Many therapies for depression

Depression: treatment approaches as diverse as the causes of the disease itself

15.04.2011

The options for treating depression are almost as diverse as the causes of mental suffering. From naturopathic therapy approaches with herbal drugs or acupuncture to surgical procedures with the implantation of electrodes in the brain, a variety of different treatment methods has already been successfully tested.

Depression is a recent study by the Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (RWI) on behalf of the Allianz health insurance according to Germany in the main cause of incapacity for work and early retirement. Although there are numerous treatment options, not all concerned can be helped. The economic costs are up to 22 billion euros annually, said the RWI earlier this week.

Depression can have many causes
Possible causes of depression include countless factors - from stress, through metabolic disorders to genetic predispositions. The possibilities for the treatment of mental suffering, however, have a similar range as the possible causes. Depending on the severity of the depression and the possible causes, treatment success can be achieved by a variety of methods, but the difficulty is to determine the right treatment approach. Promising successes have been achieved with both traditional and naturopathic treatments, but a universal solution for the treatment of depression does not appear to be in sight. For example, on a naturopathic basis acupuncture has been successfully used to treat depression (especially pregnancy depression). St. John's Wort is also recommended for the treatment of mental illness, especially for mild menopausal women (menopause). In conventional medicine, however, the effect of St. John's wort is extremely controversial, even if the fears are the conviction that St. John's wort as well as chemically produced antidepressants against depression can work.

Light therapy and acupuncture for depression?
The use of other naturopathic methods for the treatment of depression, however, the conventional medicine shows far more open. For example, the effect of lavender oil on symptoms such as agitation, sleep disorders or depression is being investigated at the Berlin Charité. Other rather unconventional treatment methods, such as the irradiation with light in a power of 2500 to 4000 lux in so-called winter depressions, have already been tested successfully. At the University of Bochum psychiatrists were also able to achieve positive effects with acupuncture in the treatment of depression. In addition, an Israeli-American research team has demonstrated in laboratory experiments on mice that the inhalation of incense fragrance can also alleviate depression.

Classic treatment approach for depression
The classic treatment approach for depression, however, is based on the administration of so-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which is intended to increase the level of the brain messenger serotonin. For depressives is often a disturbance of the balance between the messenger substances in the brain. In severe diseases, lithium salts are also used for therapy to prevent relapse into depression. For the treatment of chronic depression, transcranial magnetic stimulation, in which the brain is stimulated by rapidly pulsating magnetic fields, was also tested. Also with the help of surgical interventions was already proceeded against depression. For example, Canadian scientists have implanted electrodes into the brain for patients with persistent major depression, and have successfully resolved depression through electrical stimulation in certain areas of the brain.

Stress avoidance as depression prevention
Both conventional medicine and naturopathy rate stress as one of the major causes of depression, so any stress reduction activities such as exercise, walking, tai chi, autogenic training or relaxation exercises are considered to prevent depression. If the causes are due to physical pain, therapies for pain relief (pain therapies) can achieve considerable success in the treatment of depression. If hard fatalities, mourning and trauma are the cause of depression, professional support can help overcome them. In any case, those affected should seek support from the doctor or psychotherapist if they recognize signs of depression and threaten to impair their quality of life. (Fp)

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