Treating Depression

Depression affects approximately 18.8 million American adults (Murray). Depression affects 30 percent of women in America (Murray). Depression will be the second largest killer after heart disease by 2020 (Murray). With the number of Americans who suffer of depression increasing, a safe and effective treatment must be found. If you or anyone you know has suffered of depression than you already know about the use of antidepressants in treating depression, but what you probably didn’t know was that another form of treatment exists.

According to helpguide.org “if you’re suffering from depression, antidepressant medication, used under the guidance of a mental health professional, may relieve some of your symptoms” (Smith). Dr. John Grohol of Psych Central believes that “treatment for depression, like for most mental disorders, usually relies on psychotherapy and medication for the quickest, strongest effects”. WebMD will tell you “antidepressants, in combination with psychotherapy, are often the first treatment people get for depression. If one antidepressant doesn't work well, you might try another drug of the same class or a different class of depression medicines altogether. Your doctor might also try changing the dose. In some cases, your doctor might recommend taking more than one medication for your depression” (Depression Medicine Types and Tips for Taking Antidepressants).

Each of these methods of treatments has one thing in common which is that they require medication. Some doctors believe in anti-depressants as a method of treatment as well as drug companies such as Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro. According to a report by the federal government, the use of antidepressants has tripled in the last decade (Hyman). With the overwhelming increase in use of antidepressants, it is safe to say that doctors endorse anti-depressants.

“Antidepressants are not stimulants, but rather take away or reduce the symptoms of depression and help depression people feel the way they did before they became depressed” (Antidepressant Medications). Psych Central states that improvements may be noticed in the first couple of weeks; but usually the medication must be taken regularly for at least 6 weeks and, in some cases, as many as 8 weeks before the full therapeutic effect occurs (Antidepressant Medications). With information on anti-depressants such as this, it’s no wonder why 30 million Americans (Velardo) take an anti-depressant. Anti-depressants do in fact work for some people; Erica Goode of The New York Times published that “Millions are helped by antidepressants, with some studies indicating that 35 to 45 percent of those who take them experience complete relief from their symptoms” (Goode). The benefits of being on anti-depressants such as Zoloft or Prozac is that it will help lessen your depression by controlling the chemical imbalances in your brain. Being able to live your life depression-free is a treasure that everyone with depression seeks but do the benefits outweigh the cost? The cost I am speaking of is the side effects associated with taking an anti-depressant. Side effects include: insomnia, anxiety, decreased sex drive, weight gain, tremors, restlessness, and headaches. The most serious side effect of anti-depressants is the “increased risks of suicidal thinking and behavior, known as suicidality, in young adults ages 18 to 24 during initial treatment” (Antidepressant Use in Children, Adolescents, and Adults). The risks of taking anti-depressants are so strong that in 2001 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a “black box” warning which is “the most serious warning placed in the labeling of a prescription medication” (FDA Launches a Multi-Pronged Strategy).

Questions have been raised in regards to the effectiveness of anti-depressants. Practicing physician Dr. Mark Hyman reported in 2010 that studies have shown that “40% of people taking a placebo (sugar pill) got better, while only 60% taking the actual drug had improvement in their symptoms” (Hyman). The statistic in regards to people taking a placebo shows us that anti-depressants do not necessarily work and the treatment people receive from them could be psychological. The 40% of people that did not show improvement in their symptoms shows us that anti-depressants are not a guaranteed effective treatment. He also points to the fact that “86 percent of people taking antidepressants have one or more side effects, including sexual dysfunction, fatigue, insomnia, loss of mental abilities, nausea, and weight gain” (Hyman).

Antidepressants are a common treatment for depression; it is also a form of treatment that I do not believe helps treat depression. Having struggled with depression for about 5 years, I was prescribed an anti-depressant about 2 years ago. After being on the anti-depressant for about 18 months, I did not feel a noticeable difference in the long run. I felt the same, if not worse being on an anti-depressant. What helped me battle and overcome depression was a treatment called the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change which is a six-step program outlined in The Depression Cure. It was my mother who found The Depression Cure through research online in an effort to rescue me from a life of pills that doctors hand out like candy. Last April I ditched the anti-depressants and began my journey on the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change and have never looked back.

The Therapeutic Lifestyle Change is another form of treatment for depression and is one that does not require any medication whatsoever. Dr. Stephen Ilardi, an associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of Kansas, outlines the six-step program in his novel, The Depression Cure. Ilardi informs his readers of the “one known group of Americans [who haven’t] been hit by the modern depression epidemic” which are the Amish (Ilardi 4). The Amish have held a tight grasp on their “eighteenth-century way of life” (Ilardi 4). Ilardi also points out how “modern-day hunterer-gatherer bands—such as the Kaluli people of the New Guinea highlands—have been assessed by Western researchers for the presence of mental illness. Remarkably, clinical depression is almost completely nonexistent among such groups, whose way of life is similar to that of our remote ancestors” (Ilardi 5). Ilardi believes that “our Stone Age brains just weren’t designed to handle the sedentary, isolated, indoor, sleep-deprived, fast-food-laden, stressed-out pace of twenty-first century life” (Ilardi 6) and shows his readers six major protective lifestyle elements that help treat depression.

