Once people realize they have a problem with depression they have three options. There is the medication option where the doctor writes a prescription for an antidepressant and sends you on your way. In this day of fast work, fast food and fast cures that just may fit your picture of treatment. But it isnt the best nor the safest way. Research has shown that people who use one of three types of psychotherapy alone or psychotherapy and medication have much better results than those only using medication.

Depression is caused from an alteration in brain chemistry. The question is what caused the alteration? Theoretically the change could happen genetically, from a genetic predisposition or triggered by stress. Or it could be triggered by all three. At this time researchers have not been able to identify a genetic reason for people to be depressed, although there are genetic predispositions that are triggered by stress.

This being the case medication only helps a person to cope with facing the stresses head on and finding different ways of coping that is more functional rather than an actual treatment for the disorder. One of three different types of psychotherapy supply many of the answers to patients questions and concerns about their problems.

There are three specific psychotherapeutic approaches to treating depression. Many times people consider psychotherapy as a talking cure (Sigmund Freud) when in fact it is a way to figure out what ails you and to find better ways of coping with the stress.

In these different types of psychotherapy your words and feelings play a central role. The job of the therapist is to support and professionally guide you through the process. You will examine your thoughts, feelings and actions and then determine how well they have worked in the past and how to change the ones that have been non-productive. There is nothing magical nor scary about the process.

It is important to work with a therapist who you can trust enough to be open and honest. You may have to shop around a bit before settling with someone but this is important since keeping your thoughts and feelings to yourself can deepen your depression.

Although there are three different types of psychotherapy most therapists are versed in all three. This knowledge can help you to pick from tools in these different approaches that may work for your individual situation. Of course the explanations are a bit simplistic but they help you to understand the basic premise behind each approach.

In Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) the basic idea is that thoughts, feelings and behaviors are all interconnected so that if you make a change in one area it will affect others. For instance, if you make a change in the way you feel about something then they way that you act and your thoughts will also change. If your depression is making you feel worthless then you and the therapist will explore the specific beliefs you have about yourself and the world that make you feel worthless. Then youd choose alternative behaviors until the system you are stuck in breaks down and your symptoms fade.

Therapists who use Interpersonal Therapy assume that the most difficult aspect of depression is how it affects your relationships with others. This type of therapeutic approach is effective with people who have had unresolved grief of the loss of a loved one or significant conflicts within relationships. The therapist and the patient focus on the relationship to identify personal needs that are going unmet and find ways to meet them by ending negative relationships and building social skills.

Using brief Psychodynamic Therapy the clinician works towards uncovering an event in your life that triggers core conflicts. These events may no longer play and active role in your conscious memory or thoughts. For instance an individual may be feeling overwhelmed by a situation as an adult that isnt in proportion to the event but may have been appropriate in a similar situation when they were much younger. The aim is to help the person make a connection between the past and the present and work through the feelings associated with the past events.

Its important that you feel the treatment you are receiving is relevant and helpful to your individual situation and to have a voice in the approach you are using. However, since there are three types of psychotherapy that lend themselves very nicely to the treatment of depression you should have no trouble picking a therapeutic approach that works for you.