Depression Treatments

As with most things in life, depression treatment and its effectiveness really depend on the individual.

Having said that, it is widely regarded in the medical industry that the best treatment for depression includes psychological treatment AND medication.

Whatever the cause of depression, both psychological treatments and medications help to relieve the main symptoms.

It is best if a person with depression works together with their doctor or mental health professional, to find the treatment that is right for them.

Some people respond well to psychological treatments, while others respond better to medications.

While some people may only need psychological, “talking” treatment, other people require BOTH psychological treatment and medication.

Medications Used To Treat Depression

The most common medications to treat someone with depression are anti-depressants.

So what are anti-depressants?

They are medications that are designed to reduce or relieve the effects of depression.

Psychological Treatments

Psychological treatments used by psychologists and psychiatrists are very effective in helping a person to treat and even recover from depression.

What are Psychological Treatments?

One of the most effective psychological treatments is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).

CBT is a structured program which recognizes that the way people think affects the way they feel.

CBT teaches people to think rationally about common difficulties, helping a person to change their thought patterns and the way they react to certain situations.

When people are depressed, they may think negatively about:

Themselves e.g

• I’m a failure.
• Nobody would miss me if I died.
• The world is a cruel and scary place.
• I have nothing to live for and my life won’t get any better.”

Negative thinking interferes with recovery and makes the person more vulnerable to depression in the future. It is important to recognize unhelpful thoughts and replace them with more rational and realistic thoughts.