01/06/2023 / Mental Health and Wellness
Depression is one of the major mood disorders globally. Psychiatrists are specially equipped to treat depression by using various effective treatments.
Depression is a major mental health issue among the global population. In India alone, around 33% of men and 31% of women are affected by depression. Though mental health awareness is increasing among Indians, the ratio of this awareness and the growing population is still wide.
In this article, you will get to know about the psychiatric diagnostic methods and treatments given for depression.
Depression is a serious mood disorder characterised by constant feelings of anger, hopelessness, sadness, and anger that interfere with everyday activities. People always confuse sadness with depression. While both share some common symptoms, they are not the same. Sadness is a temporary feeling which would reside after some time but depression is a constant feeling of self-loathing and hopelessness. Depression is increasing at high rates globally but it is still a silent cry in India. Because there is a lack of mental health education and high stigmatisation of people with mental illnesses. This creates a struggle for everyone in the long run. So, we are trying our best to walk you through the understanding of this serious mental illness called depression.
There are various causes of depression. They can range from biological to circumstantial. These are the 8 most common causes of depression,
Brain chemistry
Genetics
Childhood trauma
Hormones
Brain structure
Substance abuse
Chronic pain
Just like every person is unique, the manifestation of depression in people also varies. Here are some of the most common symptoms of depression in men and women.
feeling sad, angry, or anxious
feeling hopeless and pessimistic
lots of emotional outbursts
feeling annoyed and angry
loss of interest in hobbies
Increased fatigue and lack of energy levels
Disturbed sleeping patterns, oversleeping or insomnia
Overeating or undereating
Decreased libido or sexual performance
Chronic pain like headaches, digestive problems, or cramps
Thoughts of self-harm and suicide
Here are some of the ways in which psychiatrists would treat depression,
Many antidepressants are given for fighting depression. These medicines change the chemical signalling and neural communications within the brain, which can ease common psychiatric symptoms. Some of the common medications prescribed by psychiatrists are,
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Atypical antidepressants.
Tricyclic antidepressants
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
Psychotherapy is a treatment that involves treating depression by talking with mental health professionals. The main goal of psychotherapy is to eliminate the behavioural or thought patterns that trigger depression. Psychotherapy is also called talk therapy or psychological therapy.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
In CBT, a therapist will help you in identifying the root causes of your harmful beliefs and thoughts about yourself. You would work on yourself by replacing the negative thoughts with self-affirmations.
Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)
DBT is similar to CBT but here the unhealthy thoughts are accepted and validated. This therapy believes that one should validate the thoughts to break unhealthy patterns.
Psychodynamic therapy
Psychodynamic therapy helps you in overcoming false, unhealthy and toxic beliefs based on your traumatic and stressful childhood experiences. Psychodynamic therapy helps in coping in day-to-day life.
Electroconvulsive therapy is a popular procedure that uses electric shocks to cause a mild and brief seizure. This is used to cure many severe health conditions like depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other different types of mania. This is rarely a first-line treatment and is used only in cases where medications are not responding well to your condition.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive procedure which involves using magnetic fields to stimulate the nerve cells of the brain. This is majorly used to treat severe depression where other treatments fail to respond.
Seasonal depression is a type of depression which is due to seasonal changes and most common during the late fall season. This can cause symptoms like feelings of unusual sadness, weight gain, overseeing and general loss of interest in activities. In case of seasonal depression, bright lights with special lamps are used to treat your condition.
Vagus nerve stimulation is a type of neurostimulation which can alter neural activity and stimulate the brain. This involves the placement of an implant which can send weak electric signals to the brain stem through the vagus nerve in your neck. Since they influence brain activity, they are also called 'pacemakers of the brain'. This treatment is only used for those people who suffer from treatment-resistant epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression.
Depression is a mood disorder where the person experiences constant feelings of sadness, anger, and emptiness.
Brain chemistry, brain structure, genetics, hormones, childhood trauma, medical issues, substance abuse, and chronic pain are some of the common causes of depression.
Treatment with medications and psychotherapy are the most effective choices to ease depression.
Yes, psychiatrists can treat depression.
Unlike psychologists who just offer counselling sessions, psychiatrists are qualified to prescribe medicines for mental illnesses. Other than medicines, they also give talk therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.
A psychologist can give you interpersonal therapy (IPT) or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in case of depression.
Learning to celebrate little moments, being more active, facing your fears and having a healthy diet can help you in coping with depression.
Psychiatrists can give you medication and also therapies like talk therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Diagnosing the disorder, prescribing medicines, providing therapies, treating patients, and recording patient history are some of the main responsibilities of a psychiatrist.
Psychiatrists analyse both the mental and physical aspects of mental health issues and provide you with relevant medicines.
The basic approaches to treat depression are interpersonal therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and psychodynamic therapy.
Normally, psychologists make you understand your mood, thoughts, feelings, thoughts or lifestyle that contribute to mental health disorders and provide you with a way to come out of it.
The commonly used methods for depression are psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy.
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