HOW IS DEPRESSION TREATED?
Since depression commonly involves stressful events and may also involve changes in body chemistry, it is usually best treated by a combination of medical and psychological (or talking) treatments. Medical treatment includes antidepressant medication and psychological treatments include cognitive and behavioural therapy, and learning how to cope with stress.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of depression it is advisable to talk to your doctor who can discuss the available treatment options with you.
1. Antidepressant medication
These drugs will usually relieve depression in most people and may help to prevent relapse of the illness. However, unless episodes of depression occur very frequently, most people do not take antidepressant medication every day of their lives. They only take the medication when they are depressed and continue taking the medication for about four months to one year after recovery.
What about pregnancy and breastfeeding?
It is possible and sometimes necessary to take antidepressants when pregnant and breastfeeding. However, you should only do this after consulting your doctor.
How long do these drugs take to work?
Antidepressants do not relieve your depression straight away. These drugs take some time to have an effect on your mood. In the first few days some types of drugs are most likely to help with sleep and tend to have a calming effect, sometimes making people feel very tired and weak. However, after a week or two of taking the medication regularly this calming effect gives way to increasing alertness and energy. It may take up to eight weeks before the maximum benefits of antidepressant medication are noticed. Therefore, you should not expect to notice the benefits from this medicine too quickly.
There are a number of different types of antidepressant drugs. Ask your doctor for further information about these drugs and their side effects.
Antidepressant medication may make you feel drowsy so do not have the baby sleeping in bed with you.
Take your medication as directed and never reduce of stop taking your medication without first talking to your doctor.
2. Psychotherapy (talking treatments or counselling)
There are a number of different kinds of psychotherapy that are useful for people who are depressed. The following information outlines three useful forms of psychotherapy.
Cognitive therapy
People who are depressed tend to feel as if they are a hopeless failure. When something bad happens they blame themselves, but when good things happen they tell themselves they are just lucky. Furthermore, depressed people tend to believe that things will never get any better. Cognitive therapy aims to help people identify their negative ways of thinking and to teach them how to think in a more positive and helpful way. People learn that they have some control over what happens to them. They learn to bounce back from failure more effectively and to recognise and take credit for the good things in their lives.
Behavioural therapy
Depressed people tend to have trouble motivating themselves. They often sit for hours, thinking about their problems and missing out on good opportunities. Behaviour therapy aims to identify and change aspects of behaviour that may cause or prolong symptoms of depression. Some forms of behavioural change include activity planning, problem solving, goal planning, and social skills training.
Interpersonal therapy
This form of therapy aims to help people resolve one or more of their interpersonal problems that may be causing or prolonging symptoms of depression. For example, interpersonal therapy may help you cope with prolonged grief reactions after the death of a loved one, adjustment to new life situations such as parenthood or divorce, or may help with the resolution of interpersonal disputes (e.g., marital problems or disputes with colleagues at work).
