Suffered by over 300 million people around the world, clinical depression is one of the most common mental disorders to be diagnosed. While prescription medication is the leading way medical professionals and their patients opt to address an ongoing case of major depressive disorder, antidepressants are not always effective. For those who experience what is known as treatment-resistant depression – that which is not responding to medication – alternative therapies are sought.
The following are the leading alternative therapies for treating clinical depression, including a brief breakdown of each:
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Often depicted in popular media as combining the inhumanity of the dark ages with the recklessness of modern medicine run amok, most experts consider electroconvulsive therapy to be a highly effective option for treatment-resistant depression. Those who have found relief from their symptoms through ECT would agree. While the procedure is one which induces a seizure to essentially reboot parts of the brain, the results are often worth the perceived trauma.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Originally devised as a way to determine if someone has suffered nervous system damage in the aftermath of a stroke or other similar trauma, transcranial magnetic stimulation has also been shown to help treat clinical depression. Given the name, you might be asking does TMS require anesthesia or sedation. The answer is no; unlike ECT, TMS does not induce seizures and can, therefore, be administered without incapacitating the patient with sedative drugs.
Cannabidiol
The cannabis plant contains dozens of cannabinoids, which are compounds that include tetrahydrocannabinol, the cannabinoid responsible for the “high” marijuana users experience. One of the other cannabinoids is cannabidiol, one which lacks the psychoactive effects synonymous with marijuana usage but nonetheless has some effect on the body and mind. Research suggests cannabidiol – CBD for short – can help alleviate the symptoms of clinical depression among other health benefits. Patients can consume CBD in a number of ways, many of which guarantee an absence of THC, which allows the individual to pursue this therapy option without fear of failing a drug test at work, or otherwise experiencing the psychoactive effects associated with cannabis.
St. John’s Wort
It might sound both religious and a bit repellant, but St. John’s wort is just another name for a flowering plant known as Hypericum perforatum, or perforate. Classified by the FDA as a herbal supplement, St. John’s wort has a long history of being used to treat depression. While scientific evidence indicating its effectiveness in treating depression is so far inconclusive, many people swear by it as a way to improve mood and ultimately diminish the effects of depression.
Regular Exercise
Few of us want to hear it, but the truth is regular exercise – and by exercise we mean getting your heart rate up and sweating for at least 30 minutes every day – is essential to achieving peak human health. This includes prevention and counteraction of clinical depression and other common mental health problems. If you’re feeling chronically blue, get out and exercise. Go for a walk or a run, or ride a bicycle around the block a few times. Anything it takes to reach the aforementioned definition of basic exercise – high heart rate and sweat.
Major depressive disorder is a major problem for societies around the world. While medical science is still in pursuit of a true cure, great strides have been made in the treatment of clinical depression. For those who fail to feel a benefit from antidepressants, alternative therapies for depression are often the key to recovery from an otherwise destructive mental condition.