How to Choose the Depression Therapy that's Right for You
Description
This article is from the Health Articles series.
How to Choose the Depression Therapy that's Right for You
With all the different therapies available to treat depression, it can be difficult to choose the treatment plan that is right for you. Your health-care professional can help guide your decision with expert information and advice, but only you can choose the treatment that you feel most comfortable with.
No therapy is perfect for everyone. You may have to try different options to see what suits you the best, and it's often a good idea to combine different treatment options. For instance you might decide to take an antidepressant medication while undergoing psychotherapy. And don't be afraid to try a different form of therapy or medication if your current treatment plan isn't working for you.
But even with a successful treatment plan, depression isn't cured overnight. It can take weeks or even months for your therapy to be effective.
Considering Medication
If you are thinking about an antidepressant medication, you might want to consider the following:
Considering Psychotherapy
If you are thinking about psychotherapy you might want to keep these things in mind:
Considering Electroconvulsive Therapy
If you are thinking about ECT consider:
Considering Self Help
If you are thinking about self-help, you might want to think about:
Other Forms of Therapy
If you are thinking about other forms of treatment it is a good idea to determine:
Keeping Track
You might want to use a diary to help assess whether your treatment plan is working. Use your diary to write a few notes about your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and just what happened to you during the day. A friend, spouse, or family member can help you if you're not feeling up to it. By looking at your diary, you and your health-care professional can see if you're improving. If you are, that's great and your treatment plan should be continued. If, after a few weeks, your depression is not improving, it may be time to make some changes to your treatment.
The Mind Health Tracker helps you keep track of your progress and provides valuable information for your practitioner.
You might also want to use a rating scale to help you keep track of how you are feeling. For example:
You may wish to use a scale from one to 10 instead – whatever works for you.
You're On Your Way
Choosing the treatment plan that is right for you is no easy task. But by learning all you can about the different treatments and by working closely with your health-care professional(s), you are on the right path to successfully beating your depression.
Continue to:
My Books
