Six Key Approaches to Treating Depression Including The Brain Simplified

Depression: helplessness, hopelessness, sadness, feeling overwhelmed, trouble concentrating, sleeping all of the time or not being able to sleep, overeating or complete loss of appetite, significant weight gain or weight loss, irritability and easy to anger, isolating and lack of interest in usual activities. It may include suicidal thinking and/or attempts, but not always.

How the depressed brain functions:

Brain cells (neurons) communicate by sending electrical signals down long extensions (axons). Brain cells are not connected to each other. When the electrical signal reaches the end of the axon, it releases chemicals into the space between that axon and the next brain cell. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, cross the space and attach to specific sites on the next cell’s receptors. In this manner, messages are passed on between brain cells. Once the message has been sent, the chemical neurotransmitters are sucked back up by the sending brain cell, a process called re-uptake. In depression, the amount of available chemical neurotransmitters is very low. Brain cells do not communicate effectively and the person’s overall functioning is compromised.

How do you treat depression?

First, get a physical including lab work to rule out any underlying health issues such as deficient vitamin D levels or thyroid dysfunction.

Anti-Depressant Medications: Most of the anti-depressant medications used today function by slowing down the re-uptake process and help to keep neurotransmitters present in the space between cells longer so that signals are sent more effectively between brain cells. The neurotransmitters targeted by medication tend to be serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. 

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) include Celexa, Lexapro, Prozac, Zoloft, amongst others.
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) include Cymbalta and Effexor, for example.
Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs) are represented by only one medication, Wellbutrin.

By the way, many recreational drugs attach to the receptor sites in the brain which are meant for the neurotransmitters. Cocaine, for example, attaches to dopamine receptor sites. If the brain thinks there is more neurotransmitter available than needed, which would be the case if another chemical is filling the receptor sites, then the brain stops producing that neurotransmitter – hence withdrawal and depression when a person stops using drugs.

Counseling: People suffering from depression benefit greatly from counseling. The type of counseling most effective for depression as demonstrated by research is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A more modern version being used now is called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Both of these therapies have a person look at their patterns of thinking and work to change negative and extreme patterns to more constructive thinking which helps to improve mood and outlook. A focusing technique called Mindfulness is currently incorporated into these approaches. Mindfulness helps a person to not be influenced so much by past experiences or worries about future outcomes and helps a person to more fully experience the present moment. A key component of mindfulness is the elimination of negative self-assessment and judgment.
Issues of anxiety are also effectively treated by these therapeutic methods. Depression and anxiety frequently co-exist.
(Finding a counselor that you like and feel comfortable talking with can be just as effective no matter what therapeutic approach they employ.)

Multiple research studies over many years have shown that therapy plus medication results in more improvement than either therapy or medication alone.

Sleep: In depression, sleep is generally disrupted. The person may have trouble falling asleep, may awaken in the night and not be able to go back to sleep, or wakes early in the morning and can’t get any more sleep. Ongoing sleep disruption takes a toll on a person’s mood, functioning, and health. A person should not remain in bed trying to go back to sleep if it has not come in about half-an-hour. Our brains are creatures of association. If you lie in bed thinking and ruminating for hours, your brain comes to associate bed with thinking. It determines that lying in bed is your time and place for thinking. Get up out of bed and leave the bedroom if possible. Keep the lights low and activities quiet and mellow, even boring, and follow these guidelines:

Keep a schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time every day.

Have a bedtime routine such as: dress for bed, brush teeth, organize items for the next day, read for a little while.

Turn off all electronics an hour before bed. Lights from electronics disrupt sleep cycles. Cover any lights that must stay on, such as clock lights. Have a dark room. Keep things a little cooler as well at nighttime. Do not sleep to the TV. Again, the brain makes associations, you might not be able to sleep without a TV, or you might wake up at certain times because the brain thinks it is TV watching time. You do not get the benefits of all of the brain’s sleep cycles with a TV on.

Do not get hooked on sleeping aid medications. These also disrupt the natural sleep cycles and you do not get truly deep, restorative sleep. Melatonin is produced naturally by the brain just before nightfall and signals the brain and body to relax for sleep. You can get melatonin over the counter and take it an hour or two before your regular bedtime. Talk with your physician about the effects of long-term use.

Learn and practice relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, or meditation as part of your bedtime routine.

Exercise: Exercise earlier in the day and not close to bed time. Aerobic exercise, which gets your heart pumping, has been shown to increase levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain. Find an activity you like to do. Walking gets you out into the fresh air and sunshine. A recent study has found that being out in the morning sunlight improves mood.

Socialize: Human beings are meant to affiliate with other human beings. Positive interactions with others can lift a depressed mood. It can be as simple as a pleasant ‘hello’ in passing or witnessing joking or teasing which happens naturally in many interactions. If a person is inclined, volunteer work can help improve one’s own outlook. Loving a pet fits under this category, as well.

Work to solve problems: High stress situations and ongoing life problems contribute to depression. Treating the symptoms of depression can help put one in a better state to approach and solve life problems. Seek out information and educate yourself on the issue, explore options, seek assistance, start taking steps to solve, improve, or change the situation.

Many of these approaches you can do on your own or with others and you can seek assistance from professionals for an objective view of your situation.