Overwhelming Stress & Depression: What Type of Treatment is Best?

It doesn't just happen over night. The risk of developing depression is influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and current lifestyle factors. Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in things the person once enjoyed. Stress over time can lead to depression and impact your parenting goals. The cycle can be challenging to break out of, especially when you're wanting to complete the laundry but just can't seem to find the motivation. And by this time, its piled high! Your kids are needing their favorite shirt and your spouse is looking for matching socks. Then once you're getting caught up on work, you're kiddo forgot their permission slip for school. It can pile up and be daunting and harder to know where to begin.

The following are some common treatments for depression:

1. Lifestyle Changes: Making changes to diet, exercise, and sleep habits can also help improve symptoms of depression. A balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as regular physical activity and a consistent sleep schedule, can help regulate mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

2. Medication: Antidepressant medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can help regulate the balance of certain chemicals in the brain, which can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

3. Psychotherapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other forms of psychotherapy can help individuals with depression learn to identify and change negative thought patterns, develop coping skills, and improve communication and relationships.

Other/Additional Therapies

1. Light Therapy: Light therapy, also known as phototherapy, involves exposure to bright light for a set amount of time each day, which can help regulate the body's circadian rhythm and improve symptoms of depression.

2. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): ECT is a medical procedure that involves passing a small electric current through the brain to treat severe and treatment-resistant depression.

It takes some time and understanding of what would work best for you in the long term. It would be important to discuss any questions with a healthcare professional to determine the best course of treatment for an individual with depression. Every person is unique and may respond differently to different treatments, so a personalized approach is often necessary, you chose which path would be best based on your research. A combination of medication and psychotherapy is often the most effective treatment for depression. Small steps towards wellness can lead to long lasting success!