This is a long-term (2 weeks or more) pronounced decrease in mood, which is accompanied by several additional symptoms: decreased activity, slowing down of mental activity, lack of joy in life. That is, if you are no longer touched by the usual joys – hobbies, family, gatherings with friends, then this is an occasion to think, observe your condition and, possibly, consult a doctor.
If you are no longer touched by the usual joys, then this is an occasion to think about and, possibly, consult a doctor.
True depression is a serious and often serious illness that requires mandatory treatment by a psychiatrist with the appointment of special medications.
What medications are used to treat depression?
They are collectively known as antidepressants. It is worth noting that in recent years, the indications for prescribing antidepressants have expanded significantly. Numerous studies have been conducted that have shown the effectiveness of antidepressants not only for depression, but also for anxiety, sleep disorders (insomnia), neurosis, and even neuropathic pain. Today, drugs from different groups of antidepressants are widely prescribed by psychiatrists, neurologists, and even therapists.
Two groups of drugs are most commonly used.
Tricyclic antidepressants
These are the old drugs that are considered the most powerful:
– a drug with a strong sedative and powerful antidepressant effect. Large doses are used to treat severe depression, and small doses are used for milder disorders. It relieves anxiety and has a hypnotic effect. – a drug of balanced action, usually more easily tolerated than amitriptyline, also relieves anxiety well. It is prescribed for the treatment of depression from mild to severe, various anxiety disorders. – has a stimulating effect, they treat apathetic depression.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
This is a more modern group of drugs. Their advantages are good tolerability and few or no side effects.
Often from this group are appointed:
– has anti-anxiety and good antidepressant effect. With prolonged use, it normalizes sleep, if it has been disturbed.
– a fairly strong antidepressant daytime action. It relieves anxiety, obsessive thoughts, while not causing drowsiness. – relieves anxiety, often prescribed for the treatment of panic attacks.
There are many more modern antidepressants that have few side effects and are well tolerated:
But strong antidepressants without prescriptions are not sold . They can only be prescribed by a doctor: a psychiatrist, a neurologist, sometimes a therapist.
Why can’t you take antidepressants without a prescription?
- Only a doctor will be able to assess the risk of side effects for a particular patient.
- Different antidepressants have different nuances of therapeutic action. If the medicine is chosen incorrectly, at best it will not help, at worst it will hurt.
- Dose selection is carried out individually. If you increase the dose too quickly on your own, you can experience a lot of unpleasant consequences.
- Cancellation should also be carried out gradually and under the supervision of a doctor. Otherwise, you risk getting a withdrawal syndrome.
What to do?
There are a number of drugs that are sold without a prescription. They are not effective for clinical depression, but they will help to cope with stress, short-term sleep disorders and irritability. With their help, you can try to alleviate your psycho-emotional state a little:
– one of the most popular means. It is prescribed, starting from childhood, with stress, overwork, emotional overstrain. Sometimes effective for minor sleep disturbances. . It has an anti-anxiety effect, eliminates the feeling of fear, tearfulness, irritability. It is used in the treatment of vegetative-vascular dystonia and even in alcoholism, to alleviate the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Not addictive. It should be borne in mind that children under 18 years of age are contraindicated. . Quite a strong sedative for nervousness and irritability. Effective in reducing concentration, memory, fatigue. Helps to restore the nervous system during periods of increased stress.
. Well calms, relieves irritability, anxiety, improves sleep. It is not recommended to drive a car and other activities that require increased concentration of attention during the period of treatment. – Herbal medicine. Contains extracts of valerian, lemon balm and peppermint. It has a calming and anti-anxiety effect. It helps well with increased excitability, emotional lability, tearfulness. It can be used in the complex therapy of mild anxiety depressive disorders, facilitates the withdrawal of potent drugs. . Increases the body’s resistance to stress. Magnesium deficiency can lead to an imbalance of the nervous system, irritability, sleep disturbances, so Magne B6 has a positive effect in these cases. . It has an anti-anxiety , calming, anti- asthenic effect, helps to cope with stress and psycho-emotional stress. Relieves irritability and tension. Can be used in neurotic conditions.
