Depression Treatment 

Therapy, Medication,  and Lifestyle Changes That Can Help 

When you’re depressed, it can feel like you’ll never get out from under its shadow. However,  even the most severe depression is a treatable condition. There are many effective ways to deal with depression, including lifestyle changes, therapy, medications, and alternative treatments. Learning about  the treatment options will help you decide what measures are most likely to work best for your particular situation  and needs. 

Exploring your depression treatment options 

Just as no two people are affected  the exact same way by depression, there is no “one size fits all” treatment  that cures depression. What works for one person might not work for another.  The best way to treat depression  is to become  as informed  as possible about  the treatment options, and then tailor them to meet your needs. 

Depression treatment tips: 

• Learn as much as you  can about your depression.  It’s important to determine whether your depression symptoms are due to an underlying  medical condition. If so, that  condition will need  to be treated first. How severe your depression is also has  a role in treatment; the more severe the  depression, the more intensive  the treatment is likely to be. 
• It takes time  to find  the right treatment.  It might take some trial  and error  to find the treatment  and supports that works best  for you. For example, it might take a few tries  to find a therapist that you click with if you decide  to pursue therapy. Or you  may try different types of exercise, finally  to find  that what’s best for you  may be a twenty-minute walk after work.  Be open  to change and  a little experimentation. 
• Don’t rely on medications alone.  It’s hard  to escape ads about medication as  a treatment for depression. Although  medication can be effective  for severe depression, studies have shown that therapy can be as effective or  even a more effective treatment for many types  of depression. Therapy and/or lifestyle changes may  be all you need, and they come without the side effects of medication. If you do decide  to try medication, remember that medication works best when you pursue therapy as well. 
• Get social support.  The more you cultivate your social connections,  the more protected you  are from depression. If you are feeling stuck, don’t hesitate  to talk to trusted family members  or friends. Asking for help is  not a weakness but a sign  of strength. 
• Treatment takes time and commitment.  All of these depression treatments take time, and sometimes it might feel overwhelming  or frustratingly slow. That is normal. Recovery  has its ups  and downs. 

Lifestyle changes: An essential part  of depression treatment 

Lifestyle changes are simple but powerful tools  in treating depression. Sometimes they might  be all you need. Even if you need other treatment as well, lifestyle changes go  a long way towards helping lift depression. And they can help keep depression at bay once you are feeling better. 

Lifestyle changes that can treat depression 

• Exercise. Regular exercise provides natural, mood lifting chemical changes in your body. You don’t have to train for a marathon; even a short walk every day will help. 
• Nutrition. Eating a regular, balanced diet is important for both your physical  and mental health. 
• Sleep. Poor sleep has a strong effect on mood. Make getting the right amount  of sleep for you a priority. 
• Social Support.  Strong social networks reduce isolation, a key risk factor for depression. Keep in regular contact  with friends and family, or consider joining a class or group. Volunteering  is a wonderful way  to get social support  and help others while also helping yourself.   
• Stress Reduction.  Make changes in your life  to help manage and reduce stress. Too much stress exacerbates depression and puts you at risk for future depression. 

Ruling out medical causes  of depression 

If you suspect  that you may be depressed,  and lifestyle changes haven’t worked, make an appointment to see your primary care doctor for  a thorough checkup. If your depression is the result  of medical causes, therapy  and antidepressants will do little to help. The depression won’t lift until the underlying health problem is identified and treated. 

Your doctor will check for medical conditions  that mimic depression,  and also make sure you are not  taking medications that can cause depression as  a side effect. Many medical conditions and  medications can cause symptoms  of depression, including sadness, fatigue,  and the loss  of pleasure. Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid, is a particularly common mood buster, especially in women. The more  medications you are taking,  the more  the risk for  drug interactions. This is  especially important  to consider  in older adults, who often take many different medications every day. 

Finding a therapist  to treat your  depression

If there is no underlying medical cause for your symptoms of depression, then finding  a mental health specialist is the next best step  for treatment. Although there are  many types of mental health professionals,  one of the most important things to consider when choosing  a therapist is your connection  with this person. The right therapist will be  a caring  and supportive partner  in your depression treatment and recovery. 

