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90% of Depression Cases are Treatable
【China Times Electronic News】
Cai Yuqi (Nurse at National Taiwan University Hospital) In recent years, depression has gradually gained attention, not only because its incidence rate is increasing, but also because it brings varying degrees of negative impacts on individuals, families, and society. When we or our loved ones and friends around us suffer from depression, we always care about what methods can be used for treatment, as seeking medical help promptly can prevent the condition from worsening.
The clinical treatment models for depression can be divided into three aspects: medication therapy, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy:
★Medication Therapy → Stabilize mood, alleviate symptoms
So-called antidepressants work by balancing chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and adrenaline, to achieve the effect of alleviating depressive symptoms. The therapeutic effects of antidepressants usually appear gradually after about 2 to 3 weeks of use. In addition to antidepressants, some anti-anxiety drugs, mood stabilizers, and sleeping pills are also used clinically to reduce anxiety and stabilize mood.
★Psychotherapy → Identify causes, reduce suffering
Through systematic conversation methods, help patients identify the causes of their mental distress and further change the patients' thinking patterns to achieve the goal of reducing suffering. In other words, psychotherapy uses methods to help patients understand the causes, effects, and ways to handle their depression. The process requires active participation from the patient to achieve changes in concepts and behaviors, in order to obtain satisfactory results.
The most basic function of psychotherapy is to provide patients with an outlet for their emotions and a sense of being understood and supported. Usually, psychotherapy is conducted when the patient's acute psychiatric symptoms have been properly controlled, but there are still significant difficulties in life adaptation.
★Electroconvulsive Therapy → Improve psychiatric symptoms
In an artificial manner, by passing an electric current through both temporal bones to produce a full-body convulsion, the effect of improving psychiatric symptoms is achieved. The number of treatments is determined based on the patient's primary problem and response to treatment.
It is estimated that 80 to 90% of depression patients can recover through professional treatment, which includes medication therapy or psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Taking medication inevitably comes with varying degrees of side effects, but these discomforts can be resolved or reduced.
The more frequent the episodes, the more harmful they are to physical and mental health, and regular medication can reduce the likelihood of recurrence, which is the most basic principle of medication therapy. As for whether to undergo psychotherapy or electroconvulsive therapy, it depends on the patient's condition. The most important thing is to discuss the condition with your doctor at any time, hoping that everyone living under the fear of depression can live more carefree.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ 051227/ 19/ 2p0ac. html
Is the "cure rate" really 90%? Is the definition of "cure" based on no longer needing medication to control the condition? Clinically, there are many long-term medication patients whose symptoms rebound immediately after stopping the medication. I wonder where such a high "cure rate" is statistically derived from?
90% of Depression Cases are Treatable
Cai Yuqi (Nurse at National Taiwan University Hospital) In recent years, depression has gradually gained attention, not only because its incidence rate is increasing, but also because it brings varying degrees of negative impacts on individuals, families, and society. When we or our loved ones and friends around us suffer from depression, we always care about what methods can be used for treatment, as seeking medical help promptly can prevent the condition from worsening.
The clinical treatment models for depression can be divided into three aspects: medication therapy, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy:
★Medication Therapy → Stabilize mood, alleviate symptoms
So-called antidepressants work by balancing chemicals in the brain known as neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and adrenaline, to achieve the effect of alleviating depressive symptoms. The therapeutic effects of antidepressants usually appear gradually after about 2 to 3 weeks of use. In addition to antidepressants, some anti-anxiety drugs, mood stabilizers, and sleeping pills are also used clinically to reduce anxiety and stabilize mood.
★Psychotherapy → Identify causes, reduce suffering
Through systematic conversation methods, help patients identify the causes of their mental distress and further change the patients' thinking patterns to achieve the goal of reducing suffering. In other words, psychotherapy uses methods to help patients understand the causes, effects, and ways to handle their depression. The process requires active participation from the patient to achieve changes in concepts and behaviors, in order to obtain satisfactory results.
The most basic function of psychotherapy is to provide patients with an outlet for their emotions and a sense of being understood and supported. Usually, psychotherapy is conducted when the patient's acute psychiatric symptoms have been properly controlled, but there are still significant difficulties in life adaptation.
★Electroconvulsive Therapy → Improve psychiatric symptoms
In an artificial manner, by passing an electric current through both temporal bones to produce a full-body convulsion, the effect of improving psychiatric symptoms is achieved. The number of treatments is determined based on the patient's primary problem and response to treatment.
It is estimated that 80 to 90% of depression patients can recover through professional treatment, which includes medication therapy or psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Taking medication inevitably comes with varying degrees of side effects, but these discomforts can be resolved or reduced.
The more frequent the episodes, the more harmful they are to physical and mental health, and regular medication can reduce the likelihood of recurrence, which is the most basic principle of medication therapy. As for whether to undergo psychotherapy or electroconvulsive therapy, it depends on the patient's condition. The most important thing is to discuss the condition with your doctor at any time, hoping that everyone living under the fear of depression can live more carefree.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ 051227/ 19/ 2p0ac. html
Re: 90% of Depression Cases are Treatable
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