Treatment Resistant Depression Can Feel Like a Scary Condition

There are many people who are depressed and suffering from treatment resistant depression. In these cases, treatments can sometimes partially help, but still leaves much to be desired unfortunately. Treatment resistant depression doesn’t mean that no treatments will work, just that it can take time to find a combination of treatments that provides the most effect. 

In most cases, people are able to ease their depression by receiving counselling and/or some kind of medication. These can help with the issues causing depression and allow sufferers to suffer fewer depressive spells with less severity. For those who suffer from treatment resistant depression, they may have to take more steps to try to reach the same level of treatment as others. 

Symptoms of Treatment Resistant Depression

Essentially, signs that your depression may be treatment resistant are the signs that you are depressed in the first place. Many people show marked improvement with treatment. Treatment resistant depression cases may not. 

In some cases, the symptoms of depression are only slightly dented. Quite simply, people feel depressed, but not as depressed as usual. The other method it might take is that depression goes away for a little while, but then it might come back again quickly without explanation. This temporary respite is not enough for a proper treatment. 

Ways to Combat Treatment Resistant Depression

Depression being treatment resistant doesn’t mean stop trying. It simply means trying to find a new way to combat and reduce the symptoms and pressure of depression. There are thankfully things that can be tried. Working with your doctor can allow you to figure out an option. 

Medicinal Plans

Medication strategies are the first. In some cases, giving medications more time can matter. Other cases may require increasing the dose of medication or trying out a different form of medication designed for depression. Doctors could also switch up the type of medication and try some others. There may even be medication that can be used for other conditions a person is suffering from, which may also be causing problems with depression. 

Psychological Plans

Increasing the ability of psychological counseling is another option. Many people find that psychological counseling is a crucial aspect to their treatment. Counseling could change. It may instead focus on life’s challenges, dealing with severe emotional trauma or managing relationships and stress. It’s likely that much of that would have been included beforehand, but the balance can change. Psychotherapy isn’t just about counseling though. There’s other options that can be tried as well. These would include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - This counseling form is all about mood management. It can help avoid negative spirals and challenges.
• Interpersonal Therapy - This form of therapy works to improve your social relationships issues. 
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - This therapy is designed around preparing positive habits. 
• Marital or Family Therapy - This therapy can help reduce the tension and stress that is caused through families or marital relationships. 
• Group Therapy - Sometimes, group therapy can help people recognize that they are not alone in dealing with depression and can work together towards fixing things. 
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy - This form of therapy is especially useful for people who are considering self harm or suicide. 

Additional Procedures

There are a few other options that can be taken as well if the other treatment options are still proving to be less than ideal. Typically this will come up as options after counseling and medications. These include: 

• Electroconvulsive Therapy - This is a treatment which occurs during sleep. Electrical impulses are put into the brain. This can alter brain chemistry and result in quick changes, though obviously there can be side effects to altering brain chemistry. 
• Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation - This is used after ECT doesn’t work. Magnetic fields are used in an effort to improve depression. 
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation - The final option of these three procedures is usually the last attempted. An item is implanted into the chest at the vagus nerve. The implant will allow the electric signals that are created to run to the brain in an attempt to increase the mood centers.