Major Depression Treatment Is Needed

Major depression treatment is needed to prevent and stop the severity of major depression and severity of symptoms that tend to worsen over time. If left untreated, it is possible that depression leads to suicide.

What is major depression? 

Major depression is a melancholy condition or state of sadness that persists over time. Unlike a stroke of passenger depression, major depression can have serious consequences on the thoughts of a depressive person, his behavior, his mood and health. For still unknown reason, depression is twice as common in women than men. More than half of people who have suffered from major depression experience a relapse into depression with an intensity that varies from case to case.

Major depression, also known as severe depression, clinical depression or unipolar depression, is a form among others of depressive disorder. Other depressive disorders are dysthymia (chronic depression as less severe than major depression) and bipolar depression (depressive phase following the manic phase of bipolar disorder in).

Symptoms of major depression
The diagnosis of the first episode of major depression is not necessarily obvious when depression sets in gradually. The symptoms of major depression are usually a significant change in personality compared to the state of a person before the depression. Symptoms of major depression are:

•     A persistent sad mood
•     Irritable mood
•     Sleep disorders (insomnia or hypersomnia)
•     Of eating disorders
•     Difficulty concentrating or memory problems
•     Loss of interest and pleasure in activities that were popular before the Depression
•     Guilt or shame about his condition
•     Feeling hopeless
•     Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts
•     Persistent physical symptoms that can not be treated as headaches, nausea and chronic pain

When several of these symptoms of major depression occur at the same time and over a period of at least 15 days, treatment and care are needed.

The causes of major depression.

There is no one single cause of major depression. Psychological, biological and environmental factors can all be causes of depression. Norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine are the three neurotransmitters (chemicals that transmit electrical signals in the brain) involved in depression. Most doctors believe that a chemical imbalance in these neurotransmitters can cause major depression. Thus, antidepressants work by restoring the balance and changing the sensitivity of the receptors that capture these chemicals.

Scientists also believe that there is a genetic predisposition to major depression. So there is a greater risk of developing depression if a history of the disease exists in the family. Significant life events like the death of a loved one, a big change, chronic stress, abuse of alcohol or drugs can also trigger episodes of depression. Some diseases such as heart disease, cancer and certain drugs may cause depression.

How to treat major depression.

Although major depression can be devastating, it is important to know that it can be cured completely. Between 80% and 90% of people diagnosed with major depression found a perfectly normal life. There are many treatments that are chosen based on the severity and symptoms of depression. The three main types of treatment for major depression are: drugs (antidepressants), psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy (also called "életrochocs"). The treatment strategy used is usually a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy. The family support system is also important to treat depression, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle (diet and sport).

Antidepressants

It usually takes two to four weeks for antidepressants begin to make their effects, and sixe to 12 weeks for them to be fully effective. Research has shown that imbalances in neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine could be treated by antidepressants (for more information see our article on types of antidepressants: SSRIs, MAOIs and atypical antidepressants)

Psychotherapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy are the two main psychotherapies that treat major depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy can transform the ruminations of depression and negative thoughts into positive ones. Interpersonal therapy helps improve your relationships with others and correct relationship problems that can cause depression.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

ECT is a very effective treatment for the most severe cases of major depression. In cases where antidepressants and psychotherapy do not work to treat depression, treatment with electroconvulsive therapy can be considered as an alternative. ECT is also a solution to consider when for one reason or another the depressed person cannot take medicine (eg due to side effects of antidepressants).

The side effects of antidepressants

About 50% of people who take antidepressants suffer from side effects, especially during the first week of treatment. Side effects that are too annoying can be reduced by changing the dose of medication, changing antidepressant, or taking additional medications to treat them. In all cases, you should never change yourself the dose of your antidepressants, talk to your doctor first. 

Side effects of SSRI antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants, such as Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft. The side effects are nausea, insomnia, diarrhea, restlessness and impulsivity.

Side effects of antidepressants trycycliques: dry mouth, constipation, bladder problems, blurred vision, dizziness, weight gain or weight loss.

Side effects of MAOI antidepressants: the oldest class of antidepressants, and they carry risks of hypertension that requires a very strict diet. Added to this is the risk of constipation, headache, and insomnia (among others)

You can read here about major depressive disorder treatment, or here about major depressive disorder symptoms

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Major Depression Plan

Major depression disorder, also known as clinical depression or unipolar depression, is significantly affecting the world population. The prevalence is so critical that 15 million American adults are getting affected in each year. Major depression can persistently impede the normal thoughts, behaviors, mood as well as physical health.

Common Symptoms

Major depression changes a fully functional individual quite significantly. The common symptoms are persistent feeling of sadness, irritation, lack of sleep, low appetite, loss of energy, slow movement, agitation, withdrawal, guilt feelings, feeling of hopelessness, worthlessness and emptiness, suicidal thoughts and attempts, persistent physical complications without any possible physical root.

