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Causes and Treatment Options for Depression

Depression is a mood disorder that results in persistently feeling depressed, sad, and not being interested in things that normally bring you pleasure. This medical condition affects how you behave, think, feel, and interferes with how you perform your daily activities. If you live in Lexington depression cases can be handled in several facilities spread across the town. Below, we look at what causes depression and the treatment methods available for the condition:

Causes of Depression

Depression has several causes, ranging from circumstantial to biological.

Common causes include:

  • Brain structure. You stand a high chance to suffer from depression if your brain’s frontal lobe is less active. It, however, remains unknown if this occurs prior to or after signs of depression have been manifested.
  • Family history. If you have a family history of mood disorder or depression, this predisposes you to depression.
  • Early childhood trauma. If you underwent stressful situations when growing up, these events may have instilled fear in you and can trigger depression in later stages of life.
  • Medical conditions. Some medical conditions including chronic illness, ADH, and insomnia, can predispose you to depression.
  • Drug use. If you have a history of drug and substance abuse, this can make you susceptible to depression. About 21% of people who abuse drugs and substances suffer from depression. Other risk factors to depression include low self-esteem, stressful events such as divorce, loss of a family member, and tough economic times.

Treatment of Depression

There is no definitive test for depression. However, your healthcare provider may conduct several tests to establish if you are depressed. The diagnosis is informed by the symptoms you exhibit together with a psychological evaluation. Since depression may have a link with other health problems, a physical examination and blood tests can help a physician get to the root cause of your condition. It is common for vitamin D deficiency or thyroid problems to trigger depression.

Depression can be treated. Its symptoms are managed using the following components:

Support

This method includes discussing causes and practical solutions to the condition. Family members to a depressed person are also educated about the same to help them support the patient in their recovery.

Psychotherapy or talking therapy

This involves cognitive behavioral therapy and one-to-one counseling. Talking therapy is effective for mild to moderate cases of depression.

Alternative Medicine

Therapy might work for some people, but there are more powerful routes to take if the sufferer is open to alternative options. One such option is the use of psilocybin, popularly known as magic mushrooms, which are basically mushrooms that contain the chemical psilocybin in them. Although this chemical acts as a hallucinogen, doctors and researchers reckon that, if used safely, it can come with a lot of benefits, for example, the ability to alter consciousness, which can help in the treatment of disorders like depression and anxiety. It is quite easy to find magic mushroom online, however, consumption of the same has a good chance for abuse too. Hence, it would be wise to use this organic drug under the supervision of an experienced doctor or therapist. Similarly, a healing plant medicine, known as ayahuasca, is said to be effective for a number of issues including long-standing emotional trauma, depression, and other deep-rooted issues that need healing without the use of prescription medication which has to be taken for a lifetime. Not everyone decides to walk this path, and those looking at this option should tread with caution. Planning of longer ayahuasca retreats can also be done if the medicine has more work to do with the person on the journey.

Treatment using drugs

Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants for moderate or severe depression cases. You require to have a doctor’s prescription prior to taking antidepressants. It is also essential to complete your dosage. You should not stop taking the medication even after noticing improvement on the symptoms, to avoid relapse. Depression can potentially result in physical pain, panic attacks, weight loss or gain, drug and substance abuse, social isolation, suicidal thoughts, and relationship problems.

Natural remedies

Many look to alternative treatment methods in a bid to help fight depression. Taking something like CBD from sites such as OrganicCBDNugs.com has been shown to improve mood and lower stress levels. Others prefer to take vitamin D supplements as a deficiency of this vitamin can trigger depression.

Do not suffer in silence. Depression is a serious mental health disease and can be prevented if diagnosed in time. Visit us today to learn more about depression or seek treatment for the condition.