by Rose Ann Haven
Published: Mon, February 11, 2008 - 5:57 pm CST
It's dubbed a "Huge Public Health Problem". The World Health Organization says depression is one of the top causes of disability worldwide. Millions of people are turning to anti-depressants for help. But, is it enough? Experts fear it's not. Lynn Adams believes in talking about your problems. She's a psychotherapist who knows a lot about clinical depression, "This is a physical illness just like having an under active thyroid is. It is a medical condition which is what makes it easy to talk about. It's a blameless illness", says Adams. She knows firsthand. Adams taxes a dose of LEXAPRO everyday for depression.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
Many Students Stressed And Depressed
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