| Lots of people undergo from depression, and it's not | | | | problem with tricyclics is that it can cause problems |
| something that anyone need be embarrassed of. This | | | | for those already suffering with heart disease, and |
| is an essential starting point for those who are in | | | | getting the precise dosage right is far more complex |
| need of treatment. Depression should be treated like | | | | than with Prozac or Zoloft. People certainly have |
| any other physical illness, and like other physical | | | | been known to gravely overdose on tricyclics. |
| illnesses it can often be fixed with prescription drugs. | | | | These issues highlight the need for antidepressant |
| Having said that, it can also often be dealt with | | | | medication to be administered by a trained |
| without drugs, through psychotherapy. | | | | psychiatrist and not by a general practitioner. A good |
| Psychotherapy unfortunately also has a stigma | | | | psychiatrist will also be the best person to decide if |
| surrounding to it in the minds of various people, but it | | | | the subject requires hospilisation. |
| is nothing more than a method of counselling where | | | | For those who need to be hospitalized, electric shock |
| the depressed person is given an occasion to discuss | | | | therapy (ECT) is another form of treatment that has |
| about life and the way they feel. The very | | | | proven very advantageous to some people. This is |
| procedure of being able to talk about pain and | | | | generally only used with people who have rare and |
| unhappiness in a non-judgemental atmosphere can | | | | acute symptoms of depression and who have |
| have an extremely healing effect, especially for those | | | | become manic. ECT is normally only considered for |
| who are suffering mild or moderate cases of | | | | those who have not been successful on |
| depression. Severely depressed persons do not | | | | antidepresasnt medication and when all other |
| typically benefit from psychotherapy and counselling | | | | methods of treatment have failed to make the |
| to the same extent. Severe depression generally | | | | symptoms of the depression less serious. |
| requires supplementing counselling with other | | | | ECT involves electrical stimulation that causes the |
| depression treatments. Even so, counselling is not | | | | brain to seizure in order to ease the depression. While |
| only a good starting point in the process, but a | | | | this sounds awful, this treatment should not be |
| professional counsellor will generally be the best | | | | connected with the torturous forms of shock |
| person to provide advice as to the need for further | | | | therapy often portrayed in the cinema. Today, |
| treatment. | | | | patients who are given ECT you are also given |
| Severe depression needs medication and sometimes | | | | muscle relaxants so as to get rid of all discomfort |
| hospitalisation. Even then, it can frequently take some | | | | and pain. ECT is generally used in conjunction with |
| time to get treatment right, as there are a collection | | | | both antidepressant medication and counselling. |
| of antidepressant drugs available on the market and | | | | Sometimes the ECT will allow a person to become |
| some of them can have risky side-effects. | | | | free of a depressive episode after which they will be |
| Part of the reason for the popularity of | | | | able to keep up their equilibrium through the use of |
| antidepressants such as Prozac or Zoloft is that they | | | | normal antidepressants. |
| usually have few and far between side-effects, apart | | | | Dealing successfully with depression can evidently be |
| from a regular decrease of libido, and hence are | | | | very tough, and the cost (financially as well as |
| relatively safe to prescribe. However such drugs do | | | | physically) can be high, but these costs generally pale |
| not work at all for some people who may require | | | | in comparison to the toll taken by depression that is |
| 'tricyclics' such as Vivactil, Norpramin or Pamelor. The | | | | left untreated. |