WELCOME TO YOUR GO-TO RESOURCE FOR MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND SELF-CARE!
WELCOME TO YOUR GO-TO RESOURCE FOR MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND SELF-CARE!
We will talk about treatments to stop feeling depressed, but first we need to understand what depression is.
Sadness, loneliness, worry. We all feel these ways from time to time. Generally these feelings are both largely situational and temporary. Significantly, clinical depression is much more serious than a single bad day or even a few bad days. It is more than just moodiness or sadness. Depression is a mood disorder that weighs you down with continual sadness and significantly interferes with your daily living.
It is estimated that approximately 280 million people in the world have depression (1). A large percentage of those 280 million receive no treatment and significantly suffer because of it (2). Individuals suffer. Relationships weaken. Communities wilt.
Thankfully, there are significant lifestyle modifications that can help relieve the suffocating weight of depression. There are mind coaches like myself. There are therapists and psychiatrists. There are scientifically proven medicines that have the potential to improve depressive symptoms in drastic ways. You are not alone in your depression, even if you feel so right now.
Here are a few of the most common signs of depression:
Here at Psycophi, we are dedicated to teaching small yet significant steps proven to make large differences in your mental health and optimal living. First, let's name it to tame it and recognize the symptoms and definitions of the various depressive disorders. Then we will dive into treatment options.
While the above list includes some of the main symptoms of depression, they often present in specific patterns for each individual. Medical professionals have categorized these patterns into diagnosable terms. Here is a brief rundown of the most common depressive disorders:
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Characterized by an episode with depressive symptoms that lasts two weeks or longer. These episodes are often disabling and interfere with daily functioning and optimal living.
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia): Characterized by the same depressive symptoms as MDD but differs in severity and length. Typically symptoms are less severe than MDD, but this form of depression can last significantly longer, up to two or more years.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): A form of depression that is connected to seasonal changes. Most individuals with SAD experience depressive symptoms that start in the fall and continue into the winter months. Symptoms typically resolve during the spring and summer months.
Adjustment Disorder (AD) With Depressed Mood: Defined as depressive symptoms experienced within three months of a specific major life stressor, such as starting/losing a job or the death of a family member.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): A more severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that affects women of childbearing age. PMDD causes severe irritability, anxiety, and depression in the week or two before a period starts. Symptoms usually resolve two to three days after the start of the period.
Are you looking to boost your mental health and better manage your depression, but are struggling to make lasting lifestyle changes?
Don't worry, Psycophi has got you covered with our 9-week course "Mental Health & You: Lifestyle Changes to Optimize Your Life."
Our course provides you with powerful tools to enhance your mental health and wellbeing, including goal setting, intentional sleeping, masterful movement, mindful eating, meditation, mindfulness, creating masterpiece days, and more.
We'll guide you through practical and purposeful steps that will bring significant results to your life, one small manageable step at a time.
If you prefer a more individualized approach, our Mental Health Life Coaching Packages offer tailored one-on-one support to help you achieve your mental health goals.
Take the first step towards a happier and healthier life today. Let us empower you to become the best version of yourself!
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As you can see, there are many flavors of depression. None of them are pleasant or preferred. As already mentioned, many people try to “tough it out,” “wait it through,” and simply “manage” on their own. Some people successfully do so. But the majority significantly suffer, oftentimes in painfully impairing ways.
Let’s say it right here and right now: It is normal to need help. It is encouraged to seek help. You are not weak for needing help. You are strong, despite what your depressed mind is telling you. You should feel proud of yourself for reading this article as you start to take charge and be intentional about your treatment plan. All intended to BETTER YOU.
Here are some depression treatments to help you cope with your depression.
"You are strong, despite what your depressed mind tells you."
While depression might start for reasons beyond your control, there are many controllable lifestyle techniques that can limit the hold depression has on your life. Once mastered, intentional living can help prevent depression from creeping back into your life as well. Head over to the Psycophi Respond section to learn more about small steps you can make in your life to make a big difference in combating your depression. Some of these steps include changing the way you eat, sleep, move, and breathe. We are strong believers in Small Steps to Big Results.
Psychotherapy is a broad term for talk therapy. There are a variety of psychotherapies that can be effective for depression, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, supportive therapy, or interpersonal therapy. Psychotherapy can help individuals adjust in a healthier way to crisis or other difficulties, explore relationships and experiences, and learn how to cope and solve problems in a more effective manner.
You can set up these sessions with a therapist at the frequency you need and prefer, and they can last short term or long term. Talking to someone about what you are experiencing can empower you and help you feel heard, seen, and known. These trained professionals know what they are doing. Over 3000 scientific studies and 300 summaries of studies report that psychotherapy has made consistent, positive changes that improves the mental health of patients (3). Studies also routinely show that most people prefer psychotherapy instead of medications, and, interestingly enough, a patient improves more if they use their preferred treatment method (4). All the more reason Psycophi wants to fill your toolbox with as many resources as we can give you, so you can pick what works right for YOU.
