A Pep Talk for Those With Treatment-Resistant Depression

In his book, Understanding Depression: What We Know And What You Can Do About It, J. Raymond DePaulo Jr., M.D. asserts that for the 20 percent of his patients who are more difficult to treat, or “treatment-resistant,” he sets an 80 percent improvement, 80 percent of the time goal. And he usually accomplishes that. Now, if you’re not someone who has struggled with chronic depression, those stats won’t warrant a happy dance. But if you’re someone like myself, who assesses her mood before her eyes are open in the morning, hoping to God that the crippling anxiety isn’t there, then those numbers will have you singing Hallelujah. They are better than the statistics released by a large, six-year, four-step government study called the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression trial, or STAR*D. STAR*D looked at the use of popular antidepressants in people with chronic, severe depression who do not respond to a particular drug and may suffer from multiple mental and physical disorders. The researchers found that trying treatment options such as adding a second drug to a SSRI, switching to a new drug or a different class of drug, and waiting a full 12 weeks to assess results can lead to remission in symptoms in up to half of patients. That’s not much to celebrate, in my opinion. Good news, but not great. Folks trudging through the everyday muck of depression and pervasive, annoying, destructive, negative, intrusive thoughts need hope. Lots of it. Daily. Ho...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatrists and Psychologists Authors: Tags: Antidepressant Brain and Behavior Depression General Medications Mental Health and Wellness Mindfulness Motivation and Inspiration Psychiatry Psychology Self-Help Treatment Antidepressants Chronic Depression D Star Expe Fis Source Type: blogs