Wednesday, March 27, 2024

What’s The Cure For Depression

Who Is At Risk For Depression

How to Spot Severe Depression vs Feeling Depressed

Depression can affect anyone, no matter their age, gender or circumstances. About 16 million Americans experience depression each year.

Women may experience depression more often than men. And your genetics or other health conditions can increase the likelihood that youll have at least one depressive episode in your lifetime.

What Is Samhsa’s National Helpline

SAMHSAs National Helpline, , or TTY: is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 to find help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

If Youre Up For Exercise Consider A Walk Around The Block

On days when you feel as if you cant get out of bed, exercise may seem like the last thing youd want to do. However, exercise and physical activity can help to lower symptoms of depression and boost energy levels.

future depressive episodes.

Even when you have the feeling that youre unable to or have very little energy, see if youd be willing to do the opposite of what your mood is telling you to do, such as curling up in bed. Instead, set a small goal for yourself, such as taking a walk around the block.

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What Are The Different Types Of Depression

Two common forms of depression are:

  • Major depression, which includes symptoms of depression most of the time for at least 2 weeks that typically interfere with ones ability to work, sleep, study, and eat.
  • Persistent depressive disorder , which often includes less severe symptoms of depression that last much longer, typically for at least 2 years.

Other forms of depression include:

  • Perinatal depression, which occurs when a woman experiences major depression during pregnancy or after delivery .
  • Seasonal affective disorder, which comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in late fall and early winter and going away during spring and summer.
  • Depression with symptoms of psychosis, which is a severe form of depression where a person experiences psychosis symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations .

Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder also experience depression.

Risk Factors For Depression

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Depression can affect anyoneeven a person who appears to live in relatively ideal circumstances.

Several factors can play a role in depression:

  • Biochemistry: Differences in certain chemicals in the brain may contribute to symptoms of depression.
  • Genetics: Depression can run in families. For example, if one identical twin has depression, the other has a 70 percent chance of having the illness sometime in life.
  • Personality: People with low self-esteem, who are easily overwhelmed by stress, or who are generally pessimistic appear to be more likely to experience depression.
  • Environmental factors: Continuous exposure to violence, neglect, abuse or poverty may make some people more vulnerable to depression.

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How Can I Take Care Of Myself

Once you begin treatment, you should gradually start to feel better. Go easy on yourself during this time. Try to do things you used to enjoy. Even if you dont feel like doing them, they can improve your mood. Other things that may help:

  • Try to get some physical activity. Just 30 minutes a day of walking can boost mood.
  • Try to maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time.
  • Eat regular, healthy meals.
  • Do what you can as you can. Decide what must get done and what can wait.
  • Try to connect with other people, and talk with people you trust about how you are feeling.
  • Postpone important life decisions until you feel better.
  • Avoid using alcohol, nicotine, or drugs, including medications not prescribed for you.

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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Psychological Treatments For Depression

Psychological treatments have been found to be an effective way to treat depression. They can help you change your thinking patterns and improve your coping skills so you’re better equipped to deal with life’s stresses and conflicts.

As well as supporting your recovery, psychological therapies can help you stay well by identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviour.

There are several different types of psychological treatments including:

  • cognitive behaviour therapy
  • behaviour therapy
  • mindfulness-based cognitive therapy .

CBT is one of the most commonly used psychological therapies. It helps people with depression to monitor and change negative patterns of thinking and improve their coping skills so they are better equipped to deal with lifes stresses and conflicts.

What Are The Major Types Of Brain Stimulation

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In transcranial magnetic stimulation , one or two externally placed electromagnetic coils deliver magnetic pulses to generate currents in deep brain tissue implicated in depressions stall-out. The pulses generated are of the same type and, most often, of the same strength as those generated by magnetic resonance imaging machines. No anesthesia is required, and stimulation is applied during a series of sessions in a doctors office. Approximately 60 percent of people who do not benefit from antidepressant medication improve significantly or achieve full remission with TMS treatment.

Transcranial direct current stimulation applies a weak electrical current to brain sites through the scalp from a headset-like device. The goal is to target brain circuits involved in attention, perception, learning, and memory that affect mood.

In deep brain stimulation, reserved for highly treatment-resistant depression, an externally programmable device is implanted in the chest to deliver electrical signals to targeted sites in the brain. It is like a pacemaker for the brain.

Intermittent theta-burst stimulation is a noninvasive form of brain stimulation approved for use in treatment-resistant depression.

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Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy

This accelerated approach to TMS involves multiple sessions of TMS per day for 1 to 5 days, instead of a single daily session for about 6 weeks.