There are many ways  to find  a therapist. Word  of mouth is one of the best  ways to find a good therapist; your friends and family  may have some ideas. Your primary care doctor  may be able  to provide an  initial referral, too. National mental health organizations can also help with referral lists  of licensed credentialed providers. If cost is an issue, check out local senior centers, religious organizations,  and community mental health clinics. Such places often offer therapy on a sliding scale  for payment.   

How do I know  which therapist is best? 

Don’t  be surprised if it takes  a few tries  to find the right therapist. You want someone that you  feel you can trust  and that you  feel comfortable sharing your thoughts.  A good therapist will not pressure you into treatment,  and encourages questions about his  or her qualifications  and patient-therapist compatibility. Make sure that your therapist is licensed  and credentialed. 

Psychotherapy  for depression treatment 

Talk therapy is an extremely effective treatment for depression. Therapy gives you tools  to treat depression from a variety of angles. What’s more, what you learn in therapy gives you skills and insight  to help prevent  depression from coming back. 

There  are many types of therapy available. Three of  the more common methods used in  depression 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.

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 can’t 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 what boundaries are right for you. 
• Handling life’s problems. Talking with a trusted therapist can provide good feedback  on more positive ways to handle life’s challenges and problems. 

Individual  or group therapy for depression treatment? 

When you hear the word “therapy” you might automatically think  of one-on-one sessions with a therapist. However, group therapy can be very useful  in depression treatment as well. What are the benefits  of each? Both group  and individual therapy sessions usually last about  an hour. In individual therapy, you are building a strong relationship with one person,  and may feel more comfortable sharing some sensitive information with one person than with  a group. You also get individualized attention. 

Don’t rule out group therapy, however. Listening  to peers going through  the same struggles  can be tremendously validating and help build self-esteem. Often group members are at different points  in their depression, so you might get tips from both someone in the trenches  and someone who has worked through a challenging problem.  You also can get inspiration  and ideas from hearing from others,  and are  of course increasing your social activities and network. 

Medication treatment for depression 

Depression medication may be  the most advertised treatment for depression, but that doesn’t mean it is the most effective. Depression is not just about  a chemical imbalance in the brain. Medication may help relieve some  of the symptoms of moderate and severe depression, but it doesn’t cure  the underlying problem,  and it’s usually  not a long-term solution.  Antidepressant medications also come with side effects and safety concerns – and withdrawal  can be very difficult. If you're considering whether antidepressant medication  is right for you, learning all  the facts  can help you make an informed  and personal decision about how best  to treat your depression. 

If you are taking medication for depression, don’t ignore other treatments. Lifestyle  changes and therapy not only help speed recovery from depression, but provide skills to help prevent a recurrence. 

Alternative and complementary treatments for depression 

Vitamins  and supplements for depression treatment 

If you’ve considered alternative treatments such  as herbal remedies, vitamins or supplements for your  depression, you  are not alone.  Many people with depression have considered them,  and they  are widely available over  the counter. 

The jury is still out on how well these remedies work.  While some vitamins and herbal supplements may  be promising alternative treatments for depression, research is still ongoing. Their efficacy  has not been scientifically proven. If your  depression symptoms  are in part due  to some sort  of nutritional deficiency, you may benefit from additional vitamin supplementation, 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. John’s Wort—a promising herb used for treatment for mild to moderate depression—can 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.   

Other alternative  depression treatments 

• Relaxation techniques.  Although research  is still ongoing, relaxation techniques may  not only help relieve symptoms of depression,  but also reduce stress  and boost feelings of joy  and well-being. Try yoga, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation. 

• Acupuncture. Acupuncture, the technique of  using fine needles on specific points on the body for therapeutic purposes, is increasingly being investigated  as a treatment for depression, with some research studies showing promising results. If you decide  to try acupuncture, make sure that  you find a licensed qualified professional. 

Notes: Dr. M. Kristine Schlossberg

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EditText of this page (last edited March 3, 2010)