A symptom of depression that can fly under the radar is social isolation. Isolation is the lead actor in the depression melodrama, ushering in the rest of the supporting cast – hopelessness, helplessness, self-absorption and a glass-half-empty type of existence.
For clients being prescribed an antidepressant for the first time, here are some important considerations: How the depression presents. There are some 12 subtypes of major depressive disorder, but none of them are reliable predictors of antidepressant response. Nevertheless, there needs to be a starting point for the selection process. For example, is the client’s [...]
The need for viable augmentation strategies to assist in the pharmacological management of treatment-resistant depression has become so dire that clinicians seem to perk up to any option nowadays – regardless of how fly-by-night, “here today gone tomorrow” it may be. This is happening, at least in part, due to the ever-growing problem of suboptimum [...]
Many obese individuals participating in weight reduction programs which emphasize exercise and lifestyle modifications see an improvement in their depression, according to a new review published in February in the International Journal of Obesity. The weight loss programs varied, and included diet-only, exercise-only, and programs emphasizing counseling and behavioral change. Some participants also took medication [...]
Approximately 50 percent of teens treated for depression will relapse within a five year period, according to a new study conducted by Duke University. A research team from Duke’s Department of Behavioral Sciences conducted a study of 86 boys and 110 girls with a mean age of 14 who had taken part in a previous [...]
Think of depression not as a diagnosis, but instead as a cluster of symptoms with many possible causes. Possible causes of clinical depression: Psychosocial stressors. Often referred to as reactive depression, individuals have difficulty adjusting to troublesome environmental stimuli such as a recent divorce, job loss or the death of a family member or close [...]
Q. When diagnosing depression in a client, how concerned should I be about identifying specific depression subtypes? Do specific subtypes suggest different treatment modalities? A. For years now, clinicians have attempted to categorize depressions into “subtypes.” A few examples are: typical vs. atypical, reactive vs. biological and psychotic vs. non-psychotic. There are as many as [...]
What are some of the biggest risk factors for developing depression? The three biggest risk factors for developing depression are: (1) Genetic predisposition. Many individuals that meet criteria for major depressive disorder have a significant family history for depression. Treating clinicians should always thoroughly examine the depressed client’s “family tree” for depression. (2) Environmental events. [...]
- It is important that the non-depressed partner realize that depression can be selfish and manipulative. Depressed partners build a safety net around themselves. They will grant their non-depressed partner access to their cocoon-like existence when they’re up to it, but will often inappropriately rebuff the partner at other times. The important issue here is [...]
- Bright light exposure represents a proven strategy for managing depression. Light receptors in the retina connect to circuits in the brain that regulate circadian rhythm. Sunlight is the prime stimulator of the eyes’ photoreceptors: it triggers a cascade of neurochemical reactions that aid in keeping the “body clock” in synch. Regular bright light exposure [...]