How to Treat Clinical Depression
See a doctor or psychiatrist., Undergo cognitive behavioral therapy., Try interpersonal therapy., Take antidepressant drugs.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: See a doctor or psychiatrist.
The first step towards curing major depressive disorder is to receive a definite diagnosis.
Many people who suffer from depression are reluctant to seek help, but it is important to be aware that depression is a condition that rarely goes away on its own.
Therefore, seeking medical and psychiatric attention is the first step on the path to recovery.
See your doctor:
If you've been experiencing symptoms associated with depression, such as insomnia or oversleeping, trouble with concentrating or remembering things, changes in appetite, weight gain or weight loss, and unexplained physical pain (such as headaches or back pain), it's important to see a doctor in order to rule out any physical conditions that could be causing the symptoms, such as hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalances or taking certain medications.
If your doctor determines that there is nothing physically wrong with you, he/she may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist.
See a psychiatrist:
A psychiatrist (or psychologist) will help you to work through the mental symptoms of depression, such as feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, grief, worthlessness and emptiness.
Depending on the cause of your depression, your therapist will use different forms of psychotherapy to help you work through your issues, while prescribing antidepressant medications to correct any hormonal imbalances. -
Step 2: Undergo cognitive behavioral therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most commonly used therapies for treating patients with major depressive disorder.
It is based on the belief that negative thoughts lead to negative actions, and that these negative thoughts need to be understood and eliminated before the depression can be cured.
When you begin CBT, your therapist will ask you questions in order to identify the specific causes of your negative thoughts, actions and emotions.
They might ask you to describe a time when you were feeling very low, then work backwards from that time to identify the thoughts or actions that led you to that point.
Once you have identified the causes of your negative emotions, you can work on correcting them.
Your therapist will help you to focus on the positives rather than the negatives.
For example, rather than thinking "I am worthless and I can't do anything right"
you will learn to tell yourself something like have many great qualities such as creativity and compassion.
My friends and family love and appreciate those qualities and so should I”.
CBT is a process, it will not cure depression overnight.
It requires being open and honest with your therapist, and a genuine commitment to getting better.
Combined with antidepressant medications, CBT can be a very effective way of treating and even curing depression. , Interpersonal therapy is a short-term treatment (12 to 16 weeks) that was designed specifically to combat major depressive disorder.
It focuses on understanding and improving your relationships with other people, as problems with interpersonal relationships are one of the major causes of depression.
IPT is split into four main areas — complicated grief due to loss, interpersonal disputes, role transitions and interpersonal deficits.
Your therapist will help you to work through each of these areas in turn.
Complicated grief due to loss:
Although grief is a completely normal reaction to the loss of a loved one (regardless of the specific circumstances), complicated grief occurs when you are unable to move on and neglect all other aspects of your life.
IPT will help you to work through the grief and accept the loss.
Interpersonal disputes:
An argument or falling out with an important person in your life can lead to depressions.
IPT will help you to understand the dispute, see the other person's point of view and allow you to either make amends or accept the new situation.
Role transitions:
Depression often comes on abruptly following a period of change or after a major transition in your life, which you have difficulty in getting used to or feel overwhelmed by.
This could be caused by something like moving to a new location or becoming a new parent.
IPT will help you to accept your new role.
Interpersonal deficits:
Interpersonal deficits relate to problematic relationships and methods of interaction that have developed over the course of your life, leading to depression.
IPT will help you to change the way you interact with others and see your relationships in a new light. , In most cases, therapy is not enough to cure major depressive disorder — it needs to be combined with antidepressant medications which address the hormonal imbalances that cause or exacerbate feelings of depression.
The type of antidepressant medication you need to take will vary according to your specific case, but some commonly prescribed medications include Zoloft, Prozac, Seroxat and Lexapro.
When taken properly, these drugs should improve symptoms of depression within 2 to 3 weeks.
According to data from the magazine European Psychiatry, reports from several European countries suggest that the increase in the prescription of antidepressants is one of the main factors reducing the rate of suicide. -
Step 3: Try interpersonal therapy.
