By Rose Ann Haven Anchor and Community Coverage
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Published: Mon, February 11, 2008 - 5:57 pm
Rose Ann Haven
She has taken anti-depressants for twenty years. "I think they're wonderful. They truly are essential for someone who is struggling because of this illness", says Adams. There is an arsenal of anti-depressants on the market now. Finding the right medicine to relieve your symptoms can be a complex process of trial and error. "Depression is much like epilepsy..or diabetes, or hypertension in that one size does not fit all", says Dr. William Billett, a Psychiatrist with AltaPointe Health Systems of Mobile. Billett says different anti-depressants target different areas of the brain to try to balance brain chemistry. He is concerned about a trend happening right now of primary care physicians writing prescriptions for these drugs. "I would stress the importance of a total approach to treating any illness..pushing a pill is not general what we strive for", says Billett. Billett says non-psychiatric doctors may not be up on the complexity of anti-depressants. As a result, their patients may only get partial relief or no relief from the medication., and may forgo therapy.
Types of Talk Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): short term therapy; helps identify & change though and behavior patterns that lead to depression.
- Interpersonal Therapy: short term therapy; looks at how depression can be connected to troubled relationships.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: often a longer process; links depression to traumas and conflicts that happened earlier in your life, especially during childhood.
- Group Therapy: allows you and other people with depression to meet together with a therapist and share experiences. May use any of the approaches above.
Source: Depression.com
"Studies have shown over and over again that the best treatments for depression are usually a combination of anti-depressants and talk therapy or psychotherapy", says Billett. Adams says, "I think there are an awful lot of people who are not receiving the treatment that they need, and I think there are people who are being prescribed medications who truly don't need them because there isn't the time for evaluation. The true evaluation and the monitoring that needs to occur". Anti-depressants come with a long list of side effects. For a look at what those are, plus what you need to know about the possibility of long term effects check out part three of our special report.
Drugs vs. Therapy
Combination of talk therapy & drugs often worked best, however, “mostly talk” therapy was almost as effective if it lasted for 13 or more visits
“Mostly drug” therapy was very effective. Drugs had a quicker impact on symptoms than talk therapy.
40% of people who took antidepressants complained of sexual side effects
Mild problems? Treatment from Primary care doctors was effective
Source: Consumer Reports
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I’ve had Depression most all of my adult life. I have a mother and father with the chemical imbalance. I’ve tried to get off the “happy pill”, but it doesn’t work. I start crying and get angry. Celexa or Lexapro is a great anti-depressant, no side effects. Most other medications I’ve tried makes you gain weight. Take medication if you need it. No one else wants to hear you crying or being mean and frustrated on a daily basis, especially your children.