Diagnosing and Treating Depression

Is panic, fear, and discomfort a part of your daily life? What about sleep deprivation? Do you have any emotions of remorse, uselessness, or helplessness? Despite its prevalence, people frequently neglect, misdiagnose, and ignore depression. This can be fatal; severe depression, in particular, has a high rate of suicide. Seek treatment from a skilled health care practitioner if you or a loved one are experiencing signs of depression. Many healthcare professionals identify and treat depression. Normal healthcare visits now routinely include depression screenings. However, if your symptoms worsen or do not improve after 4 to 8 weeks of medication, consult your doctor about referring you to a psychiatrist for management and therapy. Obviously, if you are experiencing more severe symptoms, as well as suicidal tendencies or harming yourself or others, you should consult a psychiatrist as soon as possible.

Anxiety and depression have steadily developed into some of the most prevalent mental illnesses, impacting millions worldwide. Depression affects over two million Indian adults. As the number of people taking Prozac and anti-anxiety drugs grows every day, so does the majority of instances involving negative impacts and recurrence risks. Some even remark that they no longer feel like themselves. Medications remain the main line of management as the recent evidences point out. Medications can be started after consulting the Psychiatrist. People want to know more about their other alternatives, but what other options do they have? What other ways of treatment that are much talked about can be helpful? Let’s have a look.

What are the preferred natural remedies for depression and its benefits?

An alternative, complementary, or integrative health therapy is one that is not categorized as a mainstream Western medical practice. Alternative therapy spans a wide range of disciplines, including anything from nutrition and exercise to psychological training and lifestyle. To be cautious, speak with your healthcare physician before attempting one or more of the following recommended therapies.

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese therapeutic treatment that prevents and heals various diseases and disorders. Acupuncture is the practice of placing very thin, solid needles into particular spots on the body. By addressing imbalances, it boosts the body's ability to resist or conquer sickness. It also stimulates the body's production of substances that significantly reduce pain signals.

• Exercise: In general, exercise is a risk-free and simple technique to boost your health. Research has demonstrated that walking, jogging, cycling, and other forms of exercise alleviate depressive symptoms. According to a new analysis, 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise decreases anxiety symptoms and depression. Various workouts can help you alleviate stress and sadness and boost your energy, balance, flexibility, and capacity to relax.
  

• Meditation: It is a type of relaxation and contemplation. While relaxing the body, individuals purify the brain by concentrating on a single thought, which can be a phrase, statement, or a specific image. People often perform meditation daily for at least 10 minutes. Meditation offers numerous advantages, including relieving tension and anxiety and allowing you to achieve a state of silence and tranquilly.

• Massage: Massage promotes relaxation while reducing tension and stress through the use of touch. Massage promotes the mind-body connection, helping us to be more conscious of what is going on in our bodies. Swedish massage techniques, Reiki, aromatherapy, and craniosacral therapies are examples of massage techniques that can help with the mind-body connection and overall tranquility.

When it comes to depression, what is the prognosis (outlook)?

The efficiency of the complementary therapies indicated here has yet to be determined by scientists. An accurate prognosis is quite challenging to come by. You'll have to experiment a little to discover what works and what doesn't for you when you use alternative therapies. While using these treatments, keep in touch with your healthcare professional.

Conclusion

Do not hesitate to contact your healthcare practitioner as soon as you feel that you have started remaining sad or irritable than usual and your work efficiency as well as life per se is affected by that. Loosing Quality Life for Years is Like Missing Life All Together! Keep in mind that you should always follow the directions of your healthcare practitioner. Do not stop taking your drugs or begin an alternative therapy without consulting your doctor and/or qualified healthcare professional.

Author

Dr. Krishna Patel , MBBS, DNB (Psychiatry), MRCPsych

Psychiatry and Behavioural medicine