Which Kind Of Depression Treatment Is Right For You?


Defined Tag: Depression Treatments.

There are two main categories of depression treatment: psychological and pharmacological. Within each category, there are also many choices. On one hand, psychological treatments include individual therapies, group therapies, couple therapies as well as vocational services. In addition, there are also various levels of depression treatment settings, ranging from private practice, outpatient clinic to partial hospital programs.

On the other hand, pharmacological treatments involve the use of medication such as antidepressants, anticonvulsants, antipsychotics or anxiolytics. Antidepressant drugs can then be sub-divided into other groupings such as tricyclic anti-depressants, mono-amine oxidase inhibitors and specific serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. Some common examples of tricyclic drugs include impramine, amitryptiline and lofepramine.  

As part of a clinical evaluation, your doctor will consider the most appropriate depression treatment plan upon diagnosis. For a mild depression, psychotherapy alone may be recommended first. For more severe cases, both medication and therapy may have to be recommended. In addition, your therapist may refer you to a psychiatrist for a medication evaluation if there are concerns about the level of response, the severity of symptoms or other conditions. Typically, psychotherapy sessions begin once per week, but may be more or less often depending on your individual medical needs or therapy type.

As part of the depression treatment plan, the setting also needs to be determined. Most individuals can be treated in private office settings or out patient clinic settings. Sometimes, a higher level of structure is needed in which more services can be provided, on a daily basis, such as in a day treatment program. If impairments are severe of if safety is in question, hospitalization may be required.

Hence, it is necessary that you discuss with your therapist on the appropriate depression treatment program so that the correct medication or therapy can be effectively administered.