Psychotherapy and antidepressant medications can be used to treat depressive disorders. A combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy appears to give better results than either method alone. Medication will give relatively quick symptom relief and psychotherapy helps sufferers deal with life's problems more effectively.

1. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy involves talking things through with a trained counsellor or psychotherapist. Sometimes, it is hard to express your real feelings even to close friends. Talking to a therapist, someone who can really listen and understand without passing judgment can bring tremendous relief.

2. Antidepressants

Antidepressants are necessary if your depression is severe or had gone on for a long time. The antidepressants most often used include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors,lithium and some new antidepressants such as serotonergic noradrenergic re-uptake inhibitors. Lithium and other mood stabilisers such as sodium valproate and carbamazepine are often used to
enhance the effectiveness of antidepressants.

It is important to realise that antidepressants do not begin working as soon as you take them. Their action is slow and you need to be patient for the first week or two. When you do feel better, it is important not to stop the medications straight away as you may then relapse into depression again. Let your doctor advise you when to stop.

You can eat a normal diet (if not, your doctor will tell you) and they are compatible with painkillers, antibiotics and oral contraceptive pills. You should avoid alcohol as it will interfere with the tablets and make you too drowsy. Anti-anxiety drugs such as diazepam are not antidepressants. They are sometimes prescribed along with antidepressants but they should not be taken alone for a depressive disorder.

3. Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)

A small number of severely depressed people do not get better with these treatments or are intolerant to drugs. Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) may then be used. It involves giving a light anaesthetic and a drug to relax the muscles of the body, and an electric current is then passed through the brain for a few seconds.

The whole procedure takes about fifteen minutes and all the patient is aware of is having gone to sleep. A course of ECT amounts from six to 12 treatments, usually given three times a week.

• dry mouth - drink more water.
• constipation - eat bran cereals, prunes, fruit and vegetables.
• dizziness - rise from bed or chair slowly.
• drowsiness - this will pass soon; do not drive or operate heavy equipment if feeling drowsy or sedated.

• headache - this will usually go away.
• nausea & stomache discomfort - even when it occurs, it is transient after each dose; take medicine with food.
• nervousness and insomnia - these may occur during the first few weeks; dosage reductions or time will usually resolve them.
  
  

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