If you suspect that depression is interfering with your life, talking about what you’re experiencing and discussing treatment options with a medical professional is essential. As actress Taraji P. Henson, who describes her depression as “suffocating” darkness, recently explained in an interview with Self magazine, “When you’re quiet, things aren’t fixed. It gets worse.” (27)

The good news is that there’s abundant evidence that people with depression who seek treatment will find significant relief from lifestyle changes, talk therapy (psychotherapy), medication, or a combination of all efforts, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. (28)

Lifestyle Changes for Depression

Lifestyle changes, such as making art, journaling, exercising more, and practicing yoga or mindfulness, can also alleviate depression and the stress that can heighten it. Alternative treatments like massage, acupuncture, and light therapy may also help.

Diet changes, too, can uplift your mood by reducing inflammation and helping to ensure your brain gets the nutrients it needs to function at its best.

One randomized controlled study, published October 9, 2019, in the journal PLoS One, found that self-reported symptoms of depression dropped significantly in just three weeks in young adults who changed from a highly processed, high-carbohydrate diet to a Mediterranean diet focused on vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, unsweetened dairy, nuts and seeds, olive oil, and the spices turmeric and cinnamon. In contrast, the depression scores didn’t budge in a control group of people who didn’t change their diet. (29)

Which Types of Talk Therapy Work Best for Depression?

The Society of Clinical Psychology rates several types of psychotherapy as highly effective treatments for depression: (30)

Behavioral activation therapy The aim of this type of therapy is to reverse the downward spiral of depression by encouraging you to seek out experiences and activities that give you joy.

The aim of this type of therapy is to reverse the downward spiral of depression by encouraging you to seek out experiences and activities that give you joy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) CBT focuses on changing specific negative thought patterns so that you are able to better respond to challenging and stressful situations.

CBT focuses on changing specific negative thought patterns so that you are able to better respond to challenging and stressful situations. Interpersonal therapy This very structured, time-limited form of therapy focuses on identifying and improving problematic personal relationships and circumstances directly related to your current depressive mood.

This very structured, time-limited form of therapy focuses on identifying and improving problematic personal relationships and circumstances directly related to your current depressive mood. Problem-solving therapy This form of therapy teaches take-charge skills that help you solve the real-life problems and stressors, big and small, that contribute to depression.

This form of therapy teaches take-charge skills that help you solve the real-life problems and stressors, big and small, that contribute to depression. Self-management/self control therapy This type of therapy trains you to lessen your negative reactions to events and reduce your self-punishing behaviors and thoughts.

What Are the Different Antidepressants and How Do They Work?

The most commonly prescribed antidepressants cause changes in brain chemistry that affect how neurons communicate. Exactly how this improves mood remains somewhat of a mystery, but the fact that they do often work is well-established. (31,32)

All antidepressants can have side effects, but some may be more problematic than others. You may need to try several different medications, or a combination, guided by your doctor, before you find what works best for you.

In addition, it may take some patience before you see results. The full benefits of the drugs may not be realized until you’ve taken them for as long as three months, according to the the STAR*D trial, the largest, longest study on antidepressant treatment, which ended in 2006. (33)

Sometimes, other medications may be added to your regimen. These might include a mood stabilizer, such as lithium (sold under several brand names) or valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote). If psychotic symptoms (having delusions or seeing or hearing voices that are not real, for example) are present, a doctor may prescribe an antipsychotic medication, such as Haldol (haloperidol), Risperdal (risperidone), Geodon (ziprasidone), Abilify (aripiprazole), and Zyprexa (olanzapine). (34)

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