If you 've been treated for depression but your symptoms haven 't improved, you may have treatment-resistant depression. Taking an antidepressant or going to psychological counseling (psychotherapy) eases depression symptoms for most people. But with treatment-resistant depression, standard treatments aren 't enough. They may not help much at all, or your symptoms may improve, only to keep coming back. If your primary care doctor prescribed antidepressants and your depression symptoms continue despite treatment, ask your doctor if he or she can recommend a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions (psychiatrist). The psychiatrist will review your medical history and may: Ask about life situations …show more content…
For some people, it takes even longer. Increase your dose. Because people respond to medications differently, you may benefit from a higher dose of medication than is usually prescribed. Ask your doctor whether this is an option for you — don 't change your dose on your own. Switch antidepressants. For a number of people, the first antidepressant tried isn 't effective. You may need to try several before you find one that works for you. Add another type of antidepressant. Your doctor may prescribe two different classes of antidepressants at the same time. That way they 'll affect a wider range of brain chemicals linked to mood. These chemicals are neurotransmitters that include dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. Add a medication generally used for another condition. Your doctor may prescribe a medication that 's generally used for another mental or physical health disorder, along with an antidepressant. This approach, known as augmentation, may include antipsychotics, mood stabilizers (lithium or anti-seizure medications), anti-anxiety medications, thyroid hormone, beta blockers, stimulants or other drugs. Consider the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) genotyping test. This test checks for specific genes that indicate how well your body can process (metabolize) a medication. Because of inherited (genetic) traits that cause variations in certain P450 enzymes, medications may affect each person differently.
Of these different options, medications and therapy are the most commonly chosen route to take by people who have the illness. For medication, certain medications will try to affect the balance of serotonin or norepinephrine. Others will try to regulate the amount of dopamine in the brain. All of these are affected by neurotransmitters, which are located in the brain, and affect a person’s moods. Those that affect the amount of serotonin in the brain are commonly called SSRIs, or selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. Popular brand names are Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil
Pharmacotherapy i.e. treatment through drugs in this case antidepressants, is one of the many therapies used to treat depression. There are varieties of antidepressants that are used as a treatment of depression, for example tricyclics. The newest and most commonly used antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The Cochrane review (2007) has showed evidence that SSRIs such as fluoxetine compared with a placebo have been effective when treating depression in children and adolescents. Another type of antidepressants that have been used in treatment of depression are tricyclics, unlike SSRIs, a study by Hazell (2004) has shown that they are an ineffective treatment of depression.
There are many different types of major depression symptoms and which means there are many prescription drugs to fit each and every one of them. Prozac is used to treat severe depressive disorder, bulimia nervosa, and panic disorder (Prozac, 2014). Prozac affects the chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms (Prozac, 2014). Depressive disorders come in several different forms, it can make things you find pleasurable not as good, and this is a severe case of depression. Another type is Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is a depressive sickness that occurs during the winter months due because you’re not getting as sun light so you’ll lack vitamin D.
However, the issue is far more complicated than that. Treating depression requires many challenging components, antidepressants are only one them. Each person responds to antidepressants differently, which means that one drug capable of curing everyone does not exist. Antidepressants have proven to be ineffective for patients with mild to moderate symptoms, and what’s more, these drugs that nobody has proven to be completely effective come with some very serious side effects. At the very least, it’s fair to say that medication alone usually is not enough. Treating depression requires therapy and lifestyle changes not medication.