SAINT is also different in two additional ways:

  • It involves more magnetic pulses than typical TMS .
  • Every participant first receives a brain MRI that identifies the specific subregion of the prefrontal cortex linked to the subgenual cingulate, an area of the brain associated with depression.

The first small study testing the effectiveness of SAINT involved 21 participants living with severe depression. After treatment, 19 of them no longer met diagnostic criteria for depression, and none experienced suicidal thoughts.

Side effects included fatigue, along with some mild discomfort in the head and face during treatment.

The researchers continue to explore the effectiveness of SAINT with a follow-up study exploring how long treatment benefits last, as well as a double-blinded study involving more participants.

What Are The Treatment Options For Prenatal Depression

Often people are told by those around them you should get some help without a lot of guidance on how to do so, Dr. Koire points out. So what does getting help actually look like? Often, it starts with talking to your obstetrician or primary car provider about how youve been feeling dont brush off your symptoms or expect that theyll just resolve on their own. Treatment can include psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two. Postpartum Support International can be a helpful resource for finding local providers. Dr. Koire also suggests a newly launched mental health hotline: the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline which provides 24/7, free, confidential support before, during, and after pregnancy.

If youre in the grips of a serious mental health crisis and are feeling actively suicidal, you need emergency care: going to the emergency room may be a necessity in those more serious situations.

In short, prenatal depression can affect your baby, but the worst thing you can do is be caught in a shame spiral and not tell anyone about your feelings. Monk sums up the main message that mental health providers want their patients to hear: Prenatal depression is common and treatable. Do reach out for help to feel on the road to being back to your usual self, for you and your baby.

Experts:

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Trigger #: Family Separation

Family separation can happen for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the separation was deliberate one family member voluntarily decided to discontinue being in a relationship with other family members. In other cases, it may be the result of specific trauma, such as separation due to deportation or immigration-related issues.

Addressing situational depression caused by family separationNo matter the reason for family separation, a significant loss has occurred. Family separation is unique because individuals still experience grief, but with the additional uncertainty of whether or not they will see their family member again.

Rebuilding a sense of community can help increase a feeling of belonging. Depending on the severity of your traumatic experiences and the resulting symptoms, professional help may be needed to recover from this considerable life change.

What Does Brain Stimulation Or Neuromodulation Do

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In the evolving understanding of depression, the disorder is seen less as a neurochemical deficit, such as lack of the neurotransmitter serotonin or dopamine, than as a problem of wiringa failure of activation of or interaction between key nodes in neural networks, or the very connections themselves, especially when processing emotion-related stimuli, reward stimuli, or executive functioning.

As a result, treatment now increasingly encompasses methods of electrically or magnetically altering nerve activity by selectively stimulating specific components of brain circuitry. Neuroimaging studies have repeatedly demonstrated functional abnormalities in networks linking such key areas of the brain as the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex.

The goal of neuromodulation is to stimulate neuroplasticity, to jump start the growth of new nerve connections to create new neural activity patterns that restore more mental and behavioral flexibility. Studies show that, over time, the devices can significantly improve mood and memory. Copycat devices are now being snapped up by elite athletes and others looking for a performance edge they undergo a bout of stimulation before training.

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Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

According to NICE guidelines, you might be offered repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for severe depression that has not responded to other treatments.

Treatment involves daily sessions of about 30 minutes, lasting for a number of weeks.

The NICE guidelines say that it’s safe enough and works well enough to be offered on the NHS. Currently this treatment is available at a limited number of NHS trusts and some private clinics.

Is neurosurgery ever used to treat depression?

Neurosurgery for mental disorder is only performed very rarely, in extreme circumstances. NMD is only offered if all other treatments have failed and cannot ever be performed without your consent. See our pages on NMD for more information.

Therapy And The Big Picture In Depression Treatment

One of the hallmarks of depression is feeling overwhelmed and having trouble focusing. Therapy helps you step back and see what might be contributing to your depression and how you can make changes. Here are some of the big picture themes that therapy can help with:

Relationships.Understanding the patterns of your relationships, building better relationships, and improving current relationships will help reduce isolation and build social support, important in preventing depression.

Setting healthy boundaries. If you are stressed and overwhelmed, and feel like you just cant say no, you are more at risk for depression. Setting healthy boundaries in relationships and at work can help relieve stress, and therapy can help you identify and validate the boundaries that are right for you.

Handling lifes problems. Talking with a trusted therapist can provide good feedback on more positive ways to handle lifes challenges and problems.

