Depression Help

How to Overcome Depression

Treating Depression and Anxiety

See your doctor about treating depression

There are numerous treatment options for those suffering from depression apart from taking medication such as Paxil and other similar drugs like Zoloft and Prozac. There are also many types of psychotherapies available that will depend on the level of depression the patient is suffering from. Standardized evaluation, observation and sessions will determine the level if neurosis and the right treatment and medication for it.

There’s psychotherapy, medication, medical treatments using devices and equipment like electroconvulsive therapy and numerous alternative treatments like acupuncture, sauna treatment and flower remedies.

Major depressive disorders are commonly treated using psychotherapy. The most common psychotherapy is the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that is used as treatment for moderate to severe depression even if it’s not as effective as taking Paxil and other antidepressants as studies show. Then, there’s the behavior therapy or behavioral activation, which is considered to be superior to CBT and it takes less time that leads to a longer lasting effect on the patient.

mind of a depressed individual

Interpersonal psychotherapy centers on what triggers a person’s depression and has been known as an effective treatment for depression with regular weekly sessions. It helps develop interpersonal skills and reduce stress. Psychoanalysis focuses on the unconscious mental conflicts to treat depression. It is done through meta-analysis to reveal what’s within and to release that psychic tension. MBCT or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has been devised to prevent relapse and is administered in groups. It doesn’t include any medication like Paxil or psychotherapy, only a supplementary care for those going through the withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants.

Psychotherapies are almost always accompanied by antidepressant medication like SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) where Paroxetine Paxil belongs. Dosages – in Paxil’s case, that’s 10mg, 20mg, 40mg and Paxil CR (controlled release) – can be progressive during treatment as well, depending on the progress or the efficacy of the drug and the patient’s reaction to the combined therapy. Some doctors augment medications by combining their prescription with other drugs to boost the effect of the antidepressant.

Antidepressants are highly risky without the proper supervision from doctors. The risk of overdose even with the contraindications and warnings in black box labels required by the US Food and Drug Administration for such medications, the severe side effects, effects when mixing Paxil and alcohol, birth defects from using during pregnancy can be alleviated with the proper administering of these drugs. Another precautionary measure in place is that no one can buy Paxil without prescription.

consult with your physician

Even with numerous cases involving lawsuit settlements, pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline (Paxil manufacturer), Pfizer and Eli Lilly and company, to name a few, continue to make antidepressants to help those suffering from the debilitating social effects of the crippling illness. Further information about Paxil and similar drugs, one can get online, read through forums and search in wiki.

Apart from Paxil, which belongs to the SSRI type (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), there’s also known brands such as Prozac, Luvox, Zoloft, Celexa, Cipramil, Priligy, Lexapro, Cipralex, Lexamil, Seroplex, Sarafem, Symbyax, Aropax and Viibryd (the newest brand in the market). There are other medications such as SAMe or S-Adenosyl methionine, which is available as an over-the-counter dietary supplement in the US and a prescription antidepressant in Europe. There’s also St. John’s wort (Tipton’s weed, chase-devil or Klamath weed), a plant known as an herbal treatment for mild depression.

There are also some equipment and devises used for treatment such as deep brain stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and electrotherapy stimulation. The most common and most severe is the electroconvulsive therapy. It involves electrically-induced seizures are administered to anaesthetized patients used as a last resort to treat major depression. Studies might show long-term remission but risks are high in the form of memory loss, disorientation and other neurocognitive defects may occur.

antidepressants can help treat depression

Apart from Paxil alternatives like Prozac, Lexapro and other antidepressants, alternative treatments for depression are getting worldwide attention in recent years. They are: music therapy, bright light therapy, total or partial sleep deprivation, exercise, acupuncture, flower remedies (flower petals diluted in alcohol or water and used as scents), Reiki (Japanese spiritual practice of using hands to transfer universal energy to aid in self-healing and establishing a state of equilibrium or balance), gratitude journals (part of psychotherapy), sauna treatment, DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone, sold as a weight-loss aid in the 70s and 80s) and eating healthy.

It is a known fact that having a healthy lifestyle by getting enough sleep or rest, eating a proper balanced diet and the right food (rich in Vitamin B8 or Inositol and Omega-3 Fatty Acids), getting enough exercise and living in a peaceful environment can help battle depression without taking any synthetic drug like Paxil. Numerous calming therapies have helped conquer this illness in a natural way.

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