I have always been in pretty good health, so I was surprised one day when my doctor told me my blood pressure was a bit high. She told me to begin watching my salt intake, start exercising, and to try to relax. Well, I intended to follow her advice when I left her office, but the next day I was back to my same habits. I kept using the salt shaker and didn't begin an exercise routine like I had planned. When I went for my next check-up, she told me that my blood pressure was even higher and approaching a dangerous level. I had to begin a blood pressure medication to manage it. I wanted to create a blog to share my story and remind people to listen to their doctors' advice. If a few lifestyle changes can improve your health, then you should make them.
If you have mild, moderate, or severe depression, then you may find relief through the use of oral antidepressant medications. However, some people do not find the relief they are looking for. In fact, 30% of individuals with depression will have treatment resistant depression. This means that more traditional treatments like the use of antidepressants may not be helpful. However, there are some things that can offer assistance. Keep reading to find out what they are.
Ketamine
You may have read some startling news stories about ketamine. Ketamine is an anesthetic that is used on both humans and animals before surgical procedures are performed. The drug is also used illegally as a "party" drug. While ketamine may have a bad reputation when it comes to illicit drug use, it does have a some fairly significant therapeutic uses. One of the more exciting uses is in the treatment of depression.
Specifically, ketamine can be used in low doses as an IV medication to treat severe to moderate depression. The medicine has also been successful in treating bipolar disorder as well as other serious mental problems.
Ketamine works extremely quickly and has been shown to reduce depression symptoms within hours of administration. You do need to receive several IV administrations within a three to four month time period. Once the larger doses of the ketamine are provided, you will need to be given therapeutic or maintenance doses. You will be responsible for making appointments to receive in the injections once the effects of the medicine wear off. This will often happen within about three to four weeks.
Right now IV administration is required to receive the ketamine. However, physicians and mental health professionals at places like the IV Wellness Center will likely be able to offer nasal sprays and possibly oral ketamine medications in the future.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is not considered an alternative treatment, but it is something that is often used in conjunction with medications to treat depression. In some cases though, psychotherapy can be used alone to treat a mental illness. Specifically, cognitive-behavioral therapy can be used to treat depression and it has been shown to produce positive results.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves the analysis of the thoughts and how these thoughts contribute to behavior patterns and feelings. While most people benefit from short-term therapy that lasts less than one year, you may benefit from long-term therapy. This can help you to identify the patterns of thought that cause your depression symptoms. However, it can be hard to completely change the way you feel or deal with your thoughts without the assistance of medication.
While many people benefit from once weekly appointments that last about one hour, you may need two sessions a week. Speak with your physician and your therapist about what is best.
Share14 April 2017
