forms, and those forms of treatment can also overlap. You could very well see a combination of medications and cognitive therapy in your plan.
Typically, depression responds well to therapy, antidepressant medication and lifestyle changes, and as weve already explained, its likely the case that youll have a much easier time getting medication from a psychiatrist.
That said, your standard healthcare provider might be entirely capable of handling your medication management needs, leaving you to deal with the therapeutic side of your mental health with the support of a psychologist.
Theres not a correct or wrong answer for the best kind of treatment, and you wont know what works best for you until you actually find out what you need for your individual support.
Finding out what treatment approaches will best support you is the topic of a conversation youll want to have with a medical professional.
In the end, you may see diet and exercise changes bring you benefits, or see benefits from therapy forms like cognitive behavioral therapy , which can help people with depression and other mood disorders alter the patterns of their depression with practice.
CBT teaches you how to spot your patterns of negative thoughts and negative emotions and begin to override them, eventually bringing those patterns to an end and replacing them with healthier, happiness-supporting ones.
How Long Does Therapy Take For Treating Depression
Each individual and their symptoms are different. Likewise, the treatment for their depression will vary based on their needs. In short, theres no one-size-fits all approach to therapy or mental health treatment. However, the American Psychological Association states, on average 15 to 20 sessions are required for 50 percent of patients to recover as indicated by self-reported symptom measures.
The length of time a patient requires therapy to help treat their depression will depend on a number of factors:
- Severity of depression and symptoms
- Co-occurring disorders
- Patient adherence to therapy and treatment
- Frequency of therapy sessions
These are only some of the factors that can impact the effectiveness of therapy.
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Vitamins And Supplements For Depression
The jury is still out on how well herbal remedies, vitamins, or supplements work in treating depression. While many supplements are widely available over the counter, in many cases their efficacy has not been scientifically proven. If your depression symptoms are in part due to nutritional deficiency, you may benefit from vitamin supplements, but this should be on the advice of your healthcare professional.
If you decide to try natural and herbal supplements, remember that they can have side effects and drug or food interactions. For example, St. Johns Worta promising herb used for treatment of mild to moderate depressioncan interfere with prescription drugs such as blood thinners, birth control pills, and prescription antidepressants. Make sure your doctor or therapist knows what you are taking.
Depression Is A Part Of Life
We all go through depression throughout our lives at one point or another. Many people are afraid to be seen as depressed because of the stigma that is attached to it. Everyones mental health is affected by day-to-day tasks in one way or another. You are not alone and your spouse isnt alone either. There are resources out there to help you and your family get back to good mental health.
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When To See A Psychologist For Depression
A psychologist is someone who has studied psychology, the study of human behavior. A clinical psychologist refers to someone who has studied psychology at a masters and / or PhD level. They have specific training in handling depression, anxiety, and all manner of mental health issues. When youre experiencing depression, they are an absolutely wonderful choice.
A psychologist will use begin a treatment schedule involving counseling to help identify the causes of the depression and form a way to move beyond them. These counselors are skilled at talk therapy, which essentially means youll be guided through dialogue that helps the psychologist discover root causes of depression and create a strategy to increase your wellbeing and coping with the depression. For severe depression antidepressant medication is probably worth considering at least discussing with a doctor or the psychologist youre seeing. At Advanced Counseling Services, we employ a psychiatrist on staff who is able to work in conjunction with your counselor to find the medication best suited to helping you progress in treating your depression.
It Won’t Necessarily Derail Your Life Completely
“Many people assume that women who are depressed languish in bed or are largely unproductive,” Manly says.
According to Manly, a lot of women have what’s called “high-functioning depression,” which can be more difficult to recognize. You can have depression, even if you can still perform at your job, take care of your kids, or put on a smile at social events.
“Many women who live with depression intentionally put on a mask of cheerfulness and remain very busy,” Manly says.
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Overcoming Depression: How Psychologists Help With Depressive Disorders
Depression is extreme sadness or despair that lasts more than days and affects people in different ways. Fortunately, depression is highly treatable.
Overcoming depression: How psychologists help with depressive disorders.
Everyone experiences sadness at times. But depression is something more. Depression is extreme sadness or despair that lasts more than days. It interferes with the activities of daily life and can even cause physical pain. Fortunately, depression is highly treatable.
