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DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENTS – What You Need to Know


Depression is a brain disorder which makes you feel down and worthless. It is characterized by mood-swings and hopelessness.
According to the National Institute of mental health, depression was the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in the United States in 2013 with more than 15.7 million people affected by it.
Further research claims that almost 4.4% of the global population was suffering from depression in 2015 with an increase of 18.4% from 2005 to 2015. World Health Organization (WHO) ranked depression to be the most significant contributor (7.5%) for global disability. The ailment is listed at 6th spot as anxiety trigger and has contributed to around 800,000 suicide deaths per year.

How do you define depression?
It is a mental disorder caused by chemical imbalance and fluctuations in hormone levels. Depression can be triggered by external factors including genetic, environmental and social factors. The condition affects people between the ages typically of 15 to 30.
Depression diagnosis is made over a period of time after close evaluation of causes and symptoms. Major Depression Disorder is where symptoms are witnessed on most days of the week. If 5 signs out of obvious symptoms including a feeling of loss of interest in life are found in someone for more than 2 weeks, physician might start with major depression treatment.
In some cases, depression can happen only in winters because of less exposure to sunlight. If this is the case, the patient is suffering from the Seasonal affective disorder.

Other than these two, there are many types of depression:

Major depression, when comes along with psychotic symptoms is classified as Psychotic Depression. This is characterized by symptoms such as seeing/hearing things that aren’t there, false beliefs or wrong belief that others are trying to harm the person.
Persistent Depressive Disorder lasts for 2 years or longer, which is indicated by a change in your appetite, too much or too little sleep, fatigue, low self-esteem, feeling of hopelessness and trouble in decision making.
Bipolar or Manic Disorder involves mood swings ranging from periods of extremely high energy and up-mood to low depressive periods. Manic depression treatment is conducted through medications, treatment programs, substance abuse treatment, continued treatment, and hospitalization. In some cases, treatment involves medication and psychological counseling. 
SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

We want to achieve success in our lives, and we face sadness, loneliness, changes in mood, survival for life and struggle to overcome losses. All these ups and downs are part of life which we usually go through; however, when these negative symptoms exist for a long time, the result is depression or anxiety.
Major symptoms of depression include: 
  • ·         Isolating oneself from all happenings of life
  • ·         Lack of concentration
  • ·         Poor decision making
  • ·         Sense of frustration, sadness, and failure
  • ·         Sensation of tiredness all the time
  • ·         Sleeping and eating disorder
  • ·         Change in weight
  • ·         Pain, aches, and cramps
  • ·         Digestive issue
  • ·         Suicidal thoughts or attempts

These are common signs in all depression patients. However, intensity and cause may vary. In all circumstances and states, physician works for helping the patient to fight and emerge out of scenario as a winner. Like other diseases; the earlier the treatment begins, the more are the chances of effective recovery.

For effective treatment, appropriate diagnosis is necessary. It starts with a physical examination and includes medication, infection test and thyroid test done by a physician. Once the diagnosis is completed, depression treatment can be handled in many of the undermentioned ways.
Medication:
A drug prescribed for depression management is called antidepressant. It helps control mood and stress by naturally affecting brain neurotransmitters. The dose and duration of medicine can vary depending on the cause, duration, and intensity of depression along with the environment, family support, and patient’s current condition.

Sometimes physicians try several antidepressants to find the one which may improve symptoms along with manageable side effects. Statistics show that Xanax is ranked as number one antidepressant used in the USA.

48Million patients in 2011 were prescribed to use this medicine (Source: Psych Central). Xanax is useful as frontline treatment of anxiety, panic disorder, insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, agoraphobia and depressive disorder. You can buy Xanax online with a prescription or contact a reputable Xanax supplier. This drug calms electrical activity in the brain, which helps people to feel a sense of joy and satisfaction.   
        
An antidepressant is categorized into several groups out of which Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are the primary line of treatment. If SSRI doesn’t improve the condition, other medicines are prescribed.
Medicines are not suggested for children and are cautiously advised for adolescents. Different treatment plans are generally followed for teenage depression treatment including:
·         Make new friends. Teenagers are attracted towards new and relationships with peers, which increase their self-esteem and provide satisfaction for social bonding.
·         Increase physical activities, as it is essential to stay busy. Staying busy keeps your mind focus on a particular thing. Your thoughts are not diverted in a negative direction.
  • Association with organizations offering programs: Special programs are generally geared to cater the psychological needs of adolescents. WHO organizes Mental Health Gap Action Programme (MHGAP), where the aim is to help people with mental conditions?
Support from a trusted adult. Teens find it challenging to handle issues alone when they think they are managing more than they deserve. At this stage, they need support from a trusted adult so they can be confident while dealing with problems. Adolescence generally needs adult guidance to usually cope with emotional and physical changes.
During teenage, we face many changes physically, socially, emotionally and psychologically. We think that many unrealistic expectations are attached to us from family and friends which creates a sense of rejection and disappointment.

Psychological treatments:

These treatments change your thinking patterns and help you deal with daily life, stress, and conflicts. It is commonly termed as psychotherapy, clinical depression treatments, and talking therapies.
The primary goal is to treat depression by talking about your condition, life and related issues with a mental health professional. It can help you manage current difficulties, replace negative beliefs and behaviors, grow positive interaction with others, find solutions to your problems, regenerate level of satisfaction and control on life, overcome hopelessness and anxiety to achieve life goals.
Psychotherapy can be conducted in different ways. You can formulate your depression therapy with the consultancy of depression treatment centers in the form of face to face discussion, computer program or online session. Simultaneously, psychotherapy can be conducted in below-mentioned ways.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a structured treatment which studies our cognitions (way of thinking) and behavior (our actions). It is the most effective treatment and is useful for all ages. Contrary to CBT, behavior therapy only encourages activities that will give us pleasure and satisfaction.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) focuses on personal relationship problems and guides on skills needed to deal with them. It helps you to recognize patterns in a relationship which will eventually improve relations and assist in coping with pain. You will also find new ways of getting along with people to maintain healthy relationships.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is focused on groups and involves mindfulness meditation therapies. This eventually helps us our mind overcome unpleasant thoughts and understand patterns of negative emotions and sadness, so that you can deal with warning signs at an earlier stage.
Hospital and residential treatment:
It is needed in some cases due to the severity of the condition or if you start harming yourself.
Other than medication, hospitalization and psychotherapy, Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be used for treating depression. There are many possible options for dealing with depression, but the essential thing is diagnosis and proper physician consultation

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