Symptoms And Treatment Of Depression

Over the years the “rate of antidepressant use among all ages [have] seen an increase by nearly 400%...” even though deemed ineffective (Smith). This increase came about after more doctors were given a wider range of prescription rights; this allowed them to access a wider range of drugs, capable of delivering a greater level of high if misused. Patients are often prescribed medications without being fully evaluated, leading to treatments which might not be needed. As a result “‘… at least half the folks who are being treated with antidepressants aren't benefiting from the active pharmacological effects of the drugs themselves but from a placebo effect’ " (Hollon, Smith)which affects a person’s state of mind. The Placebo Effect creates the feeling that an ineffective drug is working because it is supposed to work even if the prescribed medication was a simple sugar-water mixture. The efficiency of antidepressants decrease as the prescriber moves across the classes. They are especially less effective when used to treat serious medical conditions but are often used instead of more serious

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between antidepressants and risk of suicide during first few weeks of beginning treatment. Using the data from the Integrated Primary Care Information database, researchers were able to conduct a population cohort study between the years of 1994 and 2012. Patients were followed from the beginning of antidepressant therapy until they attempted/committed suicide

There are different therapies that are used to help treat those who have suicidal ideation, behaviors, and attempts. For individuals to be successful in recovery one or more treatments may be necessary. Succession of recovery is a group effort and wiliness between individuals, family, friends, psychiatrists, and therapists. A traditional anti-depressive medication treatment is started to help reduce negative thoughts (Rovick, 2016). These medications increase serotonin levels in the brain to increase happier thoughts. However; depending on the individual, multiple medications are prescribed to target each symptom displayed. In some cases mood stabilizers or anti-psychotics are needed in correlation with the anti-depressants. Individuals with depression and PTSD are prescribed a SSRI and a medication to target the PTSD. Medications do not work quickly, the average time for depressive

One of the most common psychiatric disorders is known as clinical depression and affects anywhere between 3% and 13% of the population with some form of depressive symptoms affecting as much as 20% of the adult population at some point in their lives (Amenson & Lewinson, 1981; Kessler et al., 1994; Oliver & Simmons, 1985, as cited in Antonuccio, Danton, & DeNelsky, p. 574). The concept of ‘harmful dysfunction’ advanced by Horwitz and Wakefield (2007) describes two key components of clinical depression: a dysfunctional mechanism and the dysfunction being harmful to the individual (as cited in, Parker & Paterson, p.405). This paper explores the following questions: what does research indicate about clinical depression and what are the implications for treatment? Reviews are presented in regards to the emergence of depression and psychotherapy versus medication to treat clinical depression. Considerations are briefly discussed and the research paper will conclude with an interpretation of the critical points.

Thus far, I have learned about the pros and cons to using medication in treatment with clients. In addition, I have seen first hand the benefits of implementing medications in client’s treatment plan. From my understanding, Depression is one of the most prevalent illnesses in the world. Because of this fact it is important that we understand and explore all the implications surrounding the use and efficacy for treatment. In order to treat our clients with the best care possible, we as therapist should be educated on the types of medications for depression, the impact they have on the body, and their efficacy of improving symptoms and overall functioning. In this paper I will explore three articles about antidepressants and their efficacy for treating clients with depression. In addition, I will provide my overall reaction to the studies and the material provided for the efficacy of antidepressants for treating depression.

Not only may medications be less effective than therapy, medication can have serious side effects that can make them dangerous, especially in children. “The link between antidepressants and suicide rates among children and adolescents is a very serious issue that both Congress and the FDA are investigating” (Davis). Medication meant to help with serious depression cannot be considered beneficial if it causes the patient to consider

Individuals all over the world suffer with clinical depression, which affect their quality of life. Depression usually affects a person’s emotions, thoughts, behaviors and overall physical health. Symptoms include sadness, guilt, moodiness, loss of interest, with drawling from people, changes in sleep, decrease in sex drive, and thoughts of self-harm or suicide. The common antidepressants take at least a two-week period to take effect; that two-week period is a critical time where a patient can increase their symptoms and experience suicidal depression. The party drug, known as ketamine has recently made a big impression for neuroscientists trying to formulate a medication to help those who suffer from clinical depression in a rapid time frame. A key element in the advancement for faster medications is realizing how and why, ketamine works so quickly, in comparison to the other generic drugs that are prescribed. According to Newport, a dose of the nonselective N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist ketamine can produce a constant antidepressant effect within hours. With the amount of experiments being conducted to expand the knowledge of ketamine, the objective is to find a solution that can be used to relieve the patients who experience serious symptoms in the fastest time possible.

While medication may be taken worldwide and is much more commonly used for depression, it isn’t always the best solution. Causing potential problems such as nausea, headaches, insomnia and even increased suicide rate. In comparison, therapy allows connection, interaction, someone to trust, and overall monitoring of the patient's progress. Which option is more beneficial to the patients? Medication or therapy? The research done will help determine that option. This option will be very beneficial to a growing community around the world. This research project aims to explore the risk of overdosing when treating depression with antidepressants. Taking medication while being diagnosed with depression although may be helpful, it can be dangerous and life threatening.

Ionescu et al. (2015) examined the use of ketamine to treat bipolar depression. Ketamine is an anesthetic drug. Lately, there has been a lot of research into possible treatment of several psychological disorders using sub-anesthetic levels of ketamine. Recent research has shown ketamine to be effective at treating depression in patients with treatment resistant bipolar I and bipolar II. Ionescu et al. (2015) examined if the antidepressant effects of ketamine in bipolar patients, was lessened if they had comorbid anxiety. This study was part of a larger, double blind, placebo controlled study, which examined the safety of using ketamine with mood stabilizers. The participants in this study were split into two groups, those with comorbid anxiety, and those without. All participants received

Multiple studies have linked the long-term use of antidepressant drugs with a significant term, “emotional blunting” in both men and women. Basically what emotional blunting does to the average individual, is it can make patients have a new sense of

In spite of the concerns associated with antidepressants and their negative impact with certain therapy medicines and their potentially addictive qualities, they are still regularly used in drug rehabilitation. That's because their positives still outweigh the negatives, especially when dealing with the mental illness that often comes with illicit drug

Ketamine has been tested in treatment-resistant bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and people in a suicidal crisis in emergency rooms. Benefit is often of a short duration. The quality of the evidence supporting benefit is generally

When antidepressant medication is advertised, benefits and negative side effects are provided, but what is not informed to the consumer is how it actually works. The truth behind antidepressant pills is that they don’t kick in right away and may take four to six weeks before they reach their full therapeutic effect. Many also find that it takes several trials before finding the one that works (Smith). This process can be long, strenuous, and costly. Additionally, a large portion of those who try pills in the end find that they are treatment-resistant to the medication, meaning all their efforts were a waste. There exists another form of resistance as well considered “depressive breakthrough” which is defined as the return of depressive symptoms

Studies show that it can reverse the kinds of severe depression that traditional medication often fails to correct. Ketamine seems to be headed toward an assumed endorsement for cases involving treatment-resistant depression.

More people suffer from depression than you might think. People of all ages, backgrounds, lifestyles, and nationalities get clinical depression. An estimated 35 to 40 million Americas living today will suffer from major depression at some time during their lives. (4) This is about 13 to 20 percent of all Americans. (1) About half of these individuals will experience recurring depression. (3) Despite being what authorities call "the nation's leading mental health problem" (6), depression is often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, and therefore not treated. (4) Often as a result, about 25 percent of these people attempt suicide to end their