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Step 4: Take antidepressant drugs.
Detailed Guide
The first step towards curing major depressive disorder is to receive a definite diagnosis.
Many people who suffer from depression are reluctant to seek help, but it is important to be aware that depression is a condition that rarely goes away on its own.
Therefore, seeking medical and psychiatric attention is the first step on the path to recovery.
See your doctor:
If you've been experiencing symptoms associated with depression, such as insomnia or oversleeping, trouble with concentrating or remembering things, changes in appetite, weight gain or weight loss, and unexplained physical pain (such as headaches or back pain), it's important to see a doctor in order to rule out any physical conditions that could be causing the symptoms, such as hypothyroidism, hormonal imbalances or taking certain medications.
If your doctor determines that there is nothing physically wrong with you, he/she may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist.
See a psychiatrist:
A psychiatrist (or psychologist) will help you to work through the mental symptoms of depression, such as feelings of sadness, anger, guilt, grief, worthlessness and emptiness.
Depending on the cause of your depression, your therapist will use different forms of psychotherapy to help you work through your issues, while prescribing antidepressant medications to correct any hormonal imbalances.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most commonly used therapies for treating patients with major depressive disorder.
It is based on the belief that negative thoughts lead to negative actions, and that these negative thoughts need to be understood and eliminated before the depression can be cured.
When you begin CBT, your therapist will ask you questions in order to identify the specific causes of your negative thoughts, actions and emotions.
They might ask you to describe a time when you were feeling very low, then work backwards from that time to identify the thoughts or actions that led you to that point.
Once you have identified the causes of your negative emotions, you can work on correcting them.
Your therapist will help you to focus on the positives rather than the negatives.
For example, rather than thinking "I am worthless and I can't do anything right"
you will learn to tell yourself something like have many great qualities such as creativity and compassion.
My friends and family love and appreciate those qualities and so should I”.
CBT is a process, it will not cure depression overnight.
It requires being open and honest with your therapist, and a genuine commitment to getting better.
Combined with antidepressant medications, CBT can be a very effective way of treating and even curing depression. , Interpersonal therapy is a short-term treatment (12 to 16 weeks) that was designed specifically to combat major depressive disorder.
It focuses on understanding and improving your relationships with other people, as problems with interpersonal relationships are one of the major causes of depression.
IPT is split into four main areas — complicated grief due to loss, interpersonal disputes, role transitions and interpersonal deficits.
Your therapist will help you to work through each of these areas in turn.
Complicated grief due to loss:
Although grief is a completely normal reaction to the loss of a loved one (regardless of the specific circumstances), complicated grief occurs when you are unable to move on and neglect all other aspects of your life.
IPT will help you to work through the grief and accept the loss.
Interpersonal disputes:
An argument or falling out with an important person in your life can lead to depressions.
IPT will help you to understand the dispute, see the other person's point of view and allow you to either make amends or accept the new situation.
Role transitions:
Depression often comes on abruptly following a period of change or after a major transition in your life, which you have difficulty in getting used to or feel overwhelmed by.
This could be caused by something like moving to a new location or becoming a new parent.
IPT will help you to accept your new role.
Interpersonal deficits:
Interpersonal deficits relate to problematic relationships and methods of interaction that have developed over the course of your life, leading to depression.
IPT will help you to change the way you interact with others and see your relationships in a new light. , In most cases, therapy is not enough to cure major depressive disorder — it needs to be combined with antidepressant medications which address the hormonal imbalances that cause or exacerbate feelings of depression.
The type of antidepressant medication you need to take will vary according to your specific case, but some commonly prescribed medications include Zoloft, Prozac, Seroxat and Lexapro.
When taken properly, these drugs should improve symptoms of depression within 2 to 3 weeks.
According to data from the magazine European Psychiatry, reports from several European countries suggest that the increase in the prescription of antidepressants is one of the main factors reducing the rate of suicide.
About the Author
Kenneth Wood
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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