Experts talk about treating depression

What’s covered in this video: The different methods for beginning treatment, who prescribes medication, and other considerations for treating depression.

What’s covered in this video: The nature of treatment schedules for antidepressants and psychotherapy, how many medications doctors try before finding the right balance, how long the duration of treatment typically lasts, and how to go about stopping antidepressant treatment.

William Robiner, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., L.P., is a health psychologist and director of health psychology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Linda Muldoon, Ph.D., L.P., L.G.P., is a senior pychologist for the University Counseling & Consulting Services at the University of Minnesota.

David Adson, M.D., is a psychiatrist and associate professor for the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Jon Hallberg, M.D., is a family physician and medical director of Mill City Clinic, as well as creative director of the Center for Arts and Medicine, both in Minneapolis, MN.

Related material:
Psychotherapy
Alternative therapies
Prescribing antidepressants
Risks and side effects

Alternative therapies for depression

Though they are understudied compared to drugs, several alternative therapies have shown promise in the treatment of depression. Perhaps their largest draw is that while it can be unclear whether or how much they help, they usually don’t hurt.

Side effects are minimal, and alternative therapies are often less expensive than biomedical treatment. According to a 2004 brief by the Center for Studying Health System Change, 6 million Americans sought alternative treatments in 2002 because of concerns about the rising cost of traditional health care.

Promising alternative therapies include:

• Supplements (such as St. John’s wort and S-adenosyl- L-methionine, or SAMe)
• Physical activity
• Stress reduction techniques (such as meditation)
• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Diet and nutrition
• Music therapy
• Art therapy

Related material: There are other options.

There are other options.

Dr. James Gordon, founder and director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and author of Unstuck:Your Guide to the Seven Stage Journey out of Depression–and Harvard-trained psychiatrist–discusses alternative therapies for depression and why their popularity is growing:

 

Related material: Alternative therapies for depression