What kind of depression therapy does the American Psychiatric Association recommend for the treatment of depression?

The American Psychiatric Association has updated its guidelines for the treatment of major depressive disorder, because of new evidence-based guidelines summarizing recommendations on the use of antidepressants and other drug therapies such as psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and electroconvulsive therapy.

This has been done because many patients with major depressive disorder have co-occurring psychiatric disorders as well as substance use disorders, and the American psychiatric Association has determined that physicians must also consider appropriate treatment for all of these diagnoses when treating depressive disorder.

Patients who have depressive symptoms in the context of another disorder but do not meet the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder have to be treated according to guidelines pertaining to the primary diagnoses.

Essentially the American psychiatric Association has noticed that only treating depression does not help. It makes a lot of sense.

When you’re being diagnosed with depression disorder, you’re first going to undergo a physical exam where you answer questions about your health. This is because sometimes depressive disorders can be started by a problem in your body. This could be as simple as a pituitary tumor or something else. After this has been ruled out you will go for a lab test to make sure that your thyroid is functioning properly, and more. If this comes, likely in any event undergo a psychiatric evaluation where your mental health care professional is going to ask about your symptoms, thoughts, feelings and your behavioral patterns.

After determining that you do indeed need depression therapy, you may be recommended to a wellness center, such as Lotus Wellness Center, for help with your psychotherapy and counseling.

There are many types of depression, and the symptoms of these types of depression can vary from person to person. Depending upon the type of depression that you have a doctor man one more specifier, and all specifier means is that you have depression with specific features.

Some common specifier terms are listed below. This is not an exhaustive list.

• Anxious distress — depression with unusual restlessness or worry about possible events or loss of control
• Mixed features — simultaneous depression and mania, which includes elevated self-esteem, talking too much and increased energy
• Melancholic features — severe depression with lack of response to something that used to bring pleasure and associated with early morning awakening, worsened mood in the morning, major changes in appetite, and feelings of guilt, agitation or sluggishness
• Atypical features — depression that includes the ability to temporarily be cheered by happy events, increased appetite, excessive need for sleep, sensitivity to rejection, and a heavy feeling in the arms or legs
• Psychotic features — depression accompanied by delusions or hallucinations, which may involve personal inadequacy or other negative themes
• Catatonia — depression that includes motor activity that involves either uncontrollable and purposeless movement or fixed and inflexible posture
• Peripartum onset — depression that occurs during pregnancy or in the weeks or months after delivery (postpartum)
• Seasonal pattern — depression related to changes in seasons and reduced exposure to sunlight

Once your type of depression has been narrowed down to the disorder, and this passivity, you begin working with the treatment plan with your depression therapy provider.