MyHealthTabs.com | A Trending Content Hub

Treatment plans and medications for depression

According to the World Health Organization, the estimated number of people around the world affected by depression are around 350 million. It is the most common illness worldwide and is a leading cause of disability. WHO states that it is a common mental disorder that is characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that a person usually enjoys, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities for at least two full weeks.

What causes depression?
While the cause of depression is not fully understood, it is likely to be a complex combination of genetic, environmental, and biological and psychosocial factors. Also, while depression can affect people of all ages from all walks of life, poverty, unemployment, life events like the death of a loved one or a relationship break-up, physical illness, and problems caused by alcohol and drug use are likely to increase the risk.

The symptoms involve losing interest in doing things that one would usually enjoy, change in appetite and sleep patterns, and feeling sad for at least 2 weeks.

Approaches to treat depression
If the symptoms persist for more than two weeks, patients are advised to get professional help from a therapist who can evaluate the symptoms and recommend the right approach for treatment. It is a condition that can be treated by therapy, medication, or both, and the treatment approaches vary depending on the type of depression. Here are some psychotherapy approaches to know about:

Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
This approach focuses on the past and present social roles and interpersonal interactions of the patient and attempts to help them find better ways to deal with their current problems.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
It focuses on helping patients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behavior. Additionally, this approach helps patients identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that affect them negatively.
Problem solving therapy
This approach helps patients address problem orientation, define their problems, brainstorm and evaluate solutions, and then take action. It focuses on helping patients cope with difficulties and proactively seek solutions and implement them.

Apart from psychotherapy, patients might need medication to help them recover from this disorder. Here are some of the common medications to know more about:

Aplenzin
Used to treat depression, it is also taken to prevent seasonal affective disorder, which is a type of depression that occurs each year at the same time, like during winters. It improves mood and feelings of well-being, and it may also work to restore the balance of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain.
Abilify Mycite
This is a combination of aripiprazole and a patch. Aripiprazole may be used in combination with other medicines to treat depression, and it is also known as an antipsychotic drug that helps restore the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain.
Emsam
It is a medication used as a patch on the skin. Its common name is selegiline, which is an antidepressant, monoamine oxidase inhibitor, that treats depression by restoring the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain.
Rexulti
Its common name is brexpiprazole, and it belongs to the atypical antipsychotic class of medicines. This medication helps improve mood, sleep, energy levels, and appetite.
Spravato
Its common name is esketamine, which is an antidepressant, and this medicine improves mood and restores interest in living.
Marplan
Its common name is isocarboxazid, and it is an antidepressant. It restores the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain and helps improve mood and feelings of well-being.

These medications should be taken only with a prescription, so it is important to consult a professional psychiatrist to diagnose the condition and prescribe medication accordingly. Remember that help is always available, and you are not alone. Reach out.

Popular Reads

You Will Not Believe This Common Condition Is One of the Brain Tumor Symptoms

You know about headaches and seizures, but did you know that this common condition is one of the brain tumor symptoms you ought to watch out for? Brain tumors manifest in symptoms for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the brain is a very compact organ, and there is little to no space to accommodate the growth of other tissue inside the brain. Secondly, depending on exactly where they are growing inside the brain, these tumors push against and impose pressure on certain parts, and cause varying symptoms. Perhaps, the most common early warning symptom of brain tumors is a headache . Headaches may be severe to start off with, or may have a tendency to worsen early in the morning or after any activity. The second most commonly reported symptom of brain tumors is seizures or fits. Also known as convulsion, motor seizures are characterized by sudden involuntary movements of the muscles in a person’s body. Depending on the area that the tumor is pushing against, you may experience different types of seizures. The most common ones are myoclonic and tonic-clonic or Grand Mal seizures. Less common brain tumor symptoms include changes in sensory perceptions without being unconscious, personality/memory changes, nausea and vomiting and fatigue .

Everything You Need to Know About Haemophilia in Children

Get all your questions pertaining to haemophilia in children answered here. A first aid kit is your best friend as a parent. Children seem to know just how to walk in an unbalanced gait and topple over without any external help. The result is an extraordinary number of bumps and bruises that need more than a mother’s kiss to make better. While bruises and scrapes are a normal part of childhood, haemophilia children need extra care. A bruise or cut would heal and scab over for others, but for haemophilia children, even the smallest cuts are a cause of concern. If you are a parent with haemophilia children or would just like to know more about the condition to help your loved ones handle it better, here are the answer to the most common questions when it comes to haemophilia in children. What is Haemophilia? When you get a cut, there are clotting agents in your blood that act quickly to curb the bleeding. However, for haemophilia children, the disease actively stops blood from clotting properly. The result is an excessive loss of blood, which can be very dangerous to the health of haemophilia children. This genetic disorder tends to affect more boys than girls.

Do You Suffer from These Bladder Control Problems in Women?

Do not just live with urinary incontinence – learn what causes it so you can improve bladder control problems in women. If you think that urinary incontinence is a problem that only older women and men deal with, think again. Bladder control problems in women are common, and they affect women of all age groups. Sometimes, there is a clear starting point for bladder control problems in women. You may have just delivered a baby, and are getting back to your active lifestyle, when you suffer through an “accident”. Owing to how embarrassing bladder control problems in women can be, a lot of women never seek help for this treatable condition. Regardless of age, many across the globe are living with bladder control problems in women, and shrouding the condition in secrecy. However, the truth is that more than 13 million people in the United States have incontinence issues. Bladder control problems in women are twice as likely as men. According to the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, 30 percent of young women suffer incontinence. The rates of bladder control problems in women increase with age, with 40 percent of middle-aged women, and 50 percent of older women suffering from urinary incontinence.