When should you see a doctor?
- If a decrease in mood is noted for more than two weeks, and attempts at self-treatment have been ineffective.
- If there were thoughts of unwillingness to live or suicidal thoughts.
- If a depressive state significantly disrupts the usual course of life: you cannot work, fully communicate with your family, enjoy what used to bring joy.
You can consult a psychiatrist privately. Information about the very fact of treatment, not to mention the diagnosis and treatment, is a medical secret: they are not reported to work, they are not disclosed. It is better to diagnose depression on time and start treatment than to bring it to advanced stages.
Treatment of stress and depression
People suffering from alcohol and drug addiction are not able to withstand stress. Together with the physiological characteristics of the course of the disease, they are subject to mental disorders that affect their mood and quality of life. Depression becomes one of the reasons why people return to intoxicating habits. Therefore, in complex treatment, it is necessary to pay special attention to psychotherapy, combining it with drug treatment of depression.
Psychotherapists of the Ultramed clinic will help to cope with the emotional overstrain that occurs in crisis situations. And also for those who can not stand the modern rhythm of life and resort to the “folk method of treatment”, which entails an even more serious deterioration in well-being. It is recommended to seek the help of a psychotherapist in the following cases:
- alcoholism
- addiction
- illness of a relative
- death of a loved one
- loss or problems at work
- divorce or family problems
- communication problems
No matter how many people take pharmaceutical preparations, one cannot do without the advice of a professional narcologist. Only a psychotherapist is able to assess the problem (illness) and find the right way out of the current situation (including a drug solution). An experienced specialist will help restore relationships at work and in the family, find a common language with people around you and return the joy of a fulfilling life.
Specialists of the Ultramed clinic are engaged in counseling and treatment of the following mental disorders:
- prolonged stress
- psychological problems
- depression
The result of working with a psychotherapist will be a new perspective on problem solving. A person will stop turning to alcohol to relieve stress or avoid difficult life situations. Also, the psychotherapist will consult the family members of the patient, tell you how to behave with him, how to restore harmony in the family and help a loved one on the path to getting rid of addiction.
Treatment of stress and depression: types of stress
Many factors contribute to the onset of a mental disorder. Situations that can injure the psyche arise in our lives all the time, and even strong people are not always able to resist them. Such stresses are divided into the following types:
- physical – due to overwork and extreme external conditions
- metabolic – caused by diabetes, uremia, high blood lipids and obesity
- immune – associated with infections, against the background of a weakened immune system
- endocrine – occur with hyperactivity of the adrenal cortex and thyroid gland
It is important that stress does not become chronic. This is due to the risk of physiological complications, when stressor substances are produced in excess in the body. Lack of oxygen and nutrients negatively affects the work of the genitourinary system, intestines and liver. Vital organs such as the brain, heart, and lungs are also affected. As a result, a person often begins to get sick.
Treating Stress and Depression: Anti-anxiety Medications
In the treatment of depression, drugs are used that differ in the active substance. They can be natural, of vegetable origin and created in the laboratory, affecting the receptors in the brain. An experienced psychotherapist will tell you which medicine to use in a particular case.
Antidepressants are divided according to the principle of impact on the human body into the following types:
- stimulants
- balanced drugs
- sedatives
Such drugs are sold strictly by prescription. They are used in cases where the patient has a rapid heartbeat, anxiety, irritability and high excitability. Indications can serve as lethargy, melancholy, apathy, suicide attempts and deep depression. Self-administration of antidepressants is prohibited.
