Exploring Counseling Sessions For Parents
3 Ways To Treat Depression
Rebecca Pena
Depression is the most common mental health concern and it is treatable in many cases. Addressing your depression in the early stages may prevent negative impacts on your life and relationships.
Rule-Out Other Issues
Not all instances of depression are purely a mental health issue. Everyone who starts experiencing fluctuations in their mood can benefit from blood work to eliminate the possibility of other conditions that can cause depression and/or anxiety. One medical condition that can be the underlying reasons for mood changes is thyroid problems. Low thyroid hormones can contribute to symptoms associated with depression, whereas elevated thyroid hormones might contribute to anxiety. If any thyroid issues are found, they will need to be treated before metal health professionals can determine if you need treatment specifically for mental health.
Medications
Medications are commonly used in the treatment of depression because they can boost the neurotransmitters responsible for changes in your mood. One of the challenges of treating depression with medication is it can take time to find the right class of medications and go through dose adjustments. You need to be patient with the process since there are many classes of medications that are potentially helpful. The safest medications for depression are reuptake inhibitors. Some affect only serotonin, whereas some reuptake inhibitors affect some combination of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Certain antipsychotics are also used in depression. Since there can be stigma attached to taking an antipsychotic, some people with depression avoid them, although they might be more helpful than an antidepressant, especially in treatment-resistant depression.
Therapy
Therapy is an important part of depression treatment, especially as you try different medications to find what is helpful. Each therapist will have their preferred approach to treatment, which might also change depending on the issue. Usually clients feel some amount of comfort in being able to talk through their problems and feeling with a neutral third-party. In addition to having an outlet for discussing your concerns, it is also helpful to have someone that can make suggestions or provide guidance on issues. When you have depression, it is easy to become overburdened by everything in your life and face difficulties sorting out problems or feel like your problems will never improve. Although treatment cannot solve your problems, it may help you work through these concerns.
Some medical conditions can cause depression symptoms. Once those it is determined your depression symptoms are not caused by another problem, a combination of medications and therapy is often the right approach to treating depression. Contact a clinic, like Oasis Behavioral Health & Addiction Services LP, for more help.
Share
Hey everyone, my name is Lori Grffin. When my son was born, I was completely unprepared for the difficulties of raising a sensory deprived child. The stress of trying to parent a difficult child definitely takes its toll. Eventually, I had a nervous breakdown and ended up enrolling in individual counseling sessions. The counseling appointments helped me work through the emotions generated while coping with fits and meltdowns from my son. I emerged from each session better prepared to provide my son with the support he needed. I also learned how to pay attention to how I was feeling during the process. I created this site because I want to share the benefits parents receive from going to counseling sessions. Thank you.