Depression 101 Identifying and Treating Depression Part 1

Are you or someone you love suffering from depression?

Do you feel like you lost your energy, drive and ambition? Do you toss and turn at night reviewing for feelings of loss or failure? Is joy and curiosity a distant memory.

Depression impacts millions of people each year. If you or a loved one is suffering with depression you know the pain and sadness this disease can take. Depression treatment is available, effective and can be customized to your needs.

 

Depression 101 – What Is Depression?

According to the NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad. But these feelings are usually short-lived and pass within a couple of days. When you have depression, it interferes with daily life and causes pain for both you and those who care about you. Depression is a common but serious illness.

Many people with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment. Medications, psychotherapies, and other methods can effectively treat people with depression.

 

Depression 101 – Signs and Symptoms

According to the NIMH People with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms. The severity, frequency, and duration of symptoms vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness.

Signs and symptoms include:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings
• Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
• Irritability, restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
• Fatigue and decreased energy
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions
• Insomnia, early-morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
• Overeating, or appetite loss
• Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
• Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment.

I started missing days from work, and a friend noticed that something wasn’t right. She talked to me about the time she had been really depressed and had gotten help from her doctor.

 

 

Depression 101 – How to Treat Symptoms of Depression and Heal

Treating depression can be accomplished with a variety of methods including Medication, exercise, activity, social interaction, CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) and Meditation.

Medication

The Following Information is provided from the NIMH website

Antidepressants primarily work on brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, especially serotonin and norepinephrine. Other antidepressants work on the neurotransmitter dopamine. Scientists have found that these particular chemicals are involved in regulating mood, but they are unsure of the exact ways that they work. The latest information on medications for treating depression is available on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website .

Popular newer antidepressants

Some of the newest and most popular antidepressants are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Lexapro), paroxetine (Paxil), and citalopram (Celexa) are some of the most commonly prescribed SSRIs for depression. Most are available in generic versions. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are similar to SSRIs and include venlafaxine (Effexor) and duloxetine (Cymbalta).

SSRIs and SNRIs tend to have fewer side effects than older antidepressants, but they sometimes produce headaches, nausea, jitters, or insomnia when people first start to take them. These symptoms tend to fade with time. Some people also experience sexual problems with SSRIs or SNRIs, which may be helped by adjusting the dosage or switching to another medication.

One popular antidepressant that works on dopamine is bupropion (Wellbutrin). Bupropion tends to have similar side effects as SSRIs and SNRIs, but it is less likely to cause sexual side effects. However, it can increase a person’s risk for seizures.

Tricyclics

Tricyclics are older antidepressants. Tricyclics are powerful, but they are not used as much today because their potential side effects are more serious. They may affect the heart in people with heart conditions. They sometimes cause dizziness, especially in older adults. They also may cause drowsiness, dry mouth, and weight gain. These side effects can usually be corrected by changing the dosage or switching to another medication. However, tricyclics may be especially dangerous if taken in overdose. Tricyclics include imipramine and nortriptyline.

 

MAOIs

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are the oldest class of antidepressant medications. They can be especially effective in cases of “atypical” depression, such as when a person experiences increased appetite and the need for more sleep rather than decreased appetite and sleep. They also may help with anxious feelings or panic and other specific symptoms.

However, people who take MAOIs must avoid certain foods and beverages (including cheese and red wine) that contain a substance called tyramine. Certain medications, including some types of birth control pills, prescription pain relievers, cold and allergy medications, and herbal supplements, also should be avoided while taking an MAOI. These substances can interact with MAOIs to cause dangerous increases in blood pressure. The development of a new MAOI skin patch may help reduce these risks. If you are taking an MAOI, your doctor should give you a complete list of foods, medicines, and substances to avoid.

MAOIs can also react with SSRIs to produce a serious condition called “serotonin syndrome,” which can cause confusion, hallucinations, increased sweating, muscle stiffness, seizures, changes in blood pressure or heart rhythm, and other potentially life-threatening conditions. MAOIs should not be taken with SSRIs.

