Getting off depression?

Question

Whats the best approcah to treat depression? medication? therapy?

Answer 1

It's different for everybody. I tried both medication and therapy for about 3 years. End result: Just last night, I felt suicidal. Clearly, nothing worked for me. I was on Prozac then Effexor then Wellbutrin then Effexor AND Wellbutrin at the same time. I also saw a therapist, a psychiatrist, went to group therapy, then saw another psychiatrist.

I quit everything--drugs and therapy. Currently I'm taking "mood vitamins" (HTP) which are precursors to norepinephrine or something. Still feel nothing is better.

You really can't start prescription medication without seeing a psychiatrist and being diagnosed though. So I suggest going to a therapist first. If he/she thinks you need medication, he/she will tell you. Good luck.

Answer 2

Gee,that's a tough question. There are so many factors involved. It all depends on what kind of depression you have, and only a qualified doctor can diagnose that. There are many great medications on the market today, and they can help. Therapy can also be helpful. Both can be helpful. If depression lasts over 2 weeks you need to see a doctor or psychiatrist and be properly diagnosed. You can call any hotline number and they will be able to give you some good advice over the phone. We tend to use the word depression loosely this day and time. Clinical depression is an illness and can be treated with anti-depressants successfully. If you are just depressed over something like a death, divorce, or breaking up with a boyfriend,etc. that is normal. But, when you have clinical depression you will usually need medication. I know there is a depression test you can take over the internet, and it gives you a good idea of what kind of depression you have. I have faced a lot of depression in my life. Currently I am not on medication or in therapy and I feel great. But, if I ever get depressed again and want to withdraw from others, cry, etc. I would certainly go and get the help I need. Good luck. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain and that is where the medication comes in helpful. Keep me informed. U R N MY PRAYERS!!!!!

Answer 3

Sometimes a combination of medication and therapy help to relieve depression. many individuals believe that medication merely masks the symptoms and do not cure the illness. I f
you have ever experienced a clinical depression, you will get on your knees and thank the Great Spirit for getting rid of the symptoms because of the antidepressant medication that you are taking. Many forget that there is in many cases a genetic component to the illness, and you can stay in therapy forever and it will not cure the illness. Therapy helps enormously when you are going through a combination of a life crisis like, the death of a spouse, and the loss of a job or a major loss be it real or imagined . I you do not have a genetic factor, your chances of having a single episode treated and not have a recurrence of the illness is quite good. On the other hand, I have known patients who have had recurring episodes of depression which respond well to medication over a long period of time. Find a Psychiatrist that you are comfortable with, and do what he/she suggests. I wish you the best of luck, because I cannot think of another illness which produces psychic pain at the same level as depression. Untreated , it will erode your very soul. Go get help please, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Answer 4

I see a psychiatrist once a month for regulated medication. I also see a psychologist once a week to deal with everyday stresses and problems. The combination has helped me somewhat. Lately I have been going through a depressed phase, but am hoping a trip to the doctor will help me out. I don't think that there is just 1 cure for depression. I think the main thing is time and counselling, but it's different for everyone.

Answer 5

Depending on the type of depression will depend on the best course of action. Sometimes therapy only helps either through counseling or psychotherapy, sometimes a combination of both therapy and medication is the most successful. Today's antidepressants and anti psychotics (horrible name!!) don't mask depression, they put your brain in order by rebalancing the hormones and chemicals so that the patient is able to think clearly and is able to utlimatley deal with their issues.

Answer 6

Like another said, it's different for everyone.

Personally, I think both is best: The medication to treat the chemical imbalance, and the therapy to break the habit. Patterns of thought really are habits, in a way.

Try it some time: Think about good, happy things every day. Pretty soon, you may find it is easier to do so.

Answer 7

I believe in dealing with problems head on. Its no good to mask it with depression drugs. You have to get to the route of your problems and gradually layer by layer you will feel better. Life is like and onion every layer you peel, you weep.You have to connect with the person you are telling your story to even if it means you have to go threw a dozen people to get to that person. Dont give up because there is hope. I know because I have been there. My drug of choice was alcohol to mask my depression. Now I'm healing and I chose to feel better.

Answer 8

I know a thing or three about depression...

All at once I got nailed by a quadrouple whammy earlier this year...

My father was diagnosed with a heart condition that will kill him (though nobody is sure how long he will be around).

I got rejected for my student loans which may or may not eventually get me kicked out of school with only 15 weeks left to go on my Bachelors.

I was diagnosed with cancer. This combined with all of my other bills is crushing me due to a lack of medical insurance.

At my job I am constantly having to listen to spoiled college kids, who are in school by the good graces of mommy and daddy's wallet, who pay for their rent, food, tuition, AND give them money to live on, complain about how bad they have life.

They have no... freaking... idea... what problems are.

For a while since all of this hit me in the span of about 2 weeks I sunk into a serious depression. Actually I had a full on mental breakdown in my supervisor's office for about an hour... Full tears, freaking out, and hyperventilating.

Then I snapped out of it. I didn't go to a therapist, I didn't take drugs, I didn't drown it in whiskey, I didn't take up smoking, I didn't even try to have sex to relieve some of the tension.

I attacked depression from a logical standpoint of...

"How in the bloody heck is worrying and tearing myself up going to help me?"

I didn't get a single answer...

Will being depressed and worrying about my father help me? No. Will it help him? No. Can I do anything about his condition? No. Will worrying about how I will take care of my mother after his passing help that problem? No.

I went down the list of all of my problems and got one thing... Being depressed and worrying about something I can't do anything about WILL NOT HELP ME all it will do is HURT ME. I won't be able to fix the problem if I fluster myself sick by worrying how I can fix it. The only way to cure depression (realistically) is to fix that which is causing me to be depressed.

Sure you can go to counciling, and I recommend it if you can find a councilling solution that you can afford without hurting yourself.

Though if you can't, you have to deal with it yourself, you have to be stronger than it. You have to look at depression and say to it, "SCREW YOU! I WILL NOT LET YOU BEAT ME!"

Because that is what life is. Life is a series of constant battles, constant strife, and constant challenge. That is the definition of life. You have to keep working, and pushing, and striving because that is how you know that you are alive.

Every time life throws a brick wall at you it is your job, your duty, and your destiny to rip through it as if you were Superman.

Because of one thing...

You are human. You are pure. You can do whatever you set your mind to!

You have heard the expression that, "You can do whatever you want to do as long as you put your mind to it." before... Well it is 100% true.

Humans have overcome so much...

Helen Keller overcame being blind, and deaf. Why? Because she didn't give up!

Christopher Reeve said that he would walk again, and he did regain some motion before his tragic death. He never gave up even to the last!

Mother Teresa grew up in poverty and endured endless suffering yet she is one of the most recognized religious figures in the world. Because she kept trying, despite all odds.

That is ALL you need to do!

You have to fight, fight for all you are worth, fight with everything that you have. Fight until you can't fight anymore then reach down deep inside yourself and fight on anyway!

You can do anything as long as you believe in yourself and never give up.

So to answer your question of how to defeat depression?

Believe in yourself. Believe that you can conquer anything. Believe that nothing can defeat you. Grit your teeth and fight against the storm.

Even in therapy the main goal is to accomplish that, nobody can defeat your depression ultimately aside from yourself.

I believe in you.
Now you need to start doing so.

Answer 9

both...a med and therapy...and what Henry W above just said is true also.....sounds like what i am going through ...