Depression, also known as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. In 2014, an estimated 15.7 million adults in the U.S. about 6.7 percent of all U.S. adults had at least one major depressive episode, according to the National Institute of Mental Health .
Psychotherapy For Depression Treatment
If there is no underlying medical cause for your symptoms of depression, talk therapy can be an extremely effective treatment. What you learn in therapy gives you skills and insight to feel better and help prevent depression from coming back.
There are many types of therapy available. Three of the more common methods used in depression treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and psychodynamic therapy. Often, a blended approach is used.
Some types of therapy teach you practical techniques on how to reframe negative thinking and employ behavioral skills in combating depression. Therapy can also help you work through the root of your depression, helping you understand why you feel a certain way, what your triggers are for depression, and what you can do to stay healthy.
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Why A Mental Health Professional Is Best
It’s very importantespecially if this is your first time seeking treatment for depressionthat you obtain a referral to a psychiatrist or other mental health professional if your general practitioner suspects depression.
Though your family doctor or general practitioner may offer to prescribe you an antidepressant, they are not always the best-qualified doctor to treat depression. They do not possess the training to offer you psychotherapy nor are they experienced in the nuances of prescribing psychotropic medications the way that a psychiatrist is.
Psychiatry is a blend of art and science. Treating depression is not quite as simple as giving someone a prescription for Zoloft or Prozac and sending them on their way. Some individuals will need several trials of different medications to find one that best relieves their symptoms with the least amount of side effects.
Some people will need more than one medication to counteract side effects or to boost positive effects. Most will likely benefit from adding psychotherapy to the mix. Discussing options with your psychiatrist will determine the best path.
Depression Discussion Guide
Besides the medication specifics, you may have a completely different mental health condition and not depression. Bipolar disorder is one such disorder that may be initially misdiagnosed as depression but requires a very different course of treatment.
Psychologist Vs Psychiatrist For Depression: Who Is Better
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
Whats the right mental health professional for your needs? If youve been asking yourself this lately, you may be trying to plot a course through a mental health issue. Perhaps youre trying to get this whole mental health treatment thing over with efficiently. Perhaps you want to spare no expense. Perhaps youve been weighing the benefits of a professional and are trying to determine the value of a psychologist vs psychiatrist for depression.
Whether you see a psychologist or psychiatrist for your mental health will change certain aspects of how youre treated for the mood disorder and what tools are at your disposal for dealing with mental illness.
And then theres the question of qualifications does a psychologist or psychiatrist require more experience? Which one is better for you in the long run?
The answers to these questions and others require a little background information, so before we go giving you any recommendations off the cuff, lets make sure you understand whats actually different between these two types of mental health professionals.
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Changing Habits That Fuel Depression Can Be Challenging
Manly says one of the main challenges in helping women with depression relates to changing the habits perpetuating their depression. This is because depression can negatively affect your energy and motivation.
“While a woman with depression may very much want to heal, it’s often incredibly difficult for her to find the energy and drive to embrace mood-boosting habits,” Manly says. “She may come to understand precisely what would help her manage her depression like leaving a toxic workplace or even exercising more but such tasks often feel overwhelming.”
Anxiety or fear can also play a role in keeping women stuck. For example, Manly says a woman may realize her relationship with a difficult or abusive partner lies at the root of her depression, but hesitate to leave the relationship due to fear of change or loneliness.
Other reasons for staying in an abusive relationship might include financial insecurity, dependence on a partner due to a physical disability, and concerns about keeping the family unit together factors that might also play a part in depression.
What Types Of Therapy Are Helpful For Depression
Depression is a potentially debilitating mental health disorder. Its also one of the most common. The CDC states almost 5% of adults report suffering from depression each year. However, cases may be underreported. Other sources place the actual number of individuals living with the disorder much higher.
There is good news: depression is highly treatable. Each year we continue to learn more about mental health disorders and effective methods for treating them. Therapy is one such depression treatment.
Therapists use a range of therapeutic techniques to help their patients overcome depression.
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Is It Time To Get Some Help
Life is rarely without its challenges. There are some, however, that can be so overbearing that it seems impossible to move on.
Whether its the death of a loved one or overwhelming feelings of anxiety, its important you know that help is available for every problem life throws your way.
Learn about common reasons people see psychologists.