If you're interested in finding a psychologist or learning more about what they do, check out findapsychologist.org.
A psychiatrist is the trained doctor that treats depression, and they can give a diagnosis via a psychiatric evaluation. They are also the physicians that can prescribe you an antidepressant. There are numerous types available, and some work better than others based upon an individual's personal response to each medication. Oftentimes patients find what works best for them by trying different medications out over time and fine tuning dosages.
Here are some of the most common antidepressants used, according to the Mayo Clinic:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): Doctors often start by prescribing an SSRI. These drugs are considered safer and generally cause fewer bothersome side effects than other types of antidepressants. SSRIs include citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), sertraline (Zoloft), and vilazodone (Viibryd).
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs): These treat depression effectively, and they also can be used to treat anxiety disorders and chronic pain. Examples of SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor XR), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq, Khedezla), and levomilnacipran (Fetzima).
Tricyclic Antidepressants: These drugs—such as imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), amitriptyline, doxepin, trimipramine (Surmontil), desipramine (Norpramin), and protriptyline (Vivactil)—can be very effective, but tend to cause more severe side effects than newer antidepressants. So tricyclics generally aren't prescribed unless you've tried an SSRI first without improvement.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs): MAOIs—such as tranylcypromine (Parnate), phenelzine (Nardil), and isocarboxazid (Marplan)—may be prescribed, typically when other drugs haven't worked, because they can have serious side effects. Using MAOIs requires a strict diet because of dangerous (or even deadly) interactions with foods, such as certain cheeses, pickles, wines, and some medications and herbal supplements. Selegiline (Emsam), a newer MAOI that sticks on the skin as a patch, may cause fewer side effects than other MAOIs do. These medications can't be combined with SSRIs.
Atypical Antidepressants: These medications don't fit neatly into any of the other antidepressant categories. They include bupropion (Wellbutrin XL, Wellbutrin SR, Aplenzin, Forfivo XL), mirtazapine (Remeron), nefazodone, trazodone, and vortioxetine (Trintellix).
Other medications may be added to an antidepressant to enhance antidepressant effects. Your doctor may recommend combining two antidepressants or adding medications such as mood stabilizers or antipsychotics. Anti-anxiety and stimulant medications also may be added for short-term use.
On top of lifestyle modifications, Psycophi highly encourages you to talk to trained medical professionals concerning medications and therapy.
Answer your medicinal questions by reading more about potential side effects explained by the Cleveland Clinic.
Now that you have learned a few ways to respond to depression, it is time to act upon that new knowledge and optimize your life. Psycophi’s course Mental Health and You: Lifestyle Changes to Optimize Your Life is designed to teach you even deeper how to move from your current depressed state to a greater, better, more satisfied version of yourself. This course will teach you how to structure your life and mind in ways that are scientifically proven to improve your mental and physical health.
Living with depression is challenging, often because you have low motivation to do anything, let alone improve. This course provides the much needed structure, education, encouragement, and motivation needed to face your depression head on in an intentional, focused way. Take the link to check out more.
Mental health requires a multifaceted approach. Combining lifestyle changes, professional assistance, and medicinal support is often needed and necessary. Stop hoping your life will get better without you doing anything. Stop suffering in silence. Take the necessary steps to become a mind warrior and master of your life. Your inner self will thank you.
Take courage as you face the darkness of depression. You are not alone.
The Psycophi Team
Small Steps to Big Results
If you’re interested in learning more lifestyle changes you can make to improve your mental health and to become the best version of you, check out Psycophi’s course Mental Health and You: Lifestyle Changes to Optimize Your Life.
These scientifically backed lessons will fill your mental toolbox with easily implementable strategies to create intentional living, to improve your foundations of eating, moving, sleeping, and connecting, and to craft masterpiece days that bring rich fulfillment into all areas of your life.
1. Depression. (2021, September 13). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
2. Evans-Lacko, S., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Al-Hamzawi, A, et. al. (2018). Socio-economic variations in the mental health treatment gap for people with anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders: results from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys. Psychol Med, 48(9), 1560-1571. doi: 10.1017/S0033291717003336
3. Westra, Dr. (n.d.). The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy: What the Research Tells Us. Find A Psychologist. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.findapsychologist.org/the-effectiveness-of-psychotherapy-what-the-research-tells-us/
4. Westra, Dr. (n.d.). The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy: What the Research Tells Us. Find A Psychologist. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.findapsychologist.org/the-effectiveness-of-psychotherapy-what-the-research-tells-us/
Bryson is a certified Life Coach and a first year medical resident training to become a psychiatric physician. He has suffered from social anxiety and generalized anxiety. After landing in the ER from a panic attack that felt like a heart attack, he became an advocate for others experiencing the same mental health struggles. He now dedicates his life to empowering those in the mental health community with the tools they need to turn their lives around and find heightened satisfaction in pursuing the things that truly matter to them.
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