Severe Depression Treatments - Facts About Severe Depression Symptoms

As you may know there are varying degrees or depths of Depression. It can be very mild to very severe. We will take a brief look at just a few types of Depression first and then we will go over the treatment methods available. I think understanding even a little bit about Depression should help to understand the treatment methods.

Bipolar Depression is and has also been known as Manic Depression or Manic Depressive Disorder. Cyclothymia is another chronic mood disorder and is a lesser form of Bipolar Disorder. Postpartum Depression generally presents itself anywhere from a few weeks to a few months after delivery. In more severe cases, Postpartum Psychosis could develop in which thoughts of harming yourself and/or your child occurs.

Schizoaffective Disorder is a combined schizophrenic disorder and a mood disorder. There is also Schizo-psychosis which presents itself with hallucinations or delusions. It will also present elevated and or depressed moods.

Another disorder is called Seasonal Affective Disorder and is a kind of "cabin fever". A person with this disorder will experience changes in sleeping and eating. They may be depressed and lethargic and/or have cravings for sweets and starches. This is thought to be related to how much sunlight you are exposed to.

Severe depression treatments are available. We will look at a few of them below.

Psychotherapy in its various forms is also called talk therapy and deals with relationships, thinking patterns, and effects of unresolved childhood events on the individual as an adult.

Antidepressants are classes of medications that are designed or to have the brain more efficiently use these chemicals.

Brain Stimulation Procedures include ECT - Electroconvulsive Therapy (shock treatments), Deep Brain Stimulation - an invasive surgical procedure, and Vagal (Vagus) Nerve Stimulation also an invasive procedure. TMS - Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation that is performed by passing an electrically charged magnetic coil over the scalp to stimulate the brain. The potential exists for this procedure to be able to target specific areas of the brain.

Light Therapy is an attempt to mimic sunlight in either light boxes or specially designed light bulbs. The thinking is if this works it could provide great relief for those who suffer with Seasonal Affective Disorder

While most people respond fairly well to medication, the major concern is the side effects of which some can be very serious. There is growing popularity in natural or herbal treatments for depression and there are some really good herbal supplements. The best are of pharmaceutical grade and have been tested for the interactions of the ingredients

These treatments have been known to be successful for many patients. The important thing to realize is if you or a loved one suffers with any form of depression, it is not your fault or theirs. It is a real but very treatable illness. There is a lot of support available. You can search online or consult with your physician for resources.

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The Facts on Herbal Depression Treatment

First the facts on the anti depressant medications used at the moment. Progress has been made in that the older type of medicines the tricyclic (or TCAs such as Tofranil and Ahafranil) led to bladder problems, drowsiness and sexual dysfunction, have now been mostly replaced with the SSRIs. Doctors now prefer the SSRIs medication which act as a serotonin booster which lifts the mood and everything seems fine! Unfortunately, if you are a man you may become impotent and if you are a woman, you have to cope with a considerable gain in weight which may exacerbate your depression. As there are no studies done on their long term effects, we have no idea whether they are completely safe either. You can see why people are turning to herbal depression treatment because the side effects are much less severe and they will really help to reduce depression.

Let us have a look at the herbal depression treatment which is gaining popularity at the moment. The key neurotransmitter called serotonin which governs our happiness and feelings of well being is the main target in any of the herbal remedies for depression. The anti depressant medications also home in on serotonin but as we have seen above, their side effects may have a boomerang effect! The big pharmaceutical companies will never admit that! Many people suffering from depression have been found to have very low levels of serotonin.

Gingko biloba is a herb which has had positive feedback in the treatment of depression. It takes a while to kick in but as it has a gradual effect on increasing the flow of blood to the brain, it can help with memory, brain function and also increase the serotonin levels. It is not recommended for those who have bleeding problems or who are taking anti inflammatory drugs.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum) has come out best in all the clinical trials, so much so that the National Institute of Mental Health has decided to run trials in seeing how well it does for treating mild to moderate depression. This means that it is the most popular herb and with good reason. It is also the most common herbal depression treatment used in Europe and especially in Germany

In one controlled, double-blind trial with over 100 patients who were suffering from MDD (major depressive disorder), those patients who were on Hypericum had a 50% reduction of depression symptoms compared with those who were on Fluoxetine which is a popular anti depressant medication of the Prozac family. Effective with very few side effects has meant that St. John's Wort has become one of the most sought after herbal remedies for depression.

Other herbs used with great success in herbal depression treatment are Kava, Ginseng, and Passion Flower. You will need to check out the credentials of the company if you are ordering online. The company in the link below has a fine reputation and offers must have guarantees as regards the growing, selection and manufacturing of the herbs, all supervised in a FDA approved facility by trained herbalists.

Want to learn more about herbal depression treatment? Robert Locke has written extensively on Mental Health for many years.