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Article #25: Attacking Major Depression With Professional Treatments

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The patient's depression was crippling.He aided by their talking to a therapist.
was in an out of psychiatric hospitals Such professionals may include
and could not work let alone function a psychiatrists, psychologists, social
normal life. All other treatments had workers and others with specialized
failed him until neurosurgeon John Smider training. Many have also found great help
performed and operation. His skull was in just talking with a caring friend of
opened exposing his brain, in which they relative.
then placed a battery operated Armand DiMele, director of the Center for
"pacemaker." This pacemaker emits a Psychotherapy, observes: "The depressed
rhythmic electrical pulse which person is protecting himself by shutting
alleviates depression whithout altering down his mind and body and not allowing
the thinking process or damaging the any stimulation. For example, when
brain. someone suffers a loss such as a death,
The operation was a success! The patient he may go into a depression rather than
positive attitude soon returned and he face the loss." The job of the counselor
was able to return to work. "You saved my is to help the sufferer to face the
life," he told the doctor. "Now I can feelings and anxiety that come from such
live a normal life." a loss. DiMele continues: "If the
This man was one of many millions of therapist sitting with him can really
americans suffering from chronic nurture him through and tell him what to
depression, a disorder that created anticipate in body sensations, then the
intense feelings of guilt, helplessness person gradually realizes he can cope
and hoplessness. Many other symptoms of with the emotion, and the depression
this disorder are disturbances in lifts."
appetite and sleep, constant fatigue, Submerged feelings, such as anger,
crying spells and the inability to cope resentment and guilt, have often bred
with life and derive pleasure from depression. For instance, a psychologist
anything. employed by the New York State Mental
Only a very slight amount of people Health Department treated a 58-year-old
suffering from chronic depression require woman suffering from severe depression.
surgical treatment with a "pacemaker." She felt that God had abandoned her and
With most forms of major depression that everyone was talking against her. As
trained professions can help the patient. this expert of 20 years' experience began
What treatments are available? There are to talk with her in a kindly way each
a variety. Some suggest that other week, he noticed that in discussions
methods do not work, and others suggest about her family she never mentioned her
that multiple methods work together. Why mother, with whom she was now living. He
is this? probed. In time she revealed that she
Some researchers feel that severe felt that her mother, by her neglect, was
depressions are caused by a physical responsible for her beloved father's
defect in the body, such as a chemical recent death. Gradually the counselor
imbalance in the brain, thusly medication helped her to overcome this resentment,
such as antidepressants are considered a and her depression melted away.
viable method of treatment. Others argue Since guilt is often a major symptom of
that the disorder results from faulty depression, psychologists will endeavor
thinking and that the mind creates the to eliminate it along with the patient's
imbalance and can thereby rectify it. feelings of worthlessness. One woman
These believe that the mind needs became severely depressed when her child
correction by "talk therapy," turned rebellious. "I was never really a
psychotherapy. While both methods have proper mother, was I?" she cried to the
experienced some good results, neither of psychiatrist. "That's why she's gone
them has the full answer. wrong." The doctor helped her to see all
Mind and Body Involved the good she had done for the child. The
The relationship between the mind and the guilt then vanished-and so did her
body is a complex relationship because of depression.
the close interplay between the mind and However, the treatment of most cases is
body. unsuccessful, according to Dr. Ronald
Each and every patient is different and Fieve. He reports in his book
mental disorders can be very complex. Moodswing-The Third Revolution in
Only a trained doctor can make Psychiatry that not infrequently, after
recommendations as to which approach is weeks, months and years of working with a
best for the patient. It is recognized moderate or severe depressive, helping
that within every field of treatment him to analyze his behavior, "very little
there are often a wide range of happened."
practitioners. For example in Authorities in the field differ as to
psychotherapy there are over 130 intensive psychotherapy's effectiveness.
different reported approaches. One of the reasons for this is that many
Talk Out Depression doctors feel that the chemical imbalance
When one is sufffering from major present in severe moodswings cannot
depression, psychotherapy or "talk always be corrected by psychotherapy.
therapy" is one recommended approach. They advocate the use of . . .
Since a depressed person usually has For a continuation of this article please
greatly disturbed ideas, many have been visit our website HelpingDepression.






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