By skyforbes 
As with many illnesses, the earlier treatment for depression begins, the more effective it is likely to be in alleviating symptoms and reducing the odds of a recurrence. “The sooner you can internalize some of what you learn, the longer you can carry that knowledge with you to help you stay healthy,” says Carol Landau, PhD, a clinical professor of psychiatry and medicine at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
After having a good medical workup to rule out any underlying causes, a person diagnosed with major depression can be treated a number of ways. The most frequently used approaches are either medication, which is thought to lessen symptoms by acting on neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers in the brain; psychotherapy aimed at altering thought patterns that negatively affect mood; or a combination of the two.
Studies suggest that typically a combination of psychotherapy and medication is more effective than either method alone. The reason isn’t clear. Perhaps medication eases symptoms so that patients are more open to psychotherapy. Or maybe psychotherapy increases the odds that patients will stick to their medication schedule. It could even be that having two clinicians, one who prescribes medication and one who provides talk therapy, enhances the effectiveness of both treatments.
“Antidepressants can be an effective tool to treat major depression, but this does not necessarily mean that antidepressants should always be the first line of treatment,” says Andrea Cipriani, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Oxford in England. “Medication should always be considered alongside other options, such as psychological therapies, where these are available. Patients should be aware of the potential benefits from antidepressants and always speak to the doctors about the most suitable treatment for them individually,” says Dr. Cipriani.
Which Types of Psychotherapy Work Best?
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Often referred to simply as CBT, this is a systematic approach aimed at identifying and altering negative thought patterns.
- Interpersonal Therapy This approach focuses on increasing happiness by improving how you interact with others.
- Psychodynamic Therapy This approach aims to reduce the negative influence of past life events and traumas by providing insight into how those events affect your current behavior.
Options for Treatment-Resistant Depression
- Electroconvulsive Therapy Also known as shock treatment, this option involves using short electrical impulses to cause seizures that are thought to repair faulty wiring in the brain. It is done under anesthesia.
- Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Done while the patient is awake and alert, this treatment uses a magnet instead of an electrical current to stimulate brain regions linked to mood.
New Treatments for Major Depression
Recent research has shown that ketamine, primarily used as a tranquilizer in veterinary medicine and often abused as a recreational club drug called Special K, can rapidly lift people out of depression and keep even chronically suicidal patients feeling well for days or even weeks.
Hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, and other psychedelics are emerging as another potential new treatment option for depression.
In 2019, John Hopkins Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland, launched the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research, a first-of-its-kind initiative studying compounds like psilocybin (the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms) and their effect on a range of mental health problems, including treatment-resistant depression.