 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Psychological treatments
Counselling and other psychological treatments have been found to be very effective in people with mild to moderate depression. Advice and support is an important part of helping all people with depression, no matter how mild or severe their symptoms may be. Certain therapies such cognitive behaviour therapy and interpersonal therapy can be effective, either on their own or used in combination with drug treatment in more severe cases.
Cognitive behaviour therapy helps people to identify negative thinking and to develop more positive and flexible thinking about situations. It can help people to put things in perspective. People with depression tend to focus on the negative, which can cause even more emotional distress and self-defeating behaviour.
Interpersonal therapy deals with an individual’s interpersonal problems eg. difficult relationships with others, lack of assertiveness, or impaired social skills. In some situations, family therapy may be helpful if a depressive disorder is putting a marriage or family relationships at risk, for example.
The first step in getting help for depression is recognising that you may have a problem and discussing your symptoms with your GP. This is not necessarily as easy as it sounds. Accepting the help of others can be a major hurdle to overcome.
If you find that you have five or more of the following symptoms, you should seek medical advice:
Feeling: Depressed, sad, anxious or bored.
Energy: Tiredness, fatigue, everything seems an effort, slowed movements.
Sleep: Waking during the night or too early in the morning. Oversleeping or trouble getting to sleep.
Thinking: Slow thinking, poor concentration, forgetful or indecisive.
Interest: Loss of interest in food, work, sex and life generally.
Value: Reduced sense of self-worth, low self-esteem or guilt.
Aches: Headaches, chest or other pains or palpitations without a physical basis.
Live: Not wanting to live, suicidal thoughts or thinking of death.
Back to "Exploring Treatments"
Basics | Exploring Treatments | Advanced Resources | News | Contact Us | Disclaimer
 |
Copyright © 2008. All rights reserved. |  |
| We subscribe to the principles of the Health On the Net Foundation |