You may have treatment-resistant depression if you’ve tried antidepressants and your condition hasn’t responded. Sometimes standard therapies aren’t enough, or they may not make a difference at all. Continue reading to discover more about this topic and the different strategies that may help you.
Treatment-resistant depression symptoms can range in severity from mild to severe, and they may require a variety of therapies to discover what works.
Medication strategies
If you’ve already tried an antidepressant and it didn’t work, don’t give up. You and your doctor may not have found the best dosage, medicine, or therapy for you yet. Here are some alternative treatments that your doctor could discuss with you:
- Give your current medications a little more time. Antidepressants and other depression medicines take four to eight weeks to fully work.
- If required, increase the dosage. Consult with your doctor about whether this is an option for you — don’t adjust your dose on your own because several elements are involved in determining the proper dosage.
- Consider switching antidepressants. The first antidepressant you try may not work for a number of people. You might need to test several before finding one that works.
- You can also try an antidepressant in a different class. Your doctor may prescribe two kinds of antidepressants at the same time. They’ll influence a wider range of brain chemicals linked to mood in this manner. Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are three neurotransmitters.
- Consider pharmacogenetic testing. These tests check for specific genes that indicate how well your body can process a drug or how your depression may respond to a specific medicine based on additional information.
Psychological counseling
It’s also possible that a psychological counselor could help you. A psychiatrist, psychologist, or other mental health expert may be able to provide psychological therapy. For many people, psychotherapy combined with medicines works best. They can help you:
- Find better ways to cope with life’s challenges
- Deal with past emotional trauma
- Manage relationships in a healthier way
- Learn how to reduce the effects of stress in your life
- Address substance use issues
As with medications, it may take several tries to find a treatment that works. The GMI Research Centers are researching depression and are seeking new participants to join. Our studies seek to determine the safety and efficacy of an investigatory drug for the treatment of those with the disease. To see if you qualify for our study, be sure to give us a call today.
