Treatment for Depression

It is estimated that one in four people will experience depression at some point in their lives. That's quite a high figure I am sure you will agree and there are probably many more people who never get diagnosed ? So what is the impact of depression on people's lives ?

Well it causes tremendous emotional pain; it disrupts the lives of millions of people; it adversely affects the lives of families and friends; it reduces work productivity and leads to absenteeism and it has a significant negative impact on the economy.

Depression is an horrible illness I should know. I suffered depression for several years in my early adult life ostensibly brought on a by a serous car accident. This is knowm in the psychiatric profession I think as "reactive depression". At the time the main treatment offered for my depression was anti depressants and that is probably the common experience of the majority of those people experiencing depression.

Unfortunately as anybody knows drugs such as anti depressants have side effects which can be unpleasant in and of themselves. In reality the anti depressants often only give the depression suffererer light relief and merely suppress the symptoms of the illness not dealing with the root cause.

So what are the main causes of depression and other treatment/s for depression available. To summarise the causes of depression these include but are not limited to :

1)Abuse. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can cause depression later in life;

2)Certain medications. For example, some drugs used to treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers or reserpine, can increase your risk of depression;

3)Conflict. Depression may result from personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends;

4)Death or a loss. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of a loved one, though natural, can also increase the risk of depression;

5)Genetics. A family history of depression may increase the risk. It's thought that depression is passed genetically from one generation to the next;

5)Major events. Even good events such as starting a new job, graduating, or getting married can lead to depression. So can moving, losing a job or income, getting divorced, or retiring;

6)Other personal problems. Problems such as social isolation due to other mental illnesses or being cast out of a family or social group can lead to depression;

7)Serious illnesses. Sometimes depression co-exists with a major illness or is a reaction to the illness;

8)Substance abuse. Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression.

Those then are some of the major causes of depression what then about treatment/s for depression ? These fall mainly into two categories :

a)Medications. A number of antidepressant medications are available to treat depression. There are several different types of antidepressants. Antidepressants are generally categorized by how they affect the naturally occurring chemicals in a person's brain to change their mood.

b)Psychotherapy is a general term for a way of treating depression by talking about your condition and related issues with a mental health provider. Psychotherapy is also known as therapy, talk therapy, counseling or psychosocial therapy.

I think you will agree from all of the above both the effects, causes and treatments for clinical depression mean that it is a serious disease with serious consequences.

Most people, and I include myself in that, would agree that if they could find an alternative method of treatment not including medication or "pscho babble" for depression that would merit serious consideration. I believe I have uncovered such a treatment.

It has been pioneered by a man who himself suffered from depression for eight years. If you or a loved one are suffering from depression today I urge you to take an "open minded" look at this. If you want to get rid of the pills with their lousy side effects or make your "shrink" redundant this could be your time ! Please take a look here.