What Causes & Treated Depression ? p2
How
Is Depression Diagnosed ?
To diagnose depression your doctor will do a full
examination, including medical history. They will also do a psychiatric
evaluation. Since depression cannot be tested for using blood tests, your
doctor will ask you questions about your thoughts and feelings. They will give
you a diagnosis based on your symptoms and answers.
How
Is Depression Treated?
Depression doesn’t have a clear cause; it can be the result of
biological factors "like your genes or the chemicals in your brain" or environmental
factors "like your life experiences" or perhaps both.
Depression
also exists in many different forms, ranging on a spectrum from mild to severe.
That means that a treatment plan for depression is going to look different for
every person. For example, mild depression might involve a lot of self-care "things like physical exercise" while
severe depression might involve more focused psychological treatment and medication "see below for more information on this"
Rest
assured, however, depression can be treated. It can sometimes take a bit of
time, but with the help of your doctor, you will be able to work out a
treatment plan that works for you.
More about psychological treatments for
depression
These
can work alongside medication or on their own. They’re usually provided to a
person with depression by an expert such as a psychologist, psychiatrist, or
other mental health professional and they involve changing negative patterns of
thinking, or working to improve relationships.
Types
of psychological treatments that might be used include:
·
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
(CBT) this is the most endorsed type of therapy and is where a
clinical psychologist works with you to change negative thought patterns and
behaviour that’s causing you problems.
·
Counselling is where a counsellor talks to you about your problems and helps
you figure out exactly what the big problems are.
·
Interpersonal therapy a structured program for improving relationships.
·
Other types of psychotherapy. This can include things like acceptance and commitment therapy "a therapy based on mindfulness" or
structured problem solving "which involves working with a therapist to identify
problems and figuring out how to overcome them" and these are delivered by a
range of mental health professionals.
Your GP or therapist
will be able to help you work out the best approach for you.
More
about physical treatments for depression
Medication
Medication can be helpful in managing depression. There are
several different types of antidepressant medications which are prescribed by
doctors or psychiatrists. The common types of antidepressants are:
· Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
(SSRIs)
· Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake
Inhibitors (SNRIs)
They each work in
different ways and have different applications but put simply, they work by
restoring chemical imbalances in the brain. Like most medications there can be
side effects, and some medications are better suited to adults than young
people. It is important to ask about what options you have, how the medication
will affect you, and how to take it safely.
Extra support
Sometimes
when your depression is severe and seriously affecting your life, you might
need more intensive support. You might need to spend a short time in hospital
where mental health professionals can monitor your treatments and look after
you until you are better.
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