Causes

Major depression is a complex form of depression which may occur due to psychological, biological and social factors. Chemical imbalance in the brain plays the leading role in the formation of major depression in an individual. Three neurotransmitters - norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine are crucially involved in the process. Other cause may involve genetic predisposition. In fact, many studies confirm that an individual is at higher risk for developing major depression if he or she is having a family history for the same.

Treatment

Although major depression can even toll a life, it is certainly treatable. A majority of the population can be effectively treated and can be successfully returned back to normal lives following a treatment. The treatment plan exclusively depends on the severity of the problem and individual preference. Medications, psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy are the three primary types of treatments typically used for treating this.

Typically four groups of antidepressants are administered for treating major depression. They are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), bupropin (wellbutrin), mirtazapine (remeron), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and non-antidepressant adjunctive agents.

Psychotherapy, especially in combination with medication, is found to be effective in treating major depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy can be used to treat mild to moderate form of major depression. By using cognitive behavioral therapy, the practitioners can be able to modify the negative thinking patterns and dissatisfying behavior in an individual. On the other hand, interpersonal therapy aids in understanding personal relationship and helps in forming a new insight for playing new life roles.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is particularly used for treating the severe form of the disorder. It is specifically considered in such circumstances where medications or psychotherapy could not be able to show any effective results or offer very slow improvement than actually expected. ECT is beneficial for people who are suffering from psychosis or have attempted suicide several times.

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Major Depression Treatment

major depression treatments, major depressive disorder treatments

treatments for major depression, treatments for major depressive disorder

Various kind of Major Depression Treatment.
What is depression, anyway? Depression is thought to be a product of both psychological and biological processes in a person's being. Stress is a vital factor in the first two episodes of depression. It is the trigger that starts the feeling of depression and it continuously feeds this until such time that depression has developed into a major stage. During the major stage, stress is no longer a factor. Genetics and temperament take the place of stress during the advanced stages of depression.

Major depression is also known as major depressive disorder. Feelings of depression are normal if they don't disrupt a person's daily activities and the depression cycle does not last more than a few days. Weeks of depression is considered as a mild form of depression that may progress to something serious, such as a unipolar depression, bipolar or manic-depressive depression or worse, psychotic depression.

Now that you know what causes major depression, you will have to take a look at the different major depression (major depressive disorder) treatments available to understand how they work and if they will work for you.

The major depression treatments described here can be categorized to fall under two major options. The first is the psychosocial therapies; the second, the medical therapies option. Psychosocial therapies include Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Psychoanalytically Oriented Therapy. Medical therapies include hospitalization and administration of antidepressant medications.

These are the various types of psychosocial therapies used in major depressive disorder treatment:

Interpersonal Therapy

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) is gaining popularity in the psychosocial therapies arena. It is a major depression treatment that highlights the importance of correcting present social dysfunction. It is a short-term psychotherapy lasting for about twelve to sixteen weeks. IPT focuses on present psychological problems that cause interference with social relationships.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a type of major depressive disorder treatment that deals with the pessimistic attitude of a person that leads to the feeling of depression. The theory behind this kind of therapy is that the person feels too much self-criticism and rejection. This promotes the feeling of depression and causes the person to isolate himself from the crowd, creating loneliness and more depression.

Cognitive behavioral therapy works to remove the negative thoughts a person has for himself. One method associated with it is providing take home activities that aims to break the habit of negative thinking.

Psychoanalytically Oriented Therapy

Psychoanalytically Oriented Therapy is a long and expensive mode of treating depression. The good thing about it is that it tackles the very cause of depression, digging deep into the person's thoughts in order to find out what made the person become angry with himself.

Major depressive disorder treatment in this method works in contrast with the first two types that deal with the present. Psychoanalytically Oriented Therapy works with the person's past. This kind of treatment can last up to several years, having to visit the therapist on a periodic basis.

Following are the medical therapies used in major depression treatment:

Hospitalization

Hospitalization is needed for major depressive disorder treatment under circumstances that are considered emergency. When we say emergency, it means that there is a risk of a person committing suicide or even homicide. The person becomes unable to handle his own basic necessities, such as food, shelter and clothing. It is also recommended when medical diagnostic procedure is necessary.

Antidepressant Medications
Antidepressant medications are another major depression treatment. There is still some controversy as to whether this kind of treatment can provide more benefits or injuries. This type of major depression treatment needs to be studied carefully. Most anti depression medicines have side effects that may be hard for a person to bear. Close medical assistance is needed while the person is under antidepressant medication.

All the above-mentioned major depression (major depressive disorder) treatments have been effective in relieving the depression symptoms and helping a patient get back into the track. The depressed person or the family of a depressed person will have to decide which among these types will provide wellness for the patient.

You can read here about major depressive disorder symptoms

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