What Does Interpersonal Therapy Do
Like CBT, IPT is a short-term, present-oriented therapy. Its primary target, however, is the difficultiy in interpersonal functioning that both gives rise to and results from depression. Many studies support the value of ameliorating interpersonal distress as a route to relieving depression. IPT focuses on four major interpersonal problem areasunresolved or complicated grief, struggles with a significant other , role transitions such as the end of a marriage or becoming physically ill, and frank deficits in interpersonal skills. Patients learn to understand which problem area is linked to onset of their episode of depression and to directly redress those difficulties, often by learning how to better express their emotions. With supportive guidance from the therapist, they learn new communication strategies and may even rehearse through role play new solutions to longstanding social difficulties.
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Depression In Children And Adolescents
Depression is common in adolescents. In 2014, an estimated 2.8 million children age 12-17 in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode, according to NIMH.
Adolescents are often moody. But if your child is extremely irritable, has ongoing problems with motivation, or has persistent sadness that lasts two weeks or more, it’s a good idea to have him or her evaluated for depression.
While antidepressant medications can be effective for children and adolescents, they can have side effects in young people, including an increased risk of suicidal thoughts. For that reason, many parents and healthcare providers prefer to try treating children with psychotherapy first. Both CBT and IPT are effective treatments for young people with depression. Studies also show that a combination of antidepressant medication and cognitive behavior therapy is highly effective in treating youth depression.
The good news is that most kids recover from depression. Still, research shows that people who have depression as children are at a higher risk of having a recurrence later in adolescence or adulthood. Both CBT and IPT can help kids recognize the signs of a depressive episode, so that they can monitor their symptoms and get help quickly if they experience a recurrence.
The American Psychological Association gratefully acknowledges Laura Mufson, PhD, Lynn Bufka, PhD, and C. Vaile Wright, PhD for contributing to this fact sheet.
Characteristics And Causes Of Depression
Depression is probably the most common psychiatric complaint and has been described by physicians since before the time of ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who called it melancholia. The course of the disorder is extremely variable from person to person it may be mild or severe, acute or chronic. Untreated, depression may last an average of four months or longer. Depression is twice as prevalent in women than in men. The typical age of onset is in the 20s, but it may occur at any age.
Depression can have many causes. Unfavourable life events can increase a persons vulnerability to depression or trigger a depressive episode. Negative thoughts about oneself and the world are also important in producing and maintaining depressive symptoms. However, both psychosocial and biochemical mechanisms seem to be important causes the chief biochemical cause appears to be the defective regulation of the release of one or more naturally occurring neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly norepinephrine and serotonin. Reduced quantities or reduced activity of these chemicals in the brain is thought to cause the depressed mood in some sufferers.
Research suggests that depression is also linked to physical activity, whereby physical activity may lower a persons risk of developing depression. Individuals who exercise typically report better mental health and are less likely to be depressed, compared with individuals who do not exercise.
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How Is Progress Evaluated In Therapy
While unstructured interactions with patients under their care can provide a window into patient functioning, therapists providing good care make regular assessments of a patients clinical status using criteria that have been validated in many studies. To know whether and how much depression is improving, they regularly monitor treatment progress by measuring the severity of multiple symptoms of depression on standardized scales. The most widely used assessment instrument is the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, or Ham-D, which gauges progress in 21 constellations of symptoms, from level of sadness to degree of guilty feelings to lack of energy to sleep problems. Severity is rated for each cluster of symptoms. Comparison of results over several sessions provides an accurate picture of treatment effectiveness and indicates areas where more intensive work may be needed.
Depression Is Different From Sadness Or Grief/bereavement
The death of a loved one, loss of a job or the ending of a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. Those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being depressed.
But being sad is not the same as having depression. The grieving process is natural and unique to each individual and shares some of the same features of depression. Both grief and depression may involve intense sadness and withdrawal from usual activities. They are also different in important ways:
- In grief, painful feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories of the deceased. In major depression, mood and/or interest are decreased for most of two weeks.
- In grief, self-esteem is usually maintained. In major depression, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing are common.
- In grief, thoughts of death may surface when thinking of or fantasizing about joining the deceased loved one. In major depression, thoughts are focused on ending ones life due to feeling worthless or undeserving of living or being unable to cope with the pain of depression.
Grief and depression can co-exist For some people, the death of a loved one, losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression. When grief and depression co-occur, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression.
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