What's the Most Effective Therapy For Depression?

[Sunstone]

Depression is a very common disorder. What's the most effective therapy for it? Medication? Cognitive therapy? Prayer? Toughing it out? Something else?

 

[robtex]

how many kinds of depression exist and what are the speculated causes?

 

[FatMan]

If the depression is due to a chemical imbalance, medication is the best alternative. If it is due to overwhelming grief, medication will only surpress the feelings, but not cure the issues.

Persons who are bi-polar are clinically depressed and meds are about the only thing that will balance their imbalance.

 

[CDRaider]

If the depression is due to a chemical imbalance, medication is the best alternative. If it is due to overwhelming grief, medication will only surpress the feelings, but not cure the issues.

Persons who are bi-polar are clinically depressed and meds are about the only thing that will balance their imbalance.

Truthfully, the majority of depression is not organic (i.e.-chemical) the majority has functional (social) causes so medication doesn't really work that well.

For people with organic depression the chemical imbalance is permanent. With the functional depression, the chemical imbalance (that is caused by social factors) will vary and wain as the social factors change. This makes the medicine ineffective just like constant mutation of the common cold makes it impossible to cure.

 

[FatMan]

Let me clarify that when I say "medication" I'm not strictly saying medicine, but rather a treatment protocol.

 

[Bishka]

There is no 'one' cure for depression. Depression can stem from many different places; chemical, heriditary, situational/environmental.

Each an every case of depression is uniquely differnet and requires a different way of helping the person heal.

For example, I can get out of depressions with sunlight and spending time outside, my sister on the other hand has to have medication. We are both from the same family, yet our depressions are very different.

 

[standing_alone]

The effectiveness of depression therapy varies according to the person and the particular depression they have (and the severity of the depression). What works for one person isn't going to work for another. Probably one of the best things a depressed person can do is seek help by speaking with a psychologist and a psychiatrist - that way they can start on the path to find a therapy that is effective for them.

 

[spacemonkey]

I usually try to think about people who have things going so much worse for them then I, and then tell myself to stop feeling sorry for myself.

 

[Green Gaia]

Exercise and a good diet generally work for me to feel better, but I've don't think I've ever been depressed so bad to need medication. I know some people do. Having a goal and being able to work towards it helps as well. I drown when I feel like my life is floundering. Again though, this is all just me.

 

[Quiddity]

Family usually works for me.

 

[Buttercup]

Depression is a very common disorder. What's the most effective therapy for it? Medication? Cognitive therapy? Prayer? Toughing it out? Something else?

First I think evaluation is in order to discern if the depression is clinical or situational. Meaning...is this depression a pattern throughout someone's life or situationally induced? Both can be helped with medication and often the off balance is related to brain chemistry. Depression can also be attributed to heath problems making the depression physically induced. In any case....first order of the day is a visit with a physician.

After evaluation and possible prescribing of medication, I would advise the complimentary solution of counseling.

Exercise is also known to be a depression solution. Mild forms of depression or simply feeling down can be alleviated with hearty exercise.

And even though I'm going to sound like your mother.....eating right helps curb depression as well.

I think if a person uses a combination of methods, you can keep depression at bay. There is help. I think the greatest motivating factor however is simply being so frustrated with being depressed that you find your own solutions....which usually are a compilation of all those listed above.

 

[standing_alone]

First I think evaluation is in order to discern if the depression is clinical or situational. Meaning...is this depression a pattern throughout someone's life or situationally induced? Both can be helped with medication and often the off balance is related to brain chemistry. Depression can also be attributed to heath problems making the depression physically induced. In any case....first order of the day is a visit with a physician.

Well I agree with most of what you say, I don't agree that medication need always be prescribed. Sometimes medications do more harm than good (some increase the risk of suicide in some patients, for example) or could create a dependency. The pursuit of medications needs to be done carefully and cautiously. But then again, I'm not a psychiatrist, so my opinion is irrelevant.

 

[Buttercup]

Well I agree with most of what you say, I don't agree that medication need always be prescribed. Sometimes medications do more harm than good (some increase the risk of suicide in some patients, for example) or could create a dependency. The pursuit of medications needs to be done carefully and cautiously. But then again, I'm not a psychiatrist, so my opinion is irrelevant.

Well, yeah I agree. That's why I say the first order of things is a visit with a doctor. And then if he/she thinks you need meds then I say try it. Unfortunately, meds sometimes do have that suicide factor in for teens....and that's scary.

 

[Willamena]

Depression is a very common disorder. What's the most effective therapy for it? Medication? Cognitive therapy? Prayer? Toughing it out? Something else?

Chocolate.

 

[Scuba Pete]

This has come up before and I have the same answer:

VOLUNTEER!

That's right, stop worrying about yourself and FORCE yourself to think about others.

Youth Groups.
Homeless Shelters.
Food banks.
Battered women's centers.
Be creative!!!

Throw yourself into the work of serving others and you will NEVER be denied. Put others first and your problems will be as nothing.

This will not eliminate your problems, only put them into perspective.

 

[standing_alone]

This has come up before and I have the same answer:

VOLUNTEER!

That's right, stop worrying about yourself and FORCE yourself to think about others.

Youth Groups.
Homeless Shelters.
Food banks.
Battered women's centers.
Be creative!!!

Throw yourself into the work of serving others and you will NEVER be denied. Put others first and your problems will be as nothing.

This will not eliminate your problems, only put them into perspective.

I think you make a great point that engrossing one's self in an activity, especially ones like you mentioned, is a great thing to do (but it can't always be the only thing an individual pursues, depending on his/her circumstance). At the least, if the volunteer work doesn't put one's problems in perspective, it will at least keep his/her mind off such negative thoughts - which is good for curbing depression, in my opinion. I used to have a friend that would swear by keeping herself focused on external tasks so her mind wouldn't focus on other things. I could see volunteer work as being a great way to do this, not only do you help yourself, but so many others that really need help.

 

[Tigress]

Depression is a very common disorder. What's the most effective therapy for it? Medication? Cognitive therapy? Prayer? Toughing it out? Something else?

It depends entirely on the person, and on the type of depression one has. There have been several suggestions thus far. The key is to try them all and see which one(s) work(s) for you.

 

[dbakerman76]

My depression is strictly a chemical imbalance. So in my world, medication does the trick. There is nothing situational about my depression since my life is pretty good.

Of course, there are times when I'm depressed that I make bad decisions and end up creating a situation that could worsen my depression.

So maybe it's not as simple as I thought.

Oh well.

 

[Buttercup]

I figure a large part of depression is learning to live with yourself and no-one can do this for you, or even teach you this.

This is very true. To get over depression sometimes you have to get so sick of yourself that it forces you to deal with it....in any way that works for you. And you may have to try several avenues of fixing it until you get it right. It can be done.

 

[Ozzie]

This has come up before and I have the same answer:

VOLUNTEER!

That's right, stop worrying about yourself and FORCE yourself to think about others.

Youth Groups.
Homeless Shelters.
Food banks.
Battered women's centers.
Be creative!!!

Throw yourself into the work of serving others and you will NEVER be denied. Put others first and your problems will be as nothing.

This will not eliminate your problems, only put them into perspective.

This is great advice for someone emerging from a depressive episode. It would help greatly to break the cycle of internal focussed positive feedback associated with depression. I'm not sure it would help someone who cannot get out of bed for being depressed.