Depression Should Be Treated Using Only Therapy

Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder, with an estimated prevalence rate of 17 percent (Morgan et al., 2015). Depression involves episodes of pessimism, sadness, negative beliefs, decreased motivation, loss of interest, suicidal thoughts, behavioral passivity, changes in sleep, sexual interest, and appetite. Symptoms of depression can range from mild seasonal changes to severely disabling symptoms that limit the persons ability to work or function (Morgan et al., 2015). It is estimated that about 17 million Americans experience a major depressive episode. With increased numbers of people being affected by depression, there has been a considerable push for prescription depression drugs in America. Antidepressant medications (ADMs) account for 5 out of 25 most frequently prescribed drugs. High blood pressure and high cholesterol medications were the only classes of medications prescribed more often than antidepressants. The positive thing about these ADMs is that more people can receive adequate treatment for depression (Boschloo et al., 2019). The negative side is that ADMs are the default medications for treating depression, even for patients who prefer therapy.

There are numerous studies conducted focusing on the efficacy of ADMs on depression. These studies have demonstrated that ADMs offer effective treatment for the disorder, and when used as prescribed, a person can lead a normal life. However, the side effects of these medications are never focused on in the studies. Other studies have shown how therapy is more effective in treating depression and the long-term effects reaped by the patient. The good thing about therapy is there are no side effects. The best treatment course is dependent on the patient and their preferences. Depression does not affect two people in the same way. Therefore, there cannot be a one size fits all treatment for depression. The patients willingness to try out the available treatments and desire to follow through should be the underlying focus of treatment. With the side effects experienced by most patients, it has been established that many depressed patients will fail to refill their prescriptions due to the side effects of the drugs. With such patients, the best treatment would be therapy. Therapy has no adverse side effects, and patients can receive adequate treatment by following the therapists guidelines.

Antidepressant Medications (ADMs)

Depression medications are more effective in treatment than therapy. The medicines offer an instant resolution to the depressive symptoms experienced by the patient, making them highly effective. More and more people can receive adequate treatment for depression using medications than using therapy (Morgan et al., 2015). The drugs used for treating depression include serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and other medications related that target specific neurotransmitters (Boschloo et al., 2019). The mechanism of action for these drugs is different, but they all offer the same benefits to the patient. While ADMs are the most frequently used drugs for treating depression, an estimated 20% of the patients never refill their prescriptions (Boschloo et al., 2019).

Additionally, even if a patient starts on the course of treatment, they may discontinue the treatment before receiving adequate effects. The overall cause of failure to adhere to ADMs is the side effects experienced by the patients after taking the drugs. Over 60% of the patients who take ADMs have at least one adverse effect during treatment. Most of these negative effects are minor, but they discourage a patient from continuing with the medications. The most common side effects are diarrhea, constipation, and dizziness.

Patients prefer starting and switching treatment, which also plays a vital role in the efficacy of the drugs. When one drug...

…norms demand that patients seek alternative forms of treatment instead of taking prescription medications. If prescribed ADMs, these patients will not accept them, and they will continue to suffer their depressive symptoms since they dont want to break their cultural rules. Women and people from ethnic minority communities will prefer therapy over medications. A physician who does not believe in therapy finds it hard to treat such patients, resulting in patients continuing to suffer. The flexibility of physicians is vital to ensure they can refer patients based on their preferences and not what they believe is suitable for the patient.

The only way to ensure that patients can get better medications is to reduce the adverse side effects of the drugs. Otherwise, therapy should be the first line of treatment prescribed to any depressed patient. Patients are becoming more informed, and they are opting for therapy as opposed to medications. Therefore, the projected trend for the future is that there will be fewer medications prescribed for depression and more people undergoing therapy. Also, as people learn how to cope with depressing situations and thoughts, we can have long-lasting treatments that reduce the number of people suffering from depression. Depression is a mood disorder, and the negative moods stem from the destructive thoughts a person entertains. With therapy, the patient learns how to stay more positive and analyze situations from a positive perspective. The patients need for medications reduces since they have learned how to cope with their condition. Therapy gives the patient a permanent solution they can rely on to overcome their depression instead of medications, which require the patient to keep taking them all their life. Until we can develop depression medications that have lasting effective treatment without requiring the patient to be on drugs all the time, therapy should be…