Depression Treatment

Recently Answered

• QWhat can I do to help relieve depression?

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  A Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered

  While depression can be a complex issue that needs medical attention, there are several things you can do to help elevate your spirits. Here are three suggestions:
   
  Get Your Sweat On

  If you haven’t exercised in a while, the thought of slipping into a pair of tight pants and a sports bra might seem depressing in itself. Exercise, however, has been shown to be more effective than many antidepressants in reducing major depression. And it has the same kind of effect on less serious mood issues, too. Part of that may be attributed to the endorphin effect of exercise; we may also feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment that comes with completing an exercise program.
   
  A simple walk will do, but doing something that really elevates your heart rate and gets your sweat flowing will have a major payoff when you’re finished. Sometimes, action has to come before motivation, and depressed folks need to act to prime their motivational engine.
   
  Find a Guide

  Guided imagery isn’t the screen of your car’s GPS. It’s actually a way of making you feel better. The technique has been shown to improve the ability to cope with depression, improve mood, and decrease stress. How do you do it? Go to a quiet place (the bathroom often works well, since privacy is usually respected there).
   
  Start by relaxing and breathing deeply, then visualize yourself in different scenarios. Some variations include visualizing yourself in a pleasant place (the beach), fighting disease (seeing your good immune cells fighting off bad germs), or practicing for a big performance (doing well in your job).
   
  Fix Your Diet

  It’s one of the most vicious circles there is: You feel sad, you reach for chips. You reach for chips, you feel sad. Food, in many ways, really is medicine. And if you can break that cycle of reaching for sugary carbs, mashed carbs, fried carbs, and all-adjective junk foods, then you’ve got a fighting chance to improve your mood in natural ways. Lots of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats can help. Top it off with a small piece of dark chocolate.

  
  This content originally appeared on doctoroz.com
• QWhen should I see a doctor for my depression?

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  Keep in mind that chronic, relentless depression -- whether severe or mild -- calls for extra steps to ease the lousy feelings. Don't try to manage your moods on your own if for two weeks or longer you have any of the following symptoms:
  

  • Trouble concentrating
  • No zest for life
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Sleep too much
  • Sudden weight loss or weight gain

  Clinical depression is a physical ailment, not a matter of attitude. As with any illness, the smart move is to get the best care possible. Talk to a doctor about getting therapy and medical treatment.
• QCan chiropractic treatments relieve symptoms of depression?

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  A Dr. Steve Ventola , Chiropractic Medicine, answered

  Chiropractic is much more than the actual application of chiropractic treatment. Chiropractic is about fostering a healthy lifestyle so the right conditions can be established for a healthy body as well as a sound mind. Chiropractic care does include improving healthy posture, breathing, eating, exercising and relaxation patterns. It has been known that exercise has been very helpful in addressing the needs of depression.

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• QWhat should women be aware of when being treated for depression?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  There are a few things women need to bear in mind when being treated for depression:

  • Every antidepressant works differently in different people. Just because one drug worked well for your best friend doesn't mean it will work for you. If the medication doesn't seem to be helping, talk to your healthcare professional about changing the dosage or type of medicine.
  • Medication takes time to work. On average, it may take 10 days to two weeks before you see an improvement in your mood.
  • There is some evidence that using some forms of estrogen therapy with antidepressants may help the medication work better (estrogen therapy alone cannot treat major depression).
  • Therapy is an important part of any treatment for depression. The two most-studied forms of therapy for depression are interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), which is a less intensive form of traditional psychotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in which you learn to alter your perception of the world. Some studies find therapy is as effective as medicine for some mild or moderate depression.

  Whether your mood swings are related to depression or other issues in your life, certain lifestyle changes may also help. For instance, numerous studies find regular exercise can help reduce the risk of depression and improve mood. Social interaction is also important, with studies finding that supportive social relationships can improve the quality of life for those with depression and may even protect women against depression.
• QIs ECT used for severe depression with bipolar disorder?

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  A Dr. Daniella Heller, MD , Psychiatry, answered on behalf of JFK Medical Center North Campus - HCA East Florida

  There is a long history of clinical use of ECT for bipolar depression.

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• QWhat herbal remedies can help treat depression?

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  A World Federation For Mental Health (WFMH) answered

  For generations, people have used herbal remedies to help with mood disorders. In the past few decades, researchers have begun to examine some of these historic remedies, particularly one called Hypericum perforatum, or St. John's Wort, a bushy herb with yellow flowers. St John's Wort has been used to treat depression since the 1500s. It is a common treatment in Germany.
  
  The herb works in a similar way to some prescription antidepressants by increasing the brain chemical serotonin, involved in controlling mood. A recent scientific review analyzed 29 studies that together included 5,489 men and women with symptoms of major depression. The researchers found that St. John's Wort extracts were not only effective but that fewer people taking them dropped out of the trials due to adverse side effects of the treatment.
  
  If you are considering or currently taking St. John's Wort for your depression, please be aware that research has found that St. John's Wort can cause other medications not to work, or not to work as effectively. It is always important to talk with your healthcare provider about anything you are taking, including herbal supplements or vitamins, in treating depression or other disorders.
• QDoes the stigma associated with depression keep people from treatment?

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  A Dr. Tarique D. Periera, MD , Psychiatry, answered

  

  Many people with depression refuse to seek treatment due to stigmas associated with mental health. As more people understand that depression is biological, it is being seen as a legitimate condition, says psychiatrist Tarique Perera, MD.
• QWhat can I do to reduce depression while I quit smoking?

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  A Piedmont Heart Institute answered

  You can do the following to reduce depression while quitting smoking:

  Identify your specific feelings at the time that you seem depressed. Are you actually feeling tired, lonely, bored, or hungry? Focus on and address these specific needs. Add up how much money you have saved already by not purchasing cigarettes and imagine (in detail) how you will spend your savings in 6 months. Call a friend and plan to have lunch, or go to a movie, a concert, or another pleasurable event. Make a list of things that are upsetting to you and write down solutions for them. Keep positive about changes in life. Increase physical activity. This will help to improve your mood and lift your depression. Focus on your strengths. Plan your next vacation or fun activity. Breathe deeply. Establish a list of your short- and long-term personal goals. Think of how healthy you will be when all smoking effects are gone from your body and you can call yourself smoke-free. If depression continues for more than 1 month, see your doctor

   

  This answer is based on source information from National Cancer Institute.

• QWhere can I get help for depression with vision loss?

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  A Challenge America answered

  Talk to your VA doctor or psychologist about feelings of depression vision loss or blindness from combat as there is much hope. Feeling depressed after suffering a traumatic injury or loss is very normal, yet seeking medical treatment is important to make sure you can move beyond these feelings to having hope again. Friends and family members of those with vision loss report changes in emotions and behavior are perhaps the most difficult to watch and deal with.
  
  Along with depression, you may also harbor anger, anxiety, frustration, agitation, sleep problems and mood swings. Some veterans feel frightened going from a world of sight to one filled with darkness. Others may regress with attitudes and behaviors that are passive, accepting the plight without feeling any control over life. Your VA doctor can help your feelings of depression using medications and/or psychotherapy.
• QCan depression medications be taken with heart medications?

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  A Donna Hill Howes, RN , Family Medicine, answered

  Although certain depression medications should not be taken with heart medications, it is generally safe for people with heart disease to use a type of antidepressant called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). If you have depression and cardiac disease, you should seek treatment, because untreated depression increases risk factors for heart disease complications. So talk to your doctor about addressing your depression.