 

Depression 101 – Psychotherapy

Several types of psychotherapy—or “talk therapy”—can help people with depression.

Two main types of psychotherapies—cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT)—are effective in treating depression. CBT helps people with depression restructure negative thought patterns. Doing so helps people interpret their environment and interactions with others in a positive and realistic way. It may also help you recognize things that may be contributing to the depression and help you change behaviors that may be making the depression worse. IPT helps people understand and work through troubled relationships that may cause their depression or make it worse.

This is the end of Information is provided from the NIMH website

 

It has been my experience, that many people benefit from the use of medication for depression and anxiety in the short term, but don’t like to feel they need medication long term. With the list of adverse side effects becoming more openly discussed and people becoming more sophisticated about the use  of medications many people opt for a combined approach of short term medication followed with Psychotherapy for long term results. Dr. David Burns, is an advocate of mostly medication free treatment for depression and strongly believes that Cognitive Behavior Therapy, particularly the TEAM approach to CBT that he has created can be effective alone in treating depression. Dr. David Burns on Antidepressants

A More Detailed overview of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, cognitive distortions and automatic thoughts will be presented in part 2 of this series.

Physical Health –

Getting regular exercise of at least a half hour a day doing something that elevates your heart rate can benefit you in many ways. First of all, if your self-image is part of your depression thoughts and beliefs, regular exercise will help you start feeling better about your body and be more connected to it. Secondly, getting regular exercise reduces your resting heart rate, gets you out of your head and into your body more. In addition, your body will increase production of chemicals that create a feeling of well being, some of the very chemicals antidepressants work with. Cutting back on caffeine, sugar and alcohol particularly a couple of hours before bed can be particularly beneficial. Alcohol is a physical depressant, it does make us feel good for a time and forget problems but it impacts sleep, rest and feeling good. Getting a restful night’s sleep can make significant difference in your outlook on life and decrease depressive symptoms, improve thinking and concentration.

Activity List – 

Having a list of activities to look forward, share with others and experience can greatly reduce feelings of depression. In particular, immersing activities- where time flies by can be extremely relaxing and increase joy and our overall quality of life. Attached is a sample of many activities I talk with clients about using to feel better.

Depression 101 – THE BIG LIST OF SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES

Check the ones you are interested in doing and commit to doing at least two activities this week. Think about how you feel before and after the activity:

___ Talk to a friend on the telephone

___ Cook your favorite dish or meal

___ Practice Meditation

___ Listen to free meditations on www.DharmaSeed.org

___ Ride your bike

___ Do a puzzle with a lot of pieces

___ Go to a bookstore and read

___ Write things you like about yourself

___ Write in your journal

___ Play a musical instrument or learn

___ Paint a picture

___ Write a song

___ Listen to some upbeat, happy music

___ Take photographs

___ Plant a garden

___ Go Fishing

___ Plan a trip to somewhere you’ve never been

 

___ Do yoga, tai chi, or Pilates, or take classes

___ Go outside and watch the birds and other animals

___ Write a list of three things you have to be grateful and Why

___ Go to your church, synagogue, temple, or other place of worship

___ Watch a funny movie (Collect funny movies to watch when feeling Overwhelmed)

___ Do something exciting like surfing, rock climbing, skiing, skydiving, or riding a

motorcycle

___ Make a list of the people you admire and describe the traits you admire most and

pick one to try this week

___ Write a plan for things to accomplish over the next month and start on the easiest

one and mark it off when done.

This is a partial list of activities. For the complete list or to make an appointment or schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation please contact us.

Get Started Today!
Call us at (844) 546-6788
to schedule a free 20 minute consultation

Information provided on this site does not constitute a patient therapist relationship, and should be used under the guidance of a licensed mental health professional. Information presented on this page was written by James Meyer, LCSW Lead Counselor and founder of Lions Heart Counseling Sacramento.

Information presented on this page was written by James Meyer, LCSW and found on the NIMH website.