Best Depression Treatment in Bangalore
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth living.
According to the WHO, 1 in 20 people in India have diagnosable depression.
It’s difficult to identify the exact cause of depression. However certain factors contribute to it such as your genetics, environment, brain chemistry, physical health and other social denominators.
Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy or both. The right treatment
Symptoms
Although depression may occur only once during your life, people typically have multiple episodes. During these episodes, symptoms occur most of the day, nearly every day and may include:
- Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
- Anger outbursts, irritability or frustration
- Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports
- Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or sleeping too much
- Tiredness and lack of energy, so even small tasks take extra effort
- Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain
- Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
- Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or self-blame
- Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
- Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts or suicide
For many people with depression, symptoms usually are severe enough to cause noticeable problems in day-to-day activities, such as work, school, social activities or relationships with others.
Management and Treatment
How is depression treated?
Depression is one of the most treatable mental health conditions.
Treatment options include:
- Psychotherapy: There are many forms of talk therapy that can benefit a patient with depression.
- Medication: There are several different types of antidepressants, and it may take time to figure out the one that’s best for you. Response to medication varies from person to person as do the side effects. About 1 in 3 patients of depression might not respond to medication at all.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: TMS or rTMS is a non-invasive method of neurostimulation. A low-intensity magnetic field is employed via a coil to stimulate the regions of the brain that have been primarily affected by depression. TMS has proved to be effective in patients who are not responding to medication and in those for whom medication is not a feasible option. TMS can also be applied along with medication and therapy to accentuate the treatment response since it’s tolerated by most and has minimal side effects.
Repetitive TMS may be used when standard treatments such as medicines, and talk therapy, known as psychotherapy, don't work.
During an rTMS session for depression, an electromagnetic coil is placed against the scalp of your head. This coil delivers magnetic pulses that stimulate nerve cells in the region of your brain involved in mood control and depression. It's thought to activate regions of the brain that have decreased activity during depression.
The stimulation appears to affect how the brain is working. It seems to ease depression symptoms and improve mood.
Since TMS is a non-invasive treatment, it is tolerated by most patients and does not cause any long-lasting side effects.
If you are feeling depressed, make an appointment to see your doctor or mental health professional as soon as you can.