Depression is an extremely common condition. According to the World Health Organization, depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Mild depression often remits on its own, and mild to moderate depression can be effectively treated without medications. Antidepressant medications can have undesirable side effects and some physicians and patients prefer to avoid using them to treat mild conditions. In these case, other strategies can help alleviate depression.
Talk Therapy
The two most common types of talk therapy that clinicians use to treat depression are cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, and psychodynamic psychotherapy. CBT is a short, time-limited course of therapy focused on correcting maladpative, negative ways of thinking. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a long-term, open-ended process in which a therapist and a patient meet once or twice each week over the course of several years. The goal in this type of therapy is to work on the deep issues that may be underlying the patient's depression, increase his insight into his problems and improve his ability to cope with difficult situations.
Exercise
Exercise is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression. According to a study published in the "American Journal of Preventative Medicine," however, exercise is effective in treating depression only when patients exercise at an aerobic level three to five times per week. Exercise that is less intense or less frequent is no more effective than taking no action at all.
One way that exercise works is by increasing the patient's sense of mastery over a difficult situation. The depressed person learns that he has within him the ability to change the way he feels, and this understanding has lasting benefits.
The precise mechanism through which exercise affects depression remains unknown, but "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" explains that several neurotransmitters are likely responsible for this effect. Neurotransmitters are substances in the brain that transmit nerve impulses. Among these are brain-derived natriuretic factor, endorphins and endocannabinoids, which as their name suggests, affect the brain much like cannabis does.
Work and Social Life
Depressed people tend to withdraw into themselves. Maintaining and strengthening relationships relieves some of the burden of depression. Depressed people also frequently experience low energy and loss of interest in previously pleasurable activities. If patients can stay engaged and busy, they can often stave off depressive thoughts and improve their mood. Although work can be a stressor, it can also provide many benefits, such as a regular schedule, camaraderie and financial stability, which may reduce or alleviate symptoms of depression.
References
- The World Health Organization: Depression
- American Journal of Preventative Medicine; Exercise Treatment for Depression: Efficacy and Dose Response; A. L. Dunn et al.; January 2005
- "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain"; John Ratey; 2008
