Depression:
Treatment Options For Depression

The most common treatment for depression includes the combination of antidepressant medicine and psychotherapy (called "therapy" for short, or "counseling").

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is sometimes called "talking therapy." It is used to treat mild and moderate forms of depression. A licensed mental health professional helps people with depression focus on behaviors, emotions, and ideas that contribute to depression, and understand and identify life problems that are contributing to their illness to enable them to regain a sense of control. Psychotherapy can be done on an individual or group basis and can include family members and spouses.

Medicines

Medicines are commonly used to treat depression. Your family doctor or a psychiatrist can prescribe them, and are chosen based on your symptoms. The cost of medicines and potential side effects are important considerations when choosing this type of treatment for depression.

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, is a procedure in which an electric current is used to produce a seizure in the patient. It is believed that ECT results in the release of chemicals in the brain that aid communication between nerves. It is one of the fastest and most effective ways to relieve symptoms in severely depressed or suicidal patients, or patients who are suffering from mania. ECT is used when severe depression is unresponsive to other forms of therapy. It is also used when medication is considered unsafe. ECT is usually followed by psychotherapy and medication under a psychiatrist's care. On occasion, ECT is prescribed on a regular basis (monthly-quarterly) to prevent further episodes of depression.

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) -- traditionally used for epilepsy - has been approved for treatment of severe depression. This treatment uses electrical pulses to stimulate the vagus nerve -- a nerve that runs from the neck to the brain and is thought to affect the area of the brain that controls depression. A tiny pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest sends electrical impulses to an electrode in the neck to stimulate the nerve and provide relief. In July 2005 the FDA approved a VNS device to treat adult patients with long-term or recurrent major depression that has not responded adequately to four or more antidepressant treatments.

Alternative Treatments

Alternative treatments can sometimes provide relief that traditional western medicine cannot. While some have become accepted as part of modern healthcare practice, others still have not been proven safe and effective.

Whether or not they are scientifically effective, alternative therapies, by providing forms of relaxation and relief from stress, may have a place in healing and general health and well-being. Examples of alternative therapies include acupuncture, guided imagery, chiropractic treatments, yoga, hypnosis, biofeedback, aromatherapy, relaxation, herbal remedies, massage, and many others.

In general, alternative therapies by themselves are effective for mild, but not more severe forms of depression.