Most of us will experience times when we don’t feel at our best, and this is normal. Though when you can’t shake the feeling of sadness for weeks at a time, this is depression. In this post, we will discuss the best therapies and treatments for depression.
It is all too easy to brush off depression as something that isn’t a real health problem. This is far from the truth and an issue that an estimated 2.3% of adults have to cope within the UK.
Depression isn’t something to take lightly; it has real and serious consequences. If you are suffering from depression, there is support available. Most people that undergo treatments for depression fully recover. The first step is to realise you are having problems and seek help.
A visit to your GP can be the first stage of getting help for your condition. Your treatment will be tailored to the severity of your illness.
If you are diagnosed with a milder form of depression, your GP may opt for one of the following courses of action:
Your condition may improve by itself over time. If your GP thinks this option is appropriate, they will want to see you again in about a fortnight to see if there have been improvements.
Mild depression can be improved by taking some exercise. It has been shown that exercise has a beneficial effect on milder forms of depression. Your GP may direct you to organised exercise classes.
Having depression can increase your sleep problems. Insomnia is a frequent issue for patients with depression, but bad sleeping habits can also be a contributing factor in causing depression. You could have 10 times the risk of developing depression if you have insomnia. If you can solve your sleep problems, your depression may improve.
Your doctor may point you towards mental health apps that can help you cope with negative thoughts. There are many to choose from, check the feedback to see which seem appropriate for your situation.
If you are diagnosed with a more serious case of depression, your GP may direct you towards other treatments.
Your doctor may prescribe a course of antidepressants to treat the symptoms you are suffering. There are many different antidepressants on the market and are only used when your depression impacts your daily life.
If you are prescribed antidepressants and recommended taking a talking therapy course, this is combination therapy. This can help in more severe cases of depression, supporting the patient through CBT while on the medication.
Severe cases of depression can be referred to a mental health team. The team is made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists, and specialist nurses to give intensive talking therapies to the patient. They will also prescribe treatments where necessary. Read the NICE Guidelines here.
Different therapeutic approaches will work more effectively for different people, you need to find the one that works best for your situation. Some treatment methods will be more effective for you at certain times during your recovery and depend on the severity of your depression.
The therapies we discuss here are an effective treatment for depression and could be safer in the long run when compared to prescription drugs. If you are aware of your treatment options, you will be better able to choose which path to recovery is best for you.
Talking therapies normally involve you opening up about private issues that have affected you. You need to feel comfortable to talk about these difficult thoughts. Therapists won’t judge what you have to tell them and are committed to your confidentiality.
There are only a few circumstances where they will reveal any information about you. This is only when someone is at serious risk of immediate danger. They will only share basic information with your GP if necessary, with your consent.
Psychotherapy sessions can be provided in different formats to suit the patient’s needs. These include:
The individual or one-on-one therapy approach has the advantage of giving the patient the full attention of the therapist. It does lack the chance for the therapist to observe the patient during interactions with others, which can limit understanding of the problems.
If the depression is triggered by family interactions, a family session can show the therapist where the problems lie. This format of therapy can be most useful for children and teenagers.
Group sessions can involve a dozen or more people. It allows participants to get support from members of the group that have experienced similar issues.
It also gives therapists the opportunity to observe group interactions, better enabling how they provide care to individuals. Group sessions can work out cheaper than one-on-one appointments.
For couples in a marriage or long-term relationship, a couples’ session may offer a better treatment for depression.
Psychotherapy encompasses a range of treatment methods, including talking therapy which helps people cope with problems in their lives. Below we have listed the most popular forms of psychotherapy that are available to those struggling with depression:
For many people suffering from depression, the prescribing of antidepressants can change brain chemistry which improves their mood. Medications can include:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors have the effect of blocking the serotonin from returning to the nerve cell that it came from. Serotonin has many uses in the body, but lower levels are linked to depression. SSRIs work to increase the amount of this chemical in your system, making you happier.
Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors are similar to SSRIs. They keep more serotonin in your system as well as noradrenaline. Noradrenaline abnormalities have been found in depressed patients, and the use of this type of drug is becoming more common as a result.
Tricyclic drugs are an older type of antidepressant. They increase the length of time serotonin and noradrenaline stay in the system, though they are more likely to cause side effects than newer drugs.
They have a different chemical structure to tricyclics but work in a comparable way. They are known to produce more side effects in general than tricyclics. However, they can reduce some types of side effect when compared to tricyclics, so can be better for some patients.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors also have an effect on serotonin and noradrenaline in the body. They reduce the effectiveness of enzymes to break down serotonin and noradrenaline, so they stay active in your body for longer.
They aren’t normally used unless other antidepressants aren’t suitable, due to the risk of negative interactions with some foods. If you are prescribed this type of antidepressant, you have to stick to a strict diet.
We have only looked at the most common antidepressants, there are 26 types licenced for use in the UK. These work in a different way to the types we have looked at and maybe more suitable for specific patient needs.
If you are not inclined to starting a course of medication or opening up to another person about your issues, there are plenty of alternative therapies for you to consider. Among these are:
If GP’s prescriptions don’t prove effective, there are some other options that could be tried as a treatment for depression. These include:
Electroconvulsive Therapy can be helpful to patients that don’t benefit from antidepressants. An electrical current is passed through the brain to change the way neurotransmitters affect depression. Read more here.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation involves magnetic pulses being sent through the head. A coil is placed against the skull to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to better regulate mood.
If you are diagnosed with a severe condition, you are likely to be referred to a specialist team. If you have been treated for depression already, they can help you try new medications and talking therapies or revisit treatments that showed some promise.
When psychotic symptoms are being experienced, the team will prescribe antipsychotic drugs to complement your other treatments. If you are having a mental health crisis, a CRHT or Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment team can assist your recovery. This can prevent you from having to be admitted to hospital.
If there are significant risks of self-harm, hospital admission may offer the best solution. The hospital should provide patients with a safer environment so that they can be helped to recover without the situation getting worse.
The most commonly used treatment for depression is CBT. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can work extremely well for many people with mild and moderate conditions.
Of the talk therapies available, CBT has more of a proven track record to support its use. It can work as well as antidepressants for some patients and could offer a reduced chance of relapsing into depression ahead of prescribed medicines.
If you are taking antidepressants, CBT can give you a greater chance of a successful treatment that lasts. It will equip you with the skills to help you whenever negative feelings begin to arise.
Rehab 4 Addiction can advise & guide you towards the best therapies for depression that suit your needs and lifestyle. Simply call us now on 0800 140 4690 for support.
Boris is our editor-in-chief at Rehab 4 Addiction. Boris is an addiction expert with more than 20 years in the field. His expertise covers a broad of topics relating to addiction, rehab and recovery. Boris is an addiction therapist and assists in the alcohol detox and rehab process. Boris has been featured on a variety of websites, including the BBC, Verywell Mind and Healthline. You can connect with Boris online at LinkedIn or X.com.
