There are many treatments for depression ranging from medicinal to holistic but how do you know which is right for you?
Depression has been called the common cold of psychiatric illness. It is a serious illness that is often overlooked as minimal but it requires treatment. Studies show that more women get depressed than men. It doesn’t mean men don’t get depressed and in some way it may be more dangerous for males than females.
Women like to talk about their feelings so often friends will notice something whereas for the majority of males, talking about feelings or showing “weakness” as they think of it, by not being able to cope, leads to them hiding how they feel and how it is affecting them. Signs can therefore often go undetected by friends and family and symptoms can get more and more serious, sometimes leading to dire consequences.
What Are the Symptoms of Depression?
People may suffer from some or all of the following symptoms and feelings (this is not an exhaustive list – if you are worried about what type of depression you may be experiencing, please seek medical advice):
- hopeless
- sad (and it doesn’t go away)
- irritable with getting more easily frustrated than usual and more irritable than usual
- feeling empty
- restless
- helpless
- guilty
- despair
- sleep a lot
- relaxed about personal hygiene
- excessive crying
- over-sensitive
- rebellious
- eat poorly
- anxiousness
- inappropriate emotional responses to circumstances
- excessive spending
- insomnia
Suffering from depression can be very disastrous and painful experience. This is an illness that does not easily go away. Millions of people are affected by various forms and levels of depression and anxiety every year.
Depression treatment is marked by the many antidepressant products, drugs and medication that can be purchased in the market. Below are the lists of some common ones plus other medical treatments:
- TMS or Transcranial Magnet Stimulation involves in placing depression magnets on a specific part of the head where it is thought that depressive symptoms occur. This treatment is carried out for forty minutes, five times a week for about five weeks. This is an inexpensive treatment.
- Agomelatine a new medication for treat of Major Depressive Episodes. It produces good sleep patterns and regular body cycle. It is thought to have fewer side effects and also less addictive.
- Duluxetine belongs to the class of medicine called selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors which are two substances that occur normally in the brains. Its main side effect is nausea.
- Nicotinic compounds the big appeal of this is that they produced fewer effects than those drugs prescribed at present. However, this new range of treatment has not yet gone any clinical trials, so it will take some years before they become available.
- Pacemaker although originally it is used to treat epilepsy, it has been found to work well with the part of the brain that regulates mood. This antidepressant pacemaker is implanted in the chest.
- Deep Brain Stimulation involves tiny electrodes being implanted each side of the brain. These then connected to a pacemaker which is implanted beneath the collarbone. The intensity is controlled by a doctor. Three or four volts of electricity is emitted during a procedure.
However this treatment for anxiety and depression may have serious side effects and the effect on your body in the long term is unknown. Try to consider the alternative remedies like:
- Acupuncture and be amazed what a needle can do for you.
- Cardiovascular Exercise: exercise stimulates the brain to release happy hormones.
- Meditation and breathtaking exercise: breathing exercise helps the heart to function well.
- Light therapy: people with anxiety and depression are conditioned through light to change the brain.
- Dietary supplements: diet by itself is not enough as an effective new treatment for depression. You need supplements of vitamins like vitamin B12, magnesium, zinc and serotin in tablet or capsule forms.
Blue Light Therapy – A Breakthrough
Blue light therapy was considered “extremely alternative” when it first hit the market but it has been around for over 3 decades now and there is plenty of evidence to show how it is helping in the fight against depression.
It depends on the type of depression. If it is seasonal depression like that in the case of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or light to moderate depression, then BLUEWAVE® light therapy or Full Spectrum light therapy can be extremely beneficial.
If there is an actual chemical imbalance in the brain (clinical depression) then medical assistance and medication will be required. That doesn’t mean light therapy isn’t effective though – it is still effective when working in conjunction with the medication to lighten moods.
Blue or full spectrum light therapy is an noninvasive therapy that can easily be done in the comfort of your home and with the Philips Golite and Carex home models available, it makes using light therapy both an affordable and practical option.