Depression can be attributed to a large number of factors. There is a wide variety of healing options that can be utilized to help alleviate this medical condition.

For some people, there is a specific situation or thought pattern that is causing them to feel depressed, and traditional talk therapy with a psychologist would benefit them greatly. For other people, they may have a chemical imbalance in their brains, and therefore, working with a psychiatrist and having the psychiatrist administer prescription medications could be the answer that helps their depression lift.

For both of these treatment options, an article in Psychology Today noted some current evidence on the benefits of each: “One major study found an ‘effect size’ –a measure of treatment benefit – of 0.97” for psychodynamic psychotherapy. “For CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), 0.68 is a typical effect size. For antidepressant medication, the average effect size is 0.31.” There is a lot of research that points to the benefits of both talk therapy and prescription medication, and they are both viable options for someone seeking relief from depression (1).

So let’s talk about these options for treating depression and the benefits of each:

Here’s a handy guide from WebMD with more information on choosing the right type of mental health professional:

http://www.webmd.com/depression/finding-doctor-therapist

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/psychologist-or-psychiatrist-which-for-you

Also, here is an awesome 5-page PDF on how to find the right therapist to fit your needs:

How to pick a therapist for your mental health.pdf

Working with a psychologist — Talk Therapy

Talk therapy is when you work with a psychologist and they help you talk through your problems, process your emotions, manage stress, work through relationship conflict, and learn other things from them that can help you cope with difficult situations.

WebMD has a great guide on how to get started working with a psychologist:

http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/therapy-therapist

Working with a psychiatrist and seeking medication to help balance brain chemistry

A psychiatrist is different from a psychologist in the fact that a psychiatrist can prescribe medication that is intended to help balance brain chemistry. The brain is an organ, and just like every other organ in your body, can sometimes become imbalanced. That’s what the medication is for — to help the delicate chemistry of the brain come back into harmony. Many people have found quality mental healthcare under the care of a psychiatrist

*Also, it is important to know if you are starting any medication, you should stick with it for as long as your medical expert recommends, as some medication may take more time to kick in before you start seeing results.*

A quality guide from WebMD with more information on psychiatry can be found here:

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/guide-to-psychiatry-and-counseling

If you need immediate mental help, please call 911 or the suicide hotline:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

Call 1-800-273-8255

http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

The Suicide TEXT line:

Text CONNECT to 741741

from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis.

https://www.crisistextline.org/

Works Cited:

(1) Barth, Diane F. L.C.S.W.. (2010, Nov 6). Does Talk Therapy Really Work? Retrieved November 30, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-couch/201011/does-talk-therapy-really-work