What kinds of treatment are for depression?

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RESPONSE:

1. What kinds of treatment are for depression? Describe and compare the two treatment alternatives prescription medication and describe psychotherapy.

Major Clinical Depression

Major depression is characterized by the inability to enjoy life and experience pleasure. Lack of interest in outside activities, strong feelings of worthlessness or guilt, thoughts that life isn't worth living, weight gain or loss, sleep troubles- all of these are signs of major depression. These feelings normally must persist for at least two weeks in order to be considered a major depressive episode. The symptoms can range from mild, when you can function in life with extra effort, to severe, where you can no longer complete daily activities. (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/treatment_strategies_depression.htm)

Treatments

Combined treatment has the highest rate of success. For example, the SSRIs act on a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Serotonin helps regulate mood, but it also plays a role in digestion, pain, sleep, mental clarity, and other bodily functions. As a result, the SSRI antidepressants have side effects like all medication. However, for severe depression often medication is necessary in order for other forms of treatment to be helpful.

The following factors may make some people more prone than others to react to a loss or failure with a clinical depression which all need to part of the treatment plan:

*Specific, distressing life events,
*A biochemical imbalance in the brain,
*sychological factors, like a negative or pessimistic view of life.
*There may also be a genetic link since people with a family history of depression are more likely to experience it (http://www.cmha.ca/BINS/content_page.asp?cid=3-86-87)

Medication

There are many different kinds of antidepressants, including:

*Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The SSRIs act on a chemical in the ...