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Often we hear people use the phrase, Oh, I am so depressed. Almost always this comment is brushed off or ridiculed. The true gravity of the matter is best captured by studies and statistics, conducted by medical practitioners & lifestyle reformers, that prove depression is a silent disorder that continues to be responsible for ruining the lives of many. The causes of this disorder can be mapped onto biological issues as well as loss, trauma, accidents or even drug and alcohol abuse. These can easily convert into a prolonged illness termed as clinical depression, major depressive disorder or unipolar depression. A depressive state of mind takes a big toll on a person’s life and that of their family’s. Mood swings and prolonged bouts of feeling low on self-esteem adversely affect the demeanor and the daily modus operandi of a person, which reflect in their relationships. General productivity decreases, health starts to deteriorate, negative thoughts and unhappiness takes over and in some cases people have been reported to develop suicidal tendencies. Some people also tend to exhibit an erratic behavioral pattern that can be dangerous to them and their loved ones. With a view of the seriousness of this disorder, many doctors, health consultants and therapists have developed depression therapies. A depression therapy is a treatment that encapsulates various kinds of counseling sessions, medications and exercises. These therapies aim to induce changes to lifestyle and provide social support. Many opt for alternative treatments, which include meditation and self-acceptance exercises. The treatments for depression can be clubbed into three regimes; psychotherapy, medication and electroconvulsive. An electroconvulsive depression therapy is only used as a last resort. In the medication regime antidepressants are used to treat people with severe chronic major depression. These antidepressants have many side effects and are usually short-term solutions that make reoccurrence eminent in case of discontinuation. Psychotherapy is a preferred depression therapy as compared to the other two options available. These therapies include many different kinds of counseling sessions in conjunction with meditation, yoga or breathing exercises to improve interpersonal development and encourage self-acceptance. Since psychotherapies have no side effects, different professionals and experts have developed programs to cater to groups or individuals based on their psychological problems so that they can learn to cope and counter depression. Amongst many available one of the most effective depression therapies is the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction also known as MBSR. MBSR is a structured complimentary medicine and is a healing practice that does not follow conventional methods but instead implements historical practices to heal chronic depressive disorders. A mindfulness program basically focuses on decreasing pain and improves mental and health conditions of individuals suffering from various diseases and disorders. The MBSR program was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The other most opted for depression therapy is the psychotherapy. This involves a series of counseling sessions that employ healthier ways to fight depression. The counseling sessions are conducted by trained psychotherapists and are accompanied by exercises and meditation. One effective depression therapy in this section is the mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) program. This MBSR program has evolved to become complimentary to medicine to treat people with depressive disorders. This program focuses on moment-to-moment realization of life and feeling in order to make each person more aware of their body’s callouts and requirements. Spanning over 4-8 weeks, these sessions enable people to understand their breathing and become more accepting towards their emotions and needs. This depression therapy is based on ancient healing methods and incorporates meditation and yoga along with counseling.
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Depression therapy, Anxiety therapist, Mindfulness based stress reduction, Mindfulness therapy, Mind,
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