Strategies to Deal with Resistant Depression

Resistant depression, which is also known as treatment-resistant depression (TRD), manifests when ordinary treatment procedures such as therapy and medications fail to alleviate the condition. People with TRD often have continual symptoms even when undergoing various treatments. It is not uncommon for patients to be on multiple medications and therapies simultaneously.

Similarly, varying underlying conditions like anxiety and bipolar can also make having a TRD diagnosis much easier. It is essential to seek professional advice when addressing TRD to achieve the bouts of relief that truly count. In essence, nothing is out of reach with sufficient guidance, determination, and the right professional. Here in this guide, we’ll explain treatment resistant depression, its symptoms, causes and tips to manage it. Keep reading till the end!

What is Treatment Resistant Depression?

There is no formal explanation of the term; some scholars consider treatment-resistant depression as persistent depressive symptoms in patients. You can use some antidepressants or classes of antidepressants. In addition, it can be difficult and complex because, after attempting various medications, patients still do not achieve better results. In these situations, providers may look at a combination of medication resistant depression with other therapies—including psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, or even more sophisticated measures such as transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS or electroconvulsive ECT.

Thus, for you or anyone close to you suffering from treatment resistant depression, it is very important to get the right professional advice to identify the most appropriate approach to them.

Symptoms of Treatment-Resistant Depression

Below, we’ll explain the signs of treatment resistant depression and its causes. If you think that you may be struggling with treatment resistant depression, reflect upon the following questions:

• Has your treatment made you feel better?
• Have the side effects of the medication been intolerable?
• A persistent sense of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness.
• Feelings of lethargy or absence of motivation during treatment.
• Issues with focusing and/or making decisions.
• Fluctuations in eating habits or sleeping patterns.
• Thoughts of suicide or feelings of insignificance.

Are you still facing any of the symptoms of depression and unable to manage them? Here is the help available; contact us at MAVA Behavioral Health. We are here to assist you and recommend the best possible solution for you.

Causes of Treatment Resistant Depression

Reasons for these types of depression have various explanations:

• There may be individuals with bipolar disorder or some other medical illness, such as depression, which makes treating them with standard antidepressants less effective.
• Different people may react differently to particular antidepressant drugs because of the unique chemistry of the brain.
• Some medications might be given at an inappropriate lower than optimal dose or for a shorter period.
• Antidepressants are less effective through interference with other drugs and substances, including alcohol and recreational drug use.
• Having a genetic component, structural abnormalities of the brain, and levels of neurotransmitters make depression more treatment-resistant.
• There are people whose metabolism of certain medications is so slow or fast without action, which diminishes the efficacy of the overall treatment.

How To Get Out of Depression?

Authentication of depression treatment often involves different methods along with self-care. For instance, one of the first tasks of a patient is accepting their need for assistance. This can take the form of therapy or counseling with a licensed practitioner who helps the patient understand the core issues of depression and craft a plan for handling the emotions.

Additionally, medication is required, such as antidepressants, that assist with mood regulation and self-wellness improvement. Exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate sleep greatly enhance mental well-being. Hence, and just as importantly, emotional support from friends, family members, or support groups is necessary, especially when one is feeling isolated.

Tips to Manage the Severe Resistant Depression

1. Sleep Well

If depression is already present, lack of sleep can worsen the situation. Even the amount you sleep affects your mood, energy levels, ability to concentrate and tolerate stress. When you are feeling like you are struggling with sleep, research having better sleep hygiene. Please speak to your physician or mental health professional regarding it as well.

2. Get Regular Exercise

Exercise directly elevates an individual’s mood. Even simple activities like gardening or taking strolls can diminish stress levels, improve the quality of sleep, and lessen the symptoms of depression.

3. Stick To Your Treatment Plan

Make sure you don’t miss therapy sessions and visits. Getting better will take time, and skipping sessions will only counteract any good. If you feel well, do not stop taking medication. The symptoms of depression can return in addition to withdrawal symptoms. Speak to your doctor and pharmacist if you are experiencing side effects or if the medication is too expensive.

5 Ways to Help Yourself to Manage Depression

1-Calm Your Imagination

It may feel as if your creativity and joy for life are lost when suffering from depression. However, activities that stimulate your mind can be helpful. Grab a paintbrush, a camera, or a sketch pad, and get your imagination flowing. Try crafting or even cooking and baking. Go ahead and write or dance or even try your hand at composing some music.

