[ Guest Post ] What Depression Treatments Are Available to Me?

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Today I wanted to share a great guest post to illustrate some of the psychological treatments available when it comes to depression. Please kindly note that any opinions expressed are of that of the writer, not necessarily myself. If you need further support, please check out this list of contacts on the NHS website or speak to your GP.

The Need For Depression Treatments

Depression is a common problem characterized by a worsening of your emotional state, how you think and how you behave. This ‘modern disease’ is more than just a bad mood. People with diagnosed depression find it difficult to function every day, and it seriously affects their overall physical and mental health.

This condition most often follows people who have experienced unwanted life situations. Such undesired situations can lead to a worsened mental state that creates various negative and uncontrolled emotions like a lack of will and motivation in life. Depression leads to a loss of interest in activities that once aroused joy and happiness, as a result of intense feelings of sadness and sorrow that surround the person that is suffering from it.

Fortunately, there are many effective psychological treatments that treat this disease in a timely manner.

The established diagnosis and the form of depression are crucial for deciding the way of treating this medical illness. For lighter forms of depression, treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy has shown to be highly successful. In contrast, more severe forms of depression often require pharmacological treatment combined with psychotherapy.

People are not always capable of dealing with problems by themselves. Loss of job, the death of a beloved person or conflicts from different nature can cause people to feel depressed.  With the help of a good doctor, you can get out of this and reduce the symptoms of depression such as anxiety, lack of will, apathy, chronic fatigue, etc.

4 Examples Of Depression Treatments

Through various types of psychological methods, the main goal of doctors is to improve the quality of human life and make the person feel energetic and motivated again.

1. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a therapy that is used in patients who experience depressive episodes in order to stop the collapse of the mental system on time. MBCT is a form of readjusted cognitive therapy that includes breathing and guided meditation techniques in treating depression.

Therapy based on the mind is also an effective remedy for improving the symptoms of depression in people suffering from cardiovascular diseases and traumatic brain injury.

The principle in which this therapy works is understanding the connection between your feelings and the way of thinking. This therapy leads the patients to be present “now” and to protect their mind from various distractive thoughts that occur about the past or the future.

Through various breathing and meditation techniques, the patient is taught how to respond to negative influences and events in life, instead of avoiding or suppressing them.

A good source of peace and concentration while you are practicing this method is music and the various sounds of nature. You can always use mindfulness apps (link removed as no longer active, but you can search for mindfulness apps online) designed specifically for such mental states.

2. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

The very name of this therapy indicates that it is a therapy that involves two aspects: behavior and thinking (cognitive). It’s applied in patients with so-called “false beliefs”. This includes people who blame themselves for every bad thing that has happened.

Patients using CBT are characterized by a high level of self-criticism. Therefore, this therapy includes an analysis of thoughts, the reasons why the patient experiences such self-criticism and refutation of his false beliefs.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy is based on the fact that thoughts and feelings affect each other. Emotions depend on the individual desires, expectations, and attitudes. People who suffer from depression, the negative way of thinking only makes additional inflame of sadness and fear. CBT therapy has the task of correcting such attitudes and beliefs.

3. Behaviour Therapy

This type of therapy focuses on thinking and how we feel and behave. At the core of this therapy is the identification of negative thoughts and feelings, where they come from and what causes them.

Behavioral therapy leads its patients to replace negative feelings with positive ones that will lead to desired reactions.  As part of cognitive behavioral therapy, this method aims to focus patients on what is positive and good rather than trying to change their beliefs.

This therapy is concentrated on achieving the goals that the patient has set himself. With the help of specific techniques and concepts that are taught, the patient’s behavior changes and leads to improved mood and depression treatment. 

4. Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

Psychotherapy that treats depression that is caused by the improper development of personal relationships with others is called interpersonal. This therapy suggests that problems caused by interpersonal relationships can contribute to an increase in depression, but also to be the main cause of it.

IPT helps patients who blame themselves for broken relationships and supports them to focus on improving the bonds with others, dealing with sorrow, restoring their social life as well as teaching them to coexist with others.

Interpersonal therapy perceives the depressed state of an individual from the point of view of his participation in the society, the relations with the surrounding world, and the subjective intentions for his mental improvement.

[ This is a sponsored guest post and as such the ideas and opinions expressed are of the writer. ]

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