subject: Steps To Treat A Depression Explained [print this page] Many people believe that as soon as you are diagnosed with depression, you have to go on medication. While certain medications can help some people, all it really does is mask the problem instead of addressing it straight on. In addition, there are many side effects with the latest depression medications that make the depression itself look like a walk in the park compared to what you could go through with the side effects. So you should try these natural steps to treat a depression before anything else.
Sunshine is also good, so try taking a walk in the sun, or exercising in the sun. The sunlight assists in regulating the neurochemicals that are associated with moods, and it is important to take into consideration when managing depression. The light that enters your eyes and strikes the retina activates the pathway that leads to the hypothalamus, which is a section of one's brain that considerably influences your sex drive, moods, appetite and sleeping patterns. Exercise together with bright light exposure acts against depression and it will help to reduce the symptoms of depression, which will benefit you right from the start.
One of the more important steps to treat a depression for depression is to admit that you have a problem and seek help. You cannot get better on your own. You need the support of family and friends, medication, and the aspects mentioned here like sunlight and exercise. Being depressed means that you feel you are useless, worthless and nothing really matters. Depression can very easily lead to suicide if it is not treated, so it is important to see to the disorder before it gets too far.
Psychotherapy As Part Of The Steps To Treat A Depression
It is still a very current tool in treating Depression. Talk therapy or counseling as it is also called can help you to work out sleeping, eating, and other issues that might be affecting your depressive symptoms. It can help you to recognize negative thinking and how to change it. In mild cases of Depression Psychotherapy treatment may be all that's necessary. For the most part though, it is usually prescribed in conjunction with other treatments such as anti-depressants.
TMS- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
This is a relatively new and still experimental procedure that is not yet approved by the FDA for treating Depression. It is done by a physician who has a magnetic coil that receives pulses of electric current. The magnetic coil is passed over the scalp and the electric pulses penetrate the bones of the skull to stimulate the nerve cells of the brain. Though this procedure is still considered experimental many hospitals and clinics offer it. It has serious potential to become a very precise procedure able to treat other brain disorders.