Likewise, talk to a friend or indulge in a game with your pet. Seek something that can make you giggle. You can also watch something more humorous. Always indulge in things that bring you joy, no matter how small. This aids in making depression less severe.

2-Consume Nutritious Meals

Some people who undergo depression often do not exhibit an urge for consumption. On the other side of the spectrum, some can exhibit binge tendencies. Therefore, most people who suffer from depression must make a conscious effort to eat right, which typically includes a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain cereals. When dealing with carbohydrates, avoid simple carbs alongside “junk” food and tasty sugary beverages.

3-Try Not to Focus on the Issues

Discussing sensitive subjects with a considerate friend can prove to be helpful. Nevertheless, depression can lead to individuals feeling the urge to complain along reminisce about grievances excessively. It can cloud your judgment and prevent you from fixing the issue.

Moreover, it is important to express your thoughts and feelings to those who care about you, but do not allow yourself to talk only about problems. Try to convert some of those negative thoughts into more positive ones and reflect on good things as well.

4-Capture Positive Things

Depression alters a person’s perspective on life. It can often feel grim, pessimistic, and devoid of hope. To change your perspective, try to capture three positive things daily. The more effort you put into identifying what is positive, the better you will become at it.

5-Yoga and Deep Breathing

Engaging in yoga and deep breathing can reduce stress levels while improving mental focus. Increased frequency leads to some form of stress relief, mental stillness, and improvement in emotional stability. Such practices can foster a sense of control and serenity, which enhances an individual’s mental health.

Treatment Option for Resistant Depression

Attempting to understand the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder requires a nuanced understanding of different classes of antidepressants. Through this lens, biological treatments can be understood in terms of their specificity. By contrast, some of them do something at the biological level, seeking to alter specific mental functions that underlie depression.

Your doctor is likely to consider altering your medications by either switching them, changing the dosage, or adding a new prescription along with the antidepressant that you currently take. Different classes of antidepressants exist, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which include:

• Citalopram (Celexa)
• Escitalopram (Lexapro)
• Fluoxetine (Prozac)
• Paroxetine (Paxil)
• Sertraline (Zoloft)

Medication Strategies for Persistent Depression

If you have already attempted taking an antidepressant and it hasn’t worked for you, don’t give up hope just yet. You and your doctor might not have found the right medication or a potent enough dosage yet, which is why it’s so important to keep trying.

Well, antidepressants and other medications meant for depression usually take about four to eight weeks before they become effective, and the side effects also subside. Some individuals might require an even longer duration for complete efficacy.

• Omit your existing dose if noted. Considering how individuals respond to treatment, some patients may do better on a higher dose than is regularly given.
• You should confirm this possibility with your doctor first. Do not adjust the dosage yourself, as several variables influence how much is appropriate for a single patient.
• Change the antidepressant. A lot of patients find that the first antidepressant they try is not helpful. There is a probability that you will have to go through many options before finding one that is effective for you.

End Note

Resistant depression represents a significant challenge in mental health, particularly because patients often do not respond adequately to standard antidepressant treatments. This condition profoundly affects daily life, resulting in increased risks of severe emotional distress, impaired functioning, and even suicidal thoughts.

Proper diagnosis and management can greatly improve the chances of recovery, thus helping patients regain stability and overall quality of life. Therefore, addressing TRD requires a comprehensive and individualized approach; it is essential for ensuring long-term mental well-being. So, reach out to us at MAVA Behavioral Health and get the treatment at your convenience, either through telehealth or in-clinic visits.

FAQ’s

What is resistant depression?

For example, the use of antidepressants works, but in the case of resistant depression, they do not help at all. This leaves the patient deeply distressed. Therefore, the main goal of this approach is against emotional exhaustion.

When is depression considered resistant?

The way depression is diagnosed as resistant is if the patient does not respond to two different medications that contain antidepressant components when taken properly. At times, stubborn symptoms, including mental fog, do not leave the patients and want for proper action can be taken. The alternative to my analysis helps to figure out what would be the most suitable plan.

What happens to patients with treatment-resistant depression?

Noteworthy outcomes from treated depression might entail prolonged phases of stress and being excessively tired. In cases without proper care, more complexity arises, schizophrenia or even greater loss of mental health, and suicidal options start to become a real possibility.

What is the best treatment for treatment-resistant depression?

Tailored treatment for resistant depression should be more practical. Substituted medications, TMS, ECT, or even KET therapy might seem unnecessary for severe patients. Nevertheless, the best approach to help without medications is talking, changing their ways of living, and everything else possible.