What are the Treatments for Major Depressive Disorder?

Although there are many treatments for major depressive disorder, none are definitive cures. The most common are antidepressant medications and psychotherapy, but other treatments include exercise, herbal supplements and electroconvulsive therapy. Those patients suffering from major depressive disorder may struggle for months or even years before seeing success with one or more treatments.

Perhaps the most common of the treatments for major depressive disorder, antidepressant medications show the most promising results for patients seeking care. Usually in the form of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants can be used for a few months or indefinitely, depending on the patient’s condition. The most common SSRIs are fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline, escitalopram, and paroxetine. Patients may try one or more of these SSRIs before finding one to which he or she responds favorably.

When psychotherapy is used as a treatment for depression, it is usually in the form of psychoanalysis, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy. Psychoanalysis uses techniques like free word association to penetrate a patient’s deepest thoughts that may be rooted as far back as childhood. Cognitive, behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapies focus much more on present day experiences. Cognitive therapy focuses on the negative thoughts that a patient might have throughout a day, and behavioral therapy focuses more on the negative behaviors a patient might perform in a typical day. Cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on both thoughts and behaviors in its treatments for major depressive disorder.

Electroconvulsive therapy is a method of inducing a seizure by sending pulses of electricity through the brain by means of electrodes located on the temples. Although this is still considered one of the more controversial treatments for major depressive disorder, clinical trials have shown positive results in some cases. Due to ongoing debate about the safety of the treatment, it is typically only used in cases of emergency or where patients are at considerable risk of harming themselves.

Diet and exercise may also be considered effective treatments for major depressive disorder in some cases. Clinical studies have suggested there may be benefits to treating depression by supplementing substances such as tryptophan and vitamin D. These substances are easily found in a well-balanced diet, but may be lacking in the diet of a depressed individual. Exercise can also play an important role, as patients who exercise frequently report fewer cases of chronic depression. Herbal supplements such as St. John’s Wort have not produced positive results frequently enough to be considered reliable treatments, but some still tout their benefits.