Depression Treatments

Medications

Tricyclic antidepressants or TCAs were among the first developed antidepressants. They have more side effects than the SSRIs and newer antidepressants, but are more effective for certain patients.

MAOIs are another older type of antidepressant. If you are taking an MAOI, you will have to follow certain dietary restrictions to prevent hypertensive (high blood pressure) crisis. MAOIs include Marplan (isocarboxazid), Nardil (phenelzine), and Parnate (tranylcypromine).

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most commonly prescribed medication for depression today. Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline) Celexa (citalopram) and Luvox (fluvoxamine) are the most commonly prescribed brand names. Compared to other antidepressants types, SSRIs have fewer side effects. SSRI medications should not be prescribed in conjunction with the older MAOIs due to the potential for a dangerously high level of serotonin to build up (serotonin syndrome). One medication should be allowed sufficient time to clear from the system before another is began.

There are also newer antidepressants which do not fit into the above categories such as Desyrel (trazodone), Effexor (venlafaxine), Remeron (mirtazapine), Serzone (nefazadone), and Wellbutrin (bupropion). These have fewer side effects than the older antidepressants. Serzone and Wellbutrin.are reputed to have fewer sexual side effects, which is a common problem with SSRI's.

See the Drug Index for information on specific antidepressant medications.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Electroconvulsive therapy, which involves the application of an electric shock to the brain to induce convulsions is used as a treatment of last resort. ECT is never the initial treatment for depression and there are serious questions regarding memory loss which have yet to be adequately answered by the research literature.

Self-Help

Self-help methods for the treatment of depression may be very successful for some individuals. Support groups are especially effective, since they allow the individual an opportunity to socialize and be with others who suffer from similar feelings. Many support groups exist both online and off where depression sufferers can share their commons experiences and feelings. Online resources such as newsgroups, mailing lists, or chat rooms can provide a safe, anonymous place for people to talk about their feelings.

There are also many useful self-help books which are available to help people overcome depression on their own. These may be highly effective for people with mild to moderate depression. Some books emphasize a cognitive-behavioral approach, which is similar to those used within therapy and therefore may be a useful adjunct to conventional therapeutic approaches.