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What Is Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Certain areas of the brain are known to be implicated in depression and other mood disorders. TMS uses powerful electromagnets to safely activate these regions. A device positioned on the upper forehead delivers short electromagnetic pulses. These pass through the skull to stimulate nerve cells in the targeted area. Over time, this technique leaves that part of the brain more active, which is thought to then affect entire brain networks responsible for regulating mood.

The most common side effect is temporary headache or discomfort at the site of stimulation. The most serious and rare potential side effect is seizure.

When To Call Your Healthcare Provider

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If you have 5 or more of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks, call your healthcare provider:

  • Lasting sad, anxious, or empty mood

  • Loss of interest in almost all activities

  • Appetite and weight changes

  • Changes in sleep patterns, such as inability to sleep or sleeping too much

  • Slowing of physical activity, speech, and thinking OR agitation, increased restlessness, and irritability

  • Ongoing feelings of worthlessness and/or feelings of undue guilt

  • Trouble concentrating or making decisions

  • Repeating thoughts of death or suicide, wishing to die, or attempting suicide

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When Does Depression Need Treatment

Any bout of depression that lasts more than two weeks can benefit from treatment, and the earlier it is begun, the better. Early treatment has the highest likelihood of bringing about full remission of symptoms and preventing relapse or recurrence. The so-called burden of depression is great, as the disorder is a major cause of missed work and poor productivity, and it has a devastating effect on relationships, family life, physical health, and general quality of life.

There are four main approaches to treatmentpsychotherapy, antidepressant medications, neuromodulation, and lifestyle measuresand all address different facets of the disorder. Chronic and severe depression responds best to a combination of medication and cognitive behavioral therapy . Signs that depression is responding include less irritability, increased energy, feeling less overwhelmed, normalization of appetite, improved ability to concentrate, return of libido, and improved sense of self.

Tms Therapy For Depression

If youre suffering from major depression that has been resistant to therapy, medication, and self-help, then TMS therapy may be an option. Transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy is a noninvasive treatment that directs recurring magnetic energy pulses at the regions of the brain that are involved in mood. These magnetic pulses pass painlessly through the skull and stimulate brain cells which can improve communication between different parts of the brain and ease depression symptoms.

While TMS may be able to improve treatment-resistant depression, that doesnt mean its a cure for depression or that your symptoms wont return. However, it could provide sufficient improvements in your energy and drive to enable you to begin talk therapy or make the lifestyle changessuch as improving your diet, exercising, and building your support networkthat can help preserve your depression recovery in the long term.

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Many Unknowns In New Approach To Tms

Given its potential, the FDA granted clearance for Magnus Medical, a biomedical company working with Stanford, to market SAINT through a 510 pathway a process that relies on the safety track record of previously approved devices for TMS. However, many questions must be answered before this novel treatment can be widely adopted.

Treatment For Anxiety And Depression In Men

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Your doctor is a good source of information and can discuss with you whether what youre experiencing may be anxiety or depression. They can also refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Any of these health professionals can help you with an action plan, whether or not you are diagnosed with anxiety, depression or both.

Anxiety and depression are like any other conditions there are ways to treat and manage them.

Lifestyle changes, such as spending time with supportive friends and family, regular exercise, getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet and cutting down on alcohol and other drugs are all worthwhile changes that can help to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms.

Psychological treatments, including cognitive behaviour therapy, are effective in treating anxiety and depression and are often recommended first, particularly for mild to moderate anxiety and depression. Your doctor may refer you to see a psychologist or other counsellor for this type of treatment.

For some people, antidepressant medication might also be an option. Antidepressants can be effective for both anxiety and depression. They usually take at least 2 weeks before they start to help, and it may also take some time for your doctor to find the medication and dose that is most effective for you.

Depression can affect anyoneeven a person who appears to live in relatively ideal circumstances.

Several factors can play a role in depression:

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Tap Into Your Spirituality

Religion can be an impactful source of support for many people dealing with depression, but there is no need to join a church, synagogue, or mosque unless you wish to. Simple daily practices such as meditation or adding to a list of things you’re grateful can help boost mood and overall well-being.

Meditation can have a range of beneficial effects such as lowering stress levels and helping people to become more aware of their thoughts and reactions.

Research indicates that an intervention called mindfulness-based cognitive therapy , which combines elements of cognitive behavioral therapy with mindfulness meditation, can be helpful in treating depression and preventing future relapses of symptoms.

Studies also suggest that different types of mindfulness meditative practices can also be effective in the treatment of depression.

There are many different types of meditation, but you can get started with a simple meditative exercise with these steps:

  • Sit comfortably.
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