Using Psychology to Treat Depression

Clinical depression is a cluster of physical and psychological symptoms. To deem a case as clinical depression, the symptoms need to present themselves continuously for at least six weeks and impair normal life. Some of the major symptoms of depression are:

1. Sadness, anxiety, fussiness and pessimism
2. Lack of emotion or too emotional
3. Indifference towards pleasure activities
4. Marked appetite changes
5. Too much or too less sleep
6. Lack of confidence and low self esteem
7. Inability of rational thinking
8. Abstruse thinking

These symptoms are likely to lead to strained relationships, job and financial pressures, and conflicts with loved ones.

Drugs can elevate moods and induce a feel-good factor. But medications like antidepressants for treating depression can only provide symptomatic treatment.

Proper counseling is required to make-good the damage done to relationships and motivation to bounce back into normalcy needs psychological handling. The person suffering has to struggle to regain positivity. Psychotherapy or treating depression psychologically attempts to help the patient in that effort.

Treating depression naturally by using psychological treatments is an option that can be considered. The various forms of counseling that are practiced are:

1. Supportive counseling – A therapy that aims at easing the pain of depression. It tries to rebuild confidence.
2. Cognitive therapy – A therapy that aims at restoring optimism and attempt to remove critical aspects that create depression.
3. Interpersonal therapy – This therapy is mainly used to address a patient’s relationship and other personal problems.
4. Psychodynamic therapy – Currently, the most popular therapy, it has shown more positive results than the other three. This therapy targets conflicts within the patient’s mind and aims at decoding thoughts.

The aim of psychotherapy is to lend a hand to the patient in problem assessment and self evaluation. It addresses the stress causing incidents or situations and tries to mitigate their effects.

Unlike conventional therapies or natural remedies for depression, psychotherapy requires a conscious effort on the part of the patient. The therapy is most effective if the patient initiates it himself. External pressure to undergo treatment almost never results in complete solutions.

References:

http://www.psychologyinfo.com

http://emotional.health.ivillage.com