clinical depression.. single episode... experiences???

Question

how did your psychiatry go about helping you apart from drugs??
what type of therapy did they offer and how long did it take for you to heal/get off the drugs?? thanks

Answer 1

Dietary supplements
5-HTP supplements are claimed to provide more raw material to the body's natural serotonin production process. There is a reasonable indication that 5-HTP may not be effective for those who haven't already responded well to an SSRI.

S-adenosyl methionine (SAM-e) is a derivative of the amino acid methionine that is found throughout the human body, where it acts as a methyl donor and participates in other biochemical reactions. It is available as a prescription antidepressant in Europe and an over-the-counter dietary supplement in the United States. Clinical trials have shown SAM-e to be as effective as standard antidepressant medication, with many fewer side effects.[15],[16] Its mode of action is unknown.

Omega-3 fatty acids (found naturally in oily fish, flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and canola oil) have also been found to be effective when used as a dietary supplement (although only fish-based omega-3 fatty acids have shown antidepressant efficacy [citation needed]).

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), available as a supplement in the U.S., raises serotonin levels.

Chocolate improves mood, probably by raising serotonin.

Magnesium has gathered some attention [9][10].

St John's Wort [Hypericum perforatum] Traditionally used by 'wise women' and midwives for hundreds of years, to 'chase away the devil' of melancholia and anxiety. It is a mood-enhancing antidepressant supplement that increases the availability of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine at the neuron synapses. Also popular for treating insomnia, mood swings, fatigue, PMS and menopause.[6] [11]

Ginkgo Biloba Effective natural antidepressant said to stabilise cell membranes, inhibiting lipid breakdown and aiding cell use of oxygen and glucose - so subsequently a mental and vascular stimulant that improves neurotransmitter production. Also popular for treating mental concentration (such as for Alzheimer's and stroke patients). [6]

Siberian Ginseng [Eleutherococcus senticosus] Although not a true panax ginseng it is a mood enhancement supplment against stress. Also popular for treating depression, insomnia, moodiness, fatigue, poor memory, lack of focus, mental tension and endurance. [6]

Zinc: 25mg per day have had an antidepressant effect in an experiment [12].

Biotin: a deficiency has caused a severe depression. The patient's symptoms improved after the deficiency was corrected. [13]

The amino acids phenylalanine and tyrosine have also a favorable effect on easy forms of depression. They enhance the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin.

Psychotherapy
In psychotherapy, or counseling, one receives assistance in understanding and resolving habits or problems that may be contributing to depression. This may be done individually or with a group and is conducted by health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, or psychiatric nurses.

Effective psychotherapy may result in different habitual thinking and action which leads to a lower relapse rate than antidepressant drugs alone. Medication, however, may yield quicker results and be strongly indicated in a crisis. Medication and psychotherapy are generally complementary, and both may be used at the same time.

It is important to ask about potential therapists' training and approach; a very close bond often forms between practitioner and client, and it is important that the client feel understood by the clinician. Moreover, some approaches have been convincingly demonstrated to be much more effective in treating depression.

Counselors can help a person make changes in thinking patterns, deal with relationship problems, detect and deal with relapses, and understand the factors that contribute to depression.

There are many counseling approaches, but all are aimed at improving one's personal and interpersonal functioning. Cognitive behaviour therapy has been demonstrated in carefully controlled studies to be among the foremost of the recent wave of methods which achieve more rapid and lasting results than traditional "talk therapy" analysis. Cognitive therapy, often combined with behavioral therapy, focuses on how people think about themselves and their relationships. It helps depressed people learn to replace negative depressive thoughts with realistic ones, as well as develop more effective coping behaviors and skills. Therapy can be used to help a person develop or improve interpersonal skills in order to allow him or her to communicate more effectively and reduce stress. Interpersonal psychotherapy focuses on the social and interpersonal triggers that cause their depression. Narrative therapy gives attention to each person's "dominant story" by means of therapeutic conversations, which also may involve exploring unhelpful ideas and how they came to prominence. Possible social and cultural influences may be explored if the client deems it helpful. Behavioral therapy is based on the assumption that behaviors are learned. This type of therapy attempts to teach people more healthful types of behaviors. Supportive therapy encourages people to discuss their problems and provides them with emotional support. The focus is on sharing information, ideas, and strategies for coping with daily life. Family therapy helps people live together more harmoniously and undo patterns of destructive behavior.

Other methods of treatment
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Light therapy
Bright light (both sunlight and artificial light) is shown to be effective in seasonal affective disorder, and sometimes may be effective in other types of depression, especially atypical depression or depression with "seasonal phenotype" (overeating, oversleeping, weight gain, apathy).

Important note: An antidepressant effect is caused by stimulation of the retina by the visible light, not by the ultra-violet portion. Thus, it is not necessary (and may be even dangerous in some cases) to get sunburn. It can be enough just to walk at daytime or to take light therapy using a light box. However, recent discoveries of the existence and importance of the third kind of photoreceptor in our eyes, the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC), critical to human chronobiology, strongly suggest that bluish light is more helpful, and manufacturers are beginning to respond to this finding.[citation needed]

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Exercise
It is widely believed that physical activity and exercise help depressed patients and promote quicker and better relief from depression. They are also thought to help antidepressants and psychotherapy work better and faster. It can be difficult to find the motivation to exercise if the depression is severe, but sufferers should be encouraged to take part in some form of regularly scheduled physical activity. A workout need not be strenuous; many find walking, for example, to be of great help. Exercise produces higher levels of chemicals in the brain, notably dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. In general this leads to improvements in mood, which is effective in countering depression.

Note that before beginning an exercise regime, it is wise to consult a doctor. He or she can establish whether a person has any health problems that could contraindicate some types of exercise.

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Meditation
Meditation is increasingly seen as a useful treatment for depression. The current professional opinion on meditation is that it represents at least a complementary method of treating depression, a view that has been clearly underscored by the Mayo Clinic. Since the late 1990s, much research has been carried out to determine how meditation affects the brain (for more information see the main article on meditation). Although the effects on the mind are complex, they are often quite positive, encouraging a calm, reflective, and rational state of mind that can be of great help against depression. Although many religions include meditative practice, it is not necessary to be a member of any faith to meditate.
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Antidepressants are the first choice. You can try drugs like Bupropion, Mirtazapine, Fluoxetine, Sertralin, Escitalopram etc...

Answer 2

clay, try clay my dear, it will help you and it doesn't have side
effects.
read about it here:
http://www.eytonsearth.org/general-uses-clay.php

Answer 3

Please see the webpage for more details on Clinical depression.