The first lifestyle change is adding more omega-3 fatty acids into one’s diet “because the brain needs a steady supply of omega-3s to function properly, people who don’t eat enough of these fats are at increased risk for many forms of mental illness, including depression.” Ilardi goes on to explain how British researchers studied a group of depressed patients who didn’t have success with antidepressants and were given an omega-3 supplement to take with their medications. “About 70% of those who received the supplement went on to recover, compared with only 25% of patients who kept taking only the medication” (Ilardi 9). In addition to supplemental omega-3, dietary omega-3 can be found in flax seeds, walnuts, and fish such as salmon and halibut.

The second lifestyle change is engaging activity, which can simply be spending more time around others since “depression is closely linked to a toxic thought process called rumination—the habit of dwelling on negative thoughts, turning them over and over in your mind” (Ilardi 11). When around others your mind tends to focus less on negative elements and focuses more on the activity at hand.

The third lifestyle change is physical exercise, which relates to how our hunter-gatherer ancestors were in excellent shape. Hunter-gatherers commonly “walk five to ten miles each day just to find food and water, which they then have to haul back to the rest of the group” (Ilardi 13). As stated previously, when looking at the Kalulai people, depression was almost nonexistent due to the immense amount of physical activity required to carry out their daily activities. When we exercise our bodies release chemicals known as endorphins, which give you a feeling of euphoria, which will improve one’s depressed mood. Physical exercise can be anything including walking, running, swimming, strength training and many more.

The fourth lifestyle change is sunlight exposure. “Millions of Americans and Europeans get depressed every year, almost like clock work, during the dark dreary months of winter…due to Seasonal Affective Disorder—a condition triggered by reduced light exposure during the short, cold, cloudy days”. A lack of light exposure causes the natural body clock in humans to be thrown off “important circadian rhythms that regulate energy, sleep, appetite, and hormone levels. The disruption of these important biological rhythms can, in turn, trigger clinical depression” (Ilardi 16). Spending as little as 30 minutes a day outside can help regulate your circadian rhythms. Even though it may be cloudy, the natural sunlight you receive from being outside is better than artificial lighting. Ilardi mentions that if spending time outdoors is impossible because of a work schedule then to invest in a light box. A light box is a form of light therapy that many people use that suffers of Seasonal Affective Disorder to mimic the effects of being outside on a bright sunny day.

The fifth lifestyle change is social support. When looking at hunter-gatherer tribes, even though they may only consist of fifty to two hundred people, “it seems that just about every activity is a social occasion. Hunting, cooking, eating, playing, foraging, sleeping, grooming—they’re all carried out in the company of close friends and loved ones.” When looking at Americans, they spend “the bulk of their leisure time walled up in their homes, parked in front of a TV or computer screen—alone. [Americans] often eat alone…and now go online and do their shopping alone” (Ilardi 17). In order to increase social support, Ilardi recommends informing your friends of the depression you are suffering from and educating them on what depression is and how it affects you. Ilardi also suggests shared activities that can be done with friends such as walking, eating lunch together, playing games, watching a film, and so on.

The final lifestyle change is sleep, and “disrupted sleep is one of the most potent triggers of depression”. “Not only can poor sleep cause depression, but depression can cause poor sleep”. When looking at the hunter-gatherers they sleep about 10 hours a night” as opposed to Americans today who average 6.7 hours per night (Ilardi 20). Most of the previous lifestyle changes will help your sleeping habits such as physical exercise but Ilardi has compiled a list of habits to implement to help improve your sleep. A few of the habits are: use the bed only for sleeping, get up at the same time every day, avoid napping, avoid bright lights at night, avoid alcohol at night, and turn down your thermostat at night.

Illardi believes that these “six distinct lifestyle elements…can fight depression as effectively as any medication”. Throughout The Depression Cure, Dr. Illardi provides recommendations and strategies for each of the six-lifestyle changes, which I strongly believe helps treat depression, and is safer than any medication. The Therapeutic Lifestyle program was better than any dose of anti-depressant I once took. With the risky side effects of anti-depressants, more Americans suffering of depression should try The Therapeutic Lifestyle Change six-step program.

Works Cited

"Antidepressant Medications." Psych Central - Trusted Mental Health, Depression, Bipolar, ADHD and Psychology Information . 2006. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

"Antidepressant Use in Children, Adolescents, and Adults." U S Food and Drug Administration. 2 May 2007. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

"Depression Medicine Types and Tips for Taking Antidepressants." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

"FDA Launches a Multi-Pronged Strategy to Strengthen Safeguards for Children Treated With Antidepressant Medications." U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page. 15 Oct. 2004. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

Goode, Erica. "Antidepressants Lift Clouds, But Lose 'Miracle Drug' Label." The New York Times. 30 June 2002. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

Grohol, John M. "Depression Treatment | Psych Central." Psych Central - Trusted Mental Health, Depression, Bipolar, ADHD and Psychology Information . Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

Hyman, Mark. "Why Antidepressants Don't Work for Treating Depression." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 24 Apr. 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

Ilardi, Stephen S. The Depression Cure: the 6-step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Lifelong, 2009. Print.

Murray, Bob. "Depression Fact Sheet: Depression Statistics and Depression Causes." Depression Solutions with the Uplift Program: Depression Self Help, Relationship Help, Depression and Anxiety Resources, Treatment and Information. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

Smith, Melinda, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal. "Antidepressants: What You Need to Know About Depression Medication." Helpguide.org: Expert, Ad-free Articles Help Empower You with Knowledge, Support & Hope. Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .

Velardo, Michael. "Too Many Americans on Antidepressants?" Examiner.com. 17 Aug. 2009. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. .