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Medical Treatment For Major Depression
By Penny | April 9, 2007
There are times in most people’s lives when they feel down and are unable to overcome the feelings. Depression can occur for a variety of reasons and is difficult to cope with for the person and those around them. Most of the time, depression is a minor issue and is very short lived. It may occur because of increased stress or negative events in an individual’s life. Sometimes a person can work through the depression with the help of a friend or family and sometimes they will need a course of antidepressant medication. This type of depression, usually, only lasts for a few days or a few weeks.
Sometimes a person has a more severe episode of depression. Major depression is becoming more and more of an issue in our world. Major depression can be caused by other medical conditions, chemical imbalances, or traumatic life events. Most of the time there is no single cause of major depression and there is still much that is not understood about the disorder. What is known is that a person suffering will need to seek medical treatment for major depression. Without medical treatment for major depression the person will be unable to overcome the depression and will suffer more severe consequences of that depression possibly even committing suicide.
Health Care Professionals Who Offer Treatment For Major Depression
There are many health care professionals who offer treatment for major depression. A lot of the time a person who is suffering major depression will talk to their family doctor first. The family doctor is a good place to start because they know more about the individual’s background, family life, and other health issues. The family physician can prescribe anti-depressant medications and can make referrals to other health care professionals as needed.
Licensed counselors are people who are educated and trained to offer counseling to individuals who are having trouble dealing with life events. The counselor can offer limited support that, in the case of treating major depression, can be used in addition to the care received by a medical doctor. Counselors are not able to prescribe medications and may only have limited training.
Psychologist are health care professional that have received lengthy training in mental health areas and are well equipped to treat major depression with counseling and other interventions. Psychologists are not initially trained to prescribe medications but there are some who have received additional training and can. The psychologist will, most of the time, work with a psychiatrists to provide a full spectrum of mental health care.
The psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has trained in the area of mental health. These doctors can provide the full spectrum of care in treating major depression. They can prescribe medications, offer counseling and can use other medical interventions including in-patient care in treatment for major depression. Being under the care of a psychiatrist who has a team of other health professionals working with him is the most comprehensive approach to receiving treatment for major depression.
Topics: treatment for major depressions |