Treatments

Books and tapes: “Depression cured in three minutes!” and “Never have depression again” are just two titles from a myriad of books and tapes sold on the web and book stores across the country. As self help books bloomed in our country, depression wasn’t going to be left out. You can even find these self help books at your local library, even if you can’t find a book about the definition of depression. Although it doesn’t seem as though a major depressive disorder can be cured by reading a book, books and tapes seem to help people who believe they are depressed, but have never gone to the doctor in search of prescriptions.

Prescriptions: Lack of knowledge and research among the populace has lead to over-prescription of antidepressants, especially to females. Also, it has recently been proven that pills such as Prozac or Zoloft don’t help much more than placebos.

Hormones (women):  Before menstruation, estrogen levels drop which also causes serotonin levels drop. New research has shown that this may be the primary cause of depression in some women and also why women are more emotionally affected by comorbid depression and alcohol abuse than men. Therefore, hormone based medication may be the answer to many women’s depression, though more research needs to be conducted.

 

 

Change of diet or lifestyle: Just like exercise that shapes a healthy, happy body, a healthy and nutritious diet also improves your overall wellbeing. “One of the conclusions we can draw from this is that exercise may be just as effective as medication and may be a better alternative for certain patients,” (James Blumenthal) High stress jobs and lifestyles can also deeply affects a person’s emotional wellbeing. Many people who are able and willing to leave their high stress lifestyles find that they are much happier in their new environment.

Therapists: Many people whose depression is derived from past family experiences or emotional instabilities from events or the people around them benefit particularly from therapy sessions. People who have depression derived from other sources are also helped by therapy. It may be the philosophical demeanor you attain from self realization and exploration.