Stress and Depression Treatment: Natural Type Medicines
If the stage of the disease allows, psychotherapists recommend taking herbal medicines. They are safe and have a sufficient effect for treatment. Some of them are familiar to many from home first aid kits and can be purchased without a doctor’s prescription:
- Valerian tincture
- motherwort
- ” Negrustin “
- ” Persen “
- “Novo Passit “
Valerian tincture perfectly copes with the stresses that haunt us every day. The composition of the drug contains a plant extract that slows down the heartbeat and calms the nervous system. Valerian relieves insomnia by providing a hypnotic effect.
Motherwort has a contraindication – it is forbidden to take it to people with hypotension. The drug has a sedative effect, relieves stress and anxiety, but helps to lower blood pressure. Motherwort is effective in the treatment of irritability and neurasthenia.
The drug ” Negrustin ” contains an extract of St. John’s wort. The impact of this herb on the human body helps to increase efficiency and raise the overall tone. ” Negrustin ” is used in the treatment of mild depression.
” Persen ” is a drug that relieves stress and anxiety. It contains a complex of herbal extracts that have a positive effect on the emotional state of a person: valerian, peppermint and lemon balm. In addition, ” Persen ” helps to overcome irritability and normalize sleep.
The Novo- Passit preparation contains extracts of the following medicinal herbs: motherwort, St. John’s wort, valerian, lemon balm, passion flower, hops and black elderberry. It has the properties of the above drugs and copes well with stress. Taking Novo- Passit not only improves well-being, but also has a positive effect on sleep.
Treatment of stress and depression: powerful drugs
In severe cases, after examination by a doctor, the patient may be prescribed potent drugs against depression. They have a calming effect by acting on the receptors of the brain. Some of the most common and effective drugs are:
- Nialamide
- befol
- Iprazid
- Trinylcypromine
- Dosulepin
- Selegiline
- Anafranil
- Inkazan
These drugs are used strictly under medical supervision. They have many contraindications and have side effects. With independent use, they can not only worsen the condition of a depressed person, but also cause serious damage to the body as a whole. As a result of over-the -counter use of the above drugs, the patient may develop dependence (pharmacy drug addiction).
Treatment of stress and depression: psychostimulants and nootropics
Drugs in this category normalize the processes of thinking and remembering. They stabilize the activity of the brain and increase its resistance to stressful situations. Treatment of stress and depression with the help of psychostimulants and nootropics allows you to save the patient from lethargy, drowsiness and depression. With uncontrolled use (not under the supervision of a doctor) of drugs in this category, the following side effects may occur:
- tremor
- tachycardia
- sweating
- hypertension
- dry mouth
- headache
In modern psychotherapy, there are many names of psychostimulants and nootropics . Their use is due to the relief of depression and other mental disorders. If the disease is running, then the use of these potent drugs is indispensable. In addition, psychotherapists recommend including a variety of relaxation programs in the treatment program:
- massage
- swimming pool
- walks in the open air
Treatment of stress and depression: tranquilizers ( anxiolytics )
When depression provokes obsessive-compulsive disorders, intense fears and unreasonable anxiety, tranquilizers are used in the treatment. They are prescribed in short courses (1-2 weeks). Long-term use of such drugs is addictive and reduces the effectiveness of drug treatment.
Tranquilizers, in addition to restoring the nervous system and improving sleep, relieve convulsions and relax skeletal muscles. The drugs are contraindicated in patients suffering from glaucoma. When taking them, you can not drink alcohol and anxiolytics (the latter – under the supervision of a doctor). In conjunction with tranquilizers, anxiolytics can cause amnesia.
The following are some of the side effects of taking tranquilizers:
- drowsiness
- attention disorder
- constipation
- hypotension
- slow reaction
- urinary incontinence
- weakened libido
- breathing failures (up to a stop)
Modern medicine uses the following drugs to treat stress and depression that are clinical in nature:
- Chlordiazepoxide
- Diazepam
- Lorazepam
- Bromazepam
- Phenazepam
- Frizium
- Alprazolam