Depression is a serious mood disorder characterized by one or more episodes in which the person experiences deep sadness, anxiety, unhappiness or apathy, among others, so once diagnosed it is essential to find effective treatments for depression.
Depression can be treated in a variety of ways, however, only a few treatments have proven its effectiveness scientifically and controlled, i. e. in controlled studies (randomized and with control groups), as well as in comparisons with other types. As we will see, the most effective treatments are grouped into pharmacological, cognitive and behavioral treatments.
- For the treatment of depression it is important to make a good diagnosis and go to a specialist (clinical psychology).
- It is the only way to ensure the choice of the most suitable method and thus provide a reliable prognosis.
- It is a serious disorder.
- It is necessary to cover all the needs of the patient.
- Since the choice of an ineffective method can aggravate some symptoms and hinder healing.
As mentioned above, the most effective treatments are classified into pharmacological and psychological treatments, the latter, in turn, can be divided into cognitive and behavioral; however, his approach is often combined.
Each of these groups aims to influence the different aspects that cause depression. On the one hand, more biological or endogenous factors; on the other hand, those related to depressive thoughts and behaviors.
This type of treatment is controversial about its effectiveness, its possible addictive nature and its side effects, however, it is the most studied treatment and, in addition, the most used, so its role in the treatment of depression is fundamental and should be supplemented with psychological therapies.
There are several ways to classify treatments with medications for depression, there are different types of depression and some medications are more effective than others in the treatment of each of them, one of the most commonly used classifications is that of conventional or first generation antidepressants and new or second generation antidepressants. Antidepressants.
Conventional antidepressants include tricyclic inhibitors (imipramine) and monoamine oxidase (MAOIs) (phenalzine, deprenil, tramylcypromine). Both act indirectly, preventing the elimination of Serotonin and Norepinephrine, making more of these neurotransmitters available in the brain.
New or second generation drugs include MAO inhibitors (venlafaxine or moclobemide, among others) and SSRS (fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline or citolopram), which appear to have a lower incidence of side effects. SSRSs work by preventing Serotonin reabsorption and are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants.
Importantly, although drug treatments have proven effective, the data indicate that they are effective for 30 to 50% of patients, in this regard, the greatest effectiveness is achieved when combined with cognitive behavioral psychological treatment.
For psychologists, effective treatments for depression are behavioral and cognitive, especially in combination, this type of intervention has shown its ability to relieve depressive symptoms, and in some cases has been shown to be even more effective than individual drug treatments.
On the one hand, cognitive therapies help the patient to reorganize their thoughts, identify irrational ideas and restructure them, behavioral behaviors focus on the patient’s behavior and aim to verify the validity of the patient’s thoughts, in this way, after having refuted them, tasks are performed that provide new strengthening activities in their environment.
Among the most used techniques for depression are
When you are suffering or have a loved one suffering from depression it is essential to choose a good treatment, for this it is necessary to know what type of therapy has presented the best evidence of recovery and efficacy. good choice, it is important that the patient is involved in treatment, because if abandoned, there may be a significant relapse.
Always consult with psychiatry and psychology professionals and avoid looking for information by unproven or little technical means, effective treatments for depression can help us a lot, but those that are not can also harm us, wasting precious time without starting a really useful intervention.