In this youtube video, I discuss how to tackle depression and what treatments are needed for your first time treating depression.
The cause of the depression one is suffering from depends on several factors. Was it an event-related experience that caused the depression? In that case, psychotherapy can work well and have long term benefits.
Severe Depression. If the depression is so severe without being able to think straight then psychotherapy won’t work for those suffering from severe depression.
Suicidal Thoughts. Those suffering from suicidal thoughts need to see a psychiatrist immediately and receive medications without any delays. Hospitalization is for protection for those that have a plan to kill themselves and are at high risk. Those suffering from constant thoughts about sucide do not need to be hospitalized but rather need to receive more attention. In a couple of cases the doctors didn’t want to deal with the patient and it was easier for them to get the patient to go to the ER– this is not a good idea. Each person needs to be treated with care, respect and patiently by their caregiver.
Recurrent Depression. Those suffering from recurrent depression will damage the brain. I recommend for those folks to try to stay on a medication consistently and be persistent to help avoid it from coming back. Watch the video to find out what those steps might be.
Chronic Depression. In chronic depression cases, for example, psychotherapy, won’t be as effective. In my entire career, I have treated people that have had gone through several treatments that have not helped them and only then they come to see me for TMS therapy. For beginners, I start them off with medications such as prozac– a serotonin based treatment. I recommend serotonin to avoid weight gain and not to diminish their sexual drive.
Medications that help dispersions for those in their beginning stages are:
- citalopram (Celexa)
- escitalopram (Lexapro)
- fluoxetine (Prozac)
- fluvoxamine (Luvox)
- paroxetine (Paxil)
- and sertraline (Zoloft)
Depression can cause one to sleep more and crave more carbohydrates and trying different medications until finding a medication that is suitable for them may take some time. Some patients can also get worse taking serotonin medications. There are medications to avoid issues like this- lithium is a very good option that helps avoid a cyclical depression. In this video I will discuss some more of these options. Watch the video to learn more about these types of solutions.
Physical Activity
Vigorous exercise is very beneficial to fighting depression. I recommend 5 days a week with a total of 5 hours per week. If that’s a difficult task to accomplish try to get at least 3 hours a week of very intense exercise. While I understand, exercising is difficult for many people, the next step is 10 hours of walking a week to help fight the depression in fact the more the walking you can integrate into your lifestyle, the better it is for your mental health.
Nutrition
What should you eat? Consuming fish oil is very good for fighting off depression. Foods rich in antioxidants are also good and they clean the poisons from the body. Too many free radicals in the brain affect the mood and antioxidant can help when it comes to these issues.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that is often overlooked mainly because it has the word “Vitamin” attached to it. Vitamin D is intimately involved in regulating the immune system (this is the reason why in the winter humans are more prone to the flu and other compromising diseases). It is also good for autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D is also very beneficial to take when being treated with TMS and other depression-related treatments (see my video on youtube for detailed information regarding this).
Friends
We are social beings and need to have interactions with other people. It is important to have tight social connections and meet with friends and family on a regular basis. Make sure you are active and seeing other people.
Sound. Music can help you pick up your mood. The noise of people chatting, babies making noise and laughter of friends has a huge impact on your mood. Surround yourself with people.
Pets. Both cats and dogs have evolved with humans and their social aspect can help people overcome their depression. Dogs in particular are a great way to meet people and cause you to have more interactions with others. It is a great way to pick up friends and even a date.
Blood Test. TSH levels matter. Learn what levels they need to be and what are your odds for overcoming depression. There are several important things to look for in your blood test watch this video to learn what they are.
Watch this video to learn more about your options and what other tests you may need to combat depression. Feel free to touch base with my office for more information about therapies to deal with depression or any other mental health issues you are a family member may be going through.
Dogs, in particular, are a great way to meet people and cause you to have more interactions with others. It is a great way to pick up friends and even a date.