Some of the most common antidepressants include Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil, Remeron and Effexor, these come capsules or tablets, studies show that the effects of these drugs can include: Nervousness and anxiety, Insomnia, Irritability, Violent thoughts and actions, Agitation, Hostility, Suicidal thoughts or suicide, Tremors, Irregular heartbeat, Aggression, Confusion and incoherent thoughts, Paranoia, Hallucinations, Psychosis,
Jann States that sufferers of BPD are three times more likely to suffer a depressive episode than a manic or hypomanic episode. (Jann, 2014) The Joanna Briggs institute Identified that the suicide rate for bipolar suffers are 15 times higher than that of non-affected individuals of the same age and sex. Eighty percent of these suicides occur during a depressive episode. (Hung Chu, 2016). Therefore appropriate pharmacological therapy not only during the maintenance period to reduce reoccurrence but also during these acute episodes is highly important. Pharmaceutical treatment includes the use of medication such as mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics and anti-depressants. The Joanna Briggs institute recommends that combination therapy involving both mood stabilizers such as Sodium valproate or lithium valproate and antipsychotics risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine and haloperidol is best to treat acute mania associated with Bipolar. As it increases adherence to medication regime. (Tufanaru, 2016) The same institute encourages the use Olanzapine as a monotherapy or in combination with fluoxetine in the treatment of Depression associated with Bipolar disorder. (Hung chu, 2016) Lithium continues to be the first line mood stabilizer under current guidelines but may be used in conjunction with Carbamazepine where depression is evident. (Hung chu, 2016) The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2015 also shows preference for combination therapy
According to some reports, nearly 11% of women and 5% of men in the United States are currently taking one or more anti-depressant medications. These medications can truly be life savers, helping people get through some of the most difficult times in their lives, and there is certainly no shame in seeking a little help to get through a challenging period. However, most people are uncomfortable with the idea of taking a mood-altering, prescription medication for their entire lives. Some people are concerned about the potentially unknown, long-term side effects of anti-depressants. Others just want to experience life naturally, without any drugs. There are several factors you need to consider before you make the decision to discontinue anti-depressant therapy. First off, ask yourself if your depression really has gotten better. How has your mood been, generally speaking? Has your appetite returned to normal, or are you eating considerably more or less than you normally would? Are you sleeping better? How is your social life? Make sure that your depression really has lifted and that you haven't just learned to live with the symptoms of depression. If you've been "stable" for at least six months, are feeling confident, have a good support system in place, and have the desire to stop treatment, it may be time to ask your doctor about stopping your anti-depressant therapy. It is very important that you do not just stop taking your medicine. Your body has gotten used to your medication and abruptly stopping it could cause serious withdrawal symptoms, including dizziness, nausea, fainting, and even a return of your depression. Your doctor will likely "wean" you off of your medicine by gradually lowering your dose over a period of time, usually a few weeks to a few months. This can be frustrating for some people who see depression as a chapter in their life that they are eager to close. However, by following your dose
While effective, prescription drugs for depression and anxiety can cause dangerous side effects. Plus, these drugs don't do anything to get to the root cause of the problem.
Depression is a very hard illness to cure, but, daily antidepressants and weekly or monthly therapy can help depression over time. Depressive symptoms can be temporarily “fixed” by antidepressants, but more than likely, the depression will set in again. Although, if you use the drug treatment and therapy, depression has a lesser chance of returning. A new study with 595 patients with major depression showed that the best treatment plan involves a combination of psychotherapy and drug therapy. Fred Duman, M.D. says, “Even patients prescribed medication alone need psychological attention. Knowledgeable clinicians can miss things like poor compliance, life stresses and substance abuse that can interfere with the medication’s working.” Furthermore, psychotherapy and antidepressants together can help cure depression, which is why depression should be treated this
The newest medications used to suppress depression are collectively known as selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs work by altering the
As the literature remains inconclusive as to the relation between current major treatment modalities and depressive disorder, and given the extremities of the potential dangers of antidepressant medications, it is apparent that there is a need to develop new interventions, which show greater efficacy, safety, and acceptability.
Depression is typically treated with the help of professional counseling. It can also be treated by prescribed medicine from a psychiatrist. People that have depression can also be treated as an outpatient or in some cases they can hospitalized.
The first step to treating many of these new cases of depression is the prescription and use of antidepressant medication, however this has cause a mass flooding of our society with unnecessary prescription drugs. Due to the ease of treatment, primarily with prescription drugs, and the large range of severity in depression is often over diagnosed, adding to the problem.
It is not unusual for patients to need more than one mood stabilizing medication for best results.
Depression is a serious mental illness that can be treated. Knowing the type of depression is important. A person may find the treatment that best suits them with the trial and error process. The severity of the depression means a more intensive treatment. Most people choose to take antidepressants rather than actually getting help with their problem. They shouldn’t rely on the medication alone; if they do it can bring unwanted side effects. All of the depression treatments take time, and sometimes it might feel overwhelming or frustratingly slow. That is normal. Recovery usually has its ups and downs.