Deppresion

Living with depression can be difficult, but treatment can help improve your quality of life. Talk to your doctor about possible options.

You may successfully manage symptoms with one form of treatment, or you may find that a combination of treatments works best. Its common to combine medical treatments and lifestyle therapies, including the following:

Medications
Your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, antianxiety, or antipsychotic medications.

Each type of medication thats used to treat depression has benefits and potential risks.

Psychotherapy
Speaking with a therapist can help you learn skills to cope with negative feelings. You may also benefit from family or group therapy sessions.

Light therapy
Exposure to doses of white light can help regulate mood and improve symptoms of depression. This therapy is commonly used in seasonal affective disorder (which is now called major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern).

Alternative therapies
Ask your doctor about acupuncture or meditation. Some herbal supplements are also used to treat depression, like St. Johns wort, SAMe, and fish oil.

Talk with your doctor before taking a supplement or combining a supplement with prescription medication because some supplements can react with certain medications. Some supplements may also worsen depression or reduce the effectiveness of medication.

Exercise
Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity three to five days a week. Exercise can increase your bodys production of endorphins, which are hormones that improve your mood.

Avoid alcohol and drugs
Drinking or using drugs may make you feel better for a little bit. But in the long run, these substances can make depression and anxiety symptoms worse.

Learn how to say no
Feeling overwhelmed can worsen anxiety and depression symptoms. Setting boundaries in your professional and personal life can help you feel better.

Take care of yourself
You can also improve symptoms of depression by taking care of yourself. This includes getting plenty of sleep, eating a healthy diet, avoiding negative people, and participating in enjoyable activities.

Sometimes depression doesnt respond to medication. Your doctor may recommend other treatment options if your symptoms dont improve.

These include electroconvulsive therapy, or transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat depression and improve your mood.