Depression is something that many people go through every single day. Depression is a serious mental illness that is most often overlooked. Symptoms of depression are usually sadness, loss of interest, and the most dangerous of all, suicidal thoughts. These symptoms can be symptoms from other illnesses, so that is why sometimes depression is hard to diagnose. Some other disorders that some may have actually increase the chances of getting depression, with genetics being the leading cause. Researchers find that 14.8 million Americans age 18 and older have depression.
Madeline Ireland and Katlyn Dow were leading this presentation about depression and the medicine that can be used to treat it. They named all the ways this could be treated. The first is Allopathically. This treatment is not a cure. It is what doctors mainly use. Along with this treatment, there are many side effects. The side effects can vary with different patients and their symptoms can be very different. “Our research shows 10 – 15 pounds is the average weight gain,” Ireland says when asked what some of the side effects are from the medicine.
The next one would be homeopathically. This is a medicinal treatment. This treatment is where the patient is given the least amount of medicine possible. This is because some of the medicine can have side effects, and sometimes the side effects are worse than some of the actual symptoms of depression.
The last treatment they talked about is Naturopathically. This shows a wide range of techniques including diet changes, exercise regimen and talk therapy. This is where herbal medicine comes into play while the patient is doing things on their own time to try to help their symptoms be easier to handle and control. “Having a stress ball is something that M.D’s suggest. People with depression who go into places with bright lights or strong smells can worsen symptoms. So having a stress ball reduces the symptoms,” Dow says when asked about other ways someone can reduce their depression symptoms.
None of these remedies can cure depression. Each of these treatments do something different to try and make it easier for the people who are suffering with depression. Some of these treatments are known to help very well, and some can’t be continued for a long time. Either way, these remedies are sure to help in some way or another, and make it be a little bit easier for the person who is dealing with and fighting depression.
