Depression is a mental illness that is marked by unpleasant symptoms like irritability, helplessness, loss of interest in daily activities, fatigue and sleep disturbance. There are different types of depression therapy. The first is clinical depression therapy which aims to find out the root cause of depression and offers treatments for it. Psychodynamic depression therapy is another popular depression therapy that examining your behavior and thinking patterns. Finally, cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of depression therapy that helps a person discover his or her true feelings about a particular issue and deals with them.
During depression therapy, the therapist tries to uncover the real cause of depression symptoms, and then helps you change your behavior in order to cope with your problems. If you suffer from chronic depression symptoms, then your therapist may prescribe antidepressants. The two most commonly prescribed antidepressants are Paxil (Prozac) and Zoloft (sertraline). Before taking these medications, however, your therapist will first evaluate your medical history and conduct some tests to make sure that you do not have any heart or lung disease that is contraindicated.
When you go for depression therapy, you visit a psychologist or psychiatrist in a new city and stay in the same hotel for a week. The cost of the whole procedure is relatively low, but some therapists offer their services outside the city and offer a slightly higher fee. Generally, your therapist will give you the option to stay in a hotel of your choice, so you can make sure that you are comfortable. The sessions are conducted in the therapist’s office, and you will need someone to accompany you to the new city, or at least inform you that you can hire a friend to accompany you.
After seven days, you will return to your psychologist’s office to return for follow-up sessions. Each session usually lasts for two hours and may be accompanied by homework, a casual drive to the grocery store, or some other diversionary activity. The entire process can be extremely daunting, especially for someone who has never undergone such therapy before. If you feel overwhelmed, call your psychologist or psychiatrist to ask for assistance. You should feel totally comfortable with your therapist and with the entire treatment procedure.
Depression therapy helps you change the way you think about yourself, your relationships, and your life in general. In addition to the cognitive process described above, depression treatments usually include various forms of relaxation techniques, exercise, nutritional guidelines, medication, and lifestyle changes. In many cases, therapy also includes some type of psychotherapy, including talk therapy, in order to address the symptoms of depression and learn new ways of thinking. During the therapy, your therapist will teach you how to recognize your negative thoughts and how to replace them with realistic thoughts and feelings. You will also be taught how to cope with difficult situations and complete daily tasks.
Depression symptoms may include mood swings, irritability, restlessness, fatigue, lack of interest in things that you used to enjoy, difficulty concentrating, and trouble sleeping. At times, these symptoms can seem so acute that your doctor may think you are having a heart attack. If this is the case, you should get hospitalized immediately. While you are recovering, you should not drive or operate any kind of motor vehicle. A loved one should accompany you at all times.
Most people who suffer from depression have had a history of abuse, neglect, or early experiences of abuse. As a result of these factors, the feelings that would have led to depression in the past may resurface as feelings of guilt or shame. The goal of therapy is to help you become aware of your feelings and how those feelings affect you. When these feelings arise, you should be able to differentiate them from memories that are distorted. You may also need to work with your therapist to identify what these memories really are and how they compare to your memories of past incidents that may have caused similar feelings.
As mentioned above, a combination of medications and psychotherapy is usually required for effective treatment of depression. The specific medications will depend on the specific symptoms. Some of the most common medications are antidepressants, particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), which are known for their success in controlling symptoms. If psychotherapy is not successful, alternative forms of treatment include lifestyle changes (such as diet and exercise) and biofeedback. All of these treatments, however, are not without side effects and should be monitored by a physician to ensure there are no adverse reactions.