Treatments for Depression
The first step to getting treatment is to see your doctor. They should rule out any physical illness which might cause symptoms of depression.
This information comes from the Rethink Advice and Information Service Depression factsheet (228 kb) ![[pdf]](http://www.rethink.org/display_images/document_icons/pdf.gif){kind=icon}
According to NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) some people with milder forms of depression may benefit from a psychological therapy alone but you may also be offered antidepressants.
Most individuals do best with different types of treatment together - medication to gain relatively quick symptom relief, and Talking Treatments to learn more effective ways to deal with environmental stressors and negative thought processes.
Medication
- Many people with depression can benefit from taking an antidepressant drug. Antidepressants are used to improve mood in people who are feeling low or depressed, by improving the functioning of brain chemicals that cause depression.
Psychological therapies / talking therapies.
- Therapy usually involves meeting with a trained therapist for a fixed number of sessions where you talk about your depression and find solutions. Therapy can be accessed privately or through the GP. According to National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), the most promising and commonly used treatment for depression at the moment is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and this should be offered by your GP.
- Computer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CCBT) is a relatively recent approach to treating mild to moderate depression.
For more information see our factsheet on
Talking Treatments.
Exercise Therapy
- There is a substantial body of evidence to show that physical exercise is an effective treatment for people with mild to moderate depression and NICE recommends this as a possible treatment for mild depression . Some GP surgeries now operate exercise referral schemes where patients will be helped to develop their own personal exercise programme, under the supervision of a qualified trainer. For more information about the links between physical and mental health see our Physical Health and Nutrition Factsheet (542 kb)
Complementary / Alternative Therapies
- These can be used as an alternative treatment in mild forms of depression or in addition to other treatments in more severe forms. Some, such as aromatherapy and massage are aimed at improving people’s emotional well being whereas others, such as meditation and yoga aim to reduce a person's anxiety by relaxation and “mindfulness”. For more information please see our factsheet on Complementary Therapies.
