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Depression Therapy An Overview



Depression Therapy An Overview

Deciding an appropriate therapy for depression continues as the subject of debate. Certainly if an underlying medical disorder or a medication causes the depression, the immediate course of action appears straightforward. Hypothyroidism, HIV, beta blockers, cardiac medicines and drugs meant to treat psychiatric disease represent examples of the association.

Arguments exist about when to employ non-medicine treatments for depression such as cognitive behavioral therapy versus more traditional antidepressant drugs. Some studies demonstrate very little if any difference in response between these therapies. However the benefits of CBT continue long after the 6-8 sessions while antidepressants provide relief only during ongoing therapy.

Evolving concerns suggest too many individuals receive inappropriate prescriptions for antidepressants. In England and Australia preferred therapy formild to moderate depression avoids use of oral medicines. Studies now suggest only minimal differences between antidepressants and inactive placebo therapy for these patients.

Although heralded as directed therapy for depression, the newer drugs including the SSRIs – Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro – and the SNRIs – Effexor, Cymbalta – may not provide the anticipated relief. Worse yet, the side effects may be considerably greater than anticipated and dwarf any improvement in symptoms.

Alternative therapies for depression include ketamine, modafinil, thyroid replacement, methylphenidate, light therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation. None of these is firmly entrenched in our armamentarium.

View 33 Comments

33 Comments

  2. @Kingboo1081 on

    I have tried over 20 medications with minimal benefits.
    I am treatment resistant.
    ECT didn’t help.
    Psychotherapy doesn’t do anything. :/
    Ketamine next!

  11. @marymcwatters7606 on

    Gardening helps my chronic depression, and tinnitus when I feel weak I eat tuna fish and it gets me up. I don't think it ever goes away, but talking, having friends, exercise always helps.

  14. @garysimone4977 on

    I Google him yes he is a dermatologist He must do a ton of homework and there is no doubt he is ant drug and has the facts to back up…..Good g or him…basicly psychology is a useless occupation a bunch of snake oil people

  15. @DonzLockz on

    You are a walking encyclopaedia! I had it since I was about 5 or 6 but it was formerly diagnosed and medicated at 34 years old. I'm 54 and have tried probably all meds with mediocre results. I also have GAD and social phobia. I'm looking for a miracle now. :/

  16. @EvaniaxPlays on

    I wish my depression were more episodic. I would love it if I just had an occasional six-month period of darkness.

    (It's also a little ironic that the nature of the anti-depressant industry is quite depressing. Relatively few people see improvement. The improvement is generally small, and the side effects can be disturbing. However, the funding promotes the opposite story.)

  17. @kaistun on

    /oo Doctor Landow I got a hard depression 4 years ago in 2018 in the city of Cassel in Germany.
    The depression was so hard that it affected my brain understanding.
    /oo I lost my job, lost my mariage and took the next flight to my home country Tunisia. /oo I got those terrible nightware and less light and vitamine D in Germany.
    /oo since 2020 I build a new life and was working in the pharmacy of my father in Tunisia.
    /oo my question does Olanzapin help as a medical treatement /oo or should I take Deroxat (paroxat).
    /oo anyway what I know is until today depression is less understood.
    /oo what I can say that depression distroyed my life in Germany. I was a computer scientist and happy married man. But one day depression heavly affected my life and I had no life insurance against it.
    /oo today, a had another life but I am happy in my home country and I had no nightware so I sleep well.

  20. @harness84_29 on

    the best therapy for depression is cardio and vitamin D. Wake up and get your ass outside, get your ass out there!! make a playlist and get on that treadmill. seroquel is the devil. it will make you fat and lazy as phuck

  22. @karenblackerby8704 on

    I can’t stop thanking and recommending Dr Igudia on YouTube to everyone who suffers from Genital Herpes infection because I was once suffering from Herpes Virus too, But with the help of Dr Igudia I was able to get rid off it totally with his herbs medication.

  23. @annalee6318 on

    Having genital herpes virus is not the end of life, I was once suffering from herpes simplex virus before I came across Dr Igudia on YouTube who cured my herpes simplex virus with his natural herbal medication completely

  24. @elinoreberkley1643 on

    suicide is the only cure for depression. All this life crap is a scam to get you to work and pay because humans are nothing more than a resource for governments. Wake uP!

  27. @robinsattahip2376 on

    Nothing but one new SSRI after another, that's not progress, it's a just a way to make money. There are very few novel antidepressants or any that stand out above the others. It's been that way for the last 35 years since Prozac was introduced. They work great if you want to be impotent and fat.
    Doctor, if someone has reached the point that they cannot function in their job and marriage, (especially job) they don't have 4-8 weeks before their lives are going to get a whole lot worse. No doctors or pharmaceutical companies seem to understand that.

  28. @tdang9528 on

    He talks in a way that a good experienced doctor should. Gives you the full picture and unbiased and objectivity scientific but accessibile to patients and general lay person. Sometimes I feel that my mechanic is better at helping me than most doctors, not for their lack of expertise but it just seems many arent good with how to address problems in getting to root causes and most practical ways of helping and fixing, this is something mechanics are good at.