Everyone gets sad sometimes--it's human. But if you're one of the 10 percent of men or 20 percent of women with true depression, you know the difference. Now, promising treatments are revolutionising the course of this potentially devastating illness.
What is happening
For generation, depression was stigmatised as a personal weakness. Even friends would exhort the sufferer to 'snap out of it'. Then, in the 1980's scientists started using cutting-edge imaging techniques to take a closer look at what happens in the brain when a person feels depressed. They found that the condition has a lot more to do with brain chemistry and genetics than it does with willpower.
When you're fine with the world and not feeling depressed, plentiful stores of chemical messangers called neurotransmitters zip effortlessly around your brain. They literally leap critical gaps between the brain's millions of nerve cells, called neurones, and keep communication flowing. When you're depressed, this easy interchange breaks down. The key mood neurotransmitters--chemicals such as serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine--become unbalanced, and neurons then have problems conducting impulses back and forth.
Depression can take many forms, and it causes are complex. In some people underlying brain chemistry is all-important, and in others a single upsetting event can trigger a downward spiral, but in most people it's a complex interaction of internal chemical imbalances and external factors (see on shortly.) Generally, you will be formally diagnosed with depression after you've had at least two consecutive weeks of sadness, sleepness, poor appetite and concentration, or a loss of internet in normally pleasure activities. More severe forms of clinical depression can be acutely distressing and debilitating with symptoms lasting for months, even years.
LIKELY FIRST STEPS
What is happening
For generation, depression was stigmatised as a personal weakness. Even friends would exhort the sufferer to 'snap out of it'. Then, in the 1980's scientists started using cutting-edge imaging techniques to take a closer look at what happens in the brain when a person feels depressed. They found that the condition has a lot more to do with brain chemistry and genetics than it does with willpower.
When you're fine with the world and not feeling depressed, plentiful stores of chemical messangers called neurotransmitters zip effortlessly around your brain. They literally leap critical gaps between the brain's millions of nerve cells, called neurones, and keep communication flowing. When you're depressed, this easy interchange breaks down. The key mood neurotransmitters--chemicals such as serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine--become unbalanced, and neurons then have problems conducting impulses back and forth.
Depression can take many forms, and it causes are complex. In some people underlying brain chemistry is all-important, and in others a single upsetting event can trigger a downward spiral, but in most people it's a complex interaction of internal chemical imbalances and external factors (see on shortly.) Generally, you will be formally diagnosed with depression after you've had at least two consecutive weeks of sadness, sleepness, poor appetite and concentration, or a loss of internet in normally pleasure activities. More severe forms of clinical depression can be acutely distressing and debilitating with symptoms lasting for months, even years.
LIKELY FIRST STEPS
- Antidepressants to correct brain chemistry imbalances and improve mood.
- Counselling to unveil and help you cope with sources of your depression.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
- Will I have to take this medicine for the rest of my life?
- Am I going to start gaining weight while I'm on this antidepressants?
- How likely is it that my depression will get worse?
- Will this happen to my kids?
Treatments
Because depression is so individual, you may need to combine several therapeutic approaches to find the mix that's best for you. Medications or counselling--or both--are the first step for most people with milder depression. The newer antidepressants (SSRIs particularly) adjust chemical imbalances and have transformed many lives. When an SSRI works, you'll likely feel a bit better with in a week, although its full effect will take several weeks. If it doesn't work, your doctor may switch you to another SSRI or different antidepressant entirely. These drugs aren't addictive and can be taken long term.
WHY YOU?
WHY NOW?
Depression can result from a single underlying cause or from numerous factors working simultaneously--from an emotional upset or traumatic loss to a genetic predisposition, implicated as well as health problems (heart disease, hypothy-roidism), medicines (beta-blockers, corticosteroids), hormonal shifts (menopause) and lifestyle
(alcohol habits, lack of expertise, poor diet).
Depending on the type of depression you have, counselling often work as well as medication for mild to moderate cases. However, your best chance to feel better, and even to banish the depression altogether, is to
pursue drugs and therapy simultaneously. So if you start with counselling and don't feel any relief within 6 weeks or feel only somewhat better by 12 weeks, adding anti-depressants is a smart move. In fact, antidepressants are a good first step, even for severe, debilitating depression. For every resistant cases, ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) may be your next logical option.
Treatment Options
Because depression is so individual, you may need to combine several therapeutic approaches to find the mix that's best for you. Medications or counselling--or both--are the first step for most people with milder depression. The newer antidepressants (SSRIs particularly) adjust chemical imbalances and have transformed many lives. When an SSRI works, you'll likely feel a bit better with in a week, although its full effect will take several weeks. If it doesn't work, your doctor may switch you to another SSRI or different antidepressant entirely. These drugs aren't addictive and can be taken long term.
WHY YOU?
WHY NOW?
Depression can result from a single underlying cause or from numerous factors working simultaneously--from an emotional upset or traumatic loss to a genetic predisposition, implicated as well as health problems (heart disease, hypothy-roidism), medicines (beta-blockers, corticosteroids), hormonal shifts (menopause) and lifestyle
(alcohol habits, lack of expertise, poor diet).
Depending on the type of depression you have, counselling often work as well as medication for mild to moderate cases. However, your best chance to feel better, and even to banish the depression altogether, is to
pursue drugs and therapy simultaneously. So if you start with counselling and don't feel any relief within 6 weeks or feel only somewhat better by 12 weeks, adding anti-depressants is a smart move. In fact, antidepressants are a good first step, even for severe, debilitating depression. For every resistant cases, ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) may be your next logical option.
Treatment Options
MEDICATIONS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSRIs First-line drugs; correct chemical imbalances.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reversible MAO inhibitors includes Aurorix.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newer antidepressants Affect other neurotransmitters along with serotonin.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAO inhibitors Older drugs, often interact with other meds.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tricyclic antidepressants Also effective but with more side effects.
Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Counselling Talking can be as effective as medication.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Behavioural therapy Good for clearly defined problems.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECT Electro-convulsive therapy for severe cases.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet & exercise Provide physical support, emotional lift.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sleep Getting the right amount is critical.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stay Connected To friends, family and spiritual beliefs.
Along with these medical approaches, You'll also need to develop smart lifestyle strategies, focusing on communicating openly with your doctor, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet. The good news is that most people eventually find a balanced approach for dealing with depression that makes them feel much better. Concentrate on finding the combination that works best for you. If your depression doesn't lift completely during the first intensive phase of treatment, the risk for relapse is high. So enlist those who care for you to help you get on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSRIs First-line drugs; correct chemical imbalances.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reversible MAO inhibitors includes Aurorix.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newer antidepressants Affect other neurotransmitters along with serotonin.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAO inhibitors Older drugs, often interact with other meds.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tricyclic antidepressants Also effective but with more side effects.
Procedures
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Counselling Talking can be as effective as medication.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Behavioural therapy Good for clearly defined problems.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECT Electro-convulsive therapy for severe cases.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet & exercise Provide physical support, emotional lift.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sleep Getting the right amount is critical.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stay Connected To friends, family and spiritual beliefs.
Along with these medical approaches, You'll also need to develop smart lifestyle strategies, focusing on communicating openly with your doctor, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet. The good news is that most people eventually find a balanced approach for dealing with depression that makes them feel much better. Concentrate on finding the combination that works best for you. If your depression doesn't lift completely during the first intensive phase of treatment, the risk for relapse is high. So enlist those who care for you to help you get on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment