Treatments Summary

There are two main treatments for depression: talking therapy and physical intervention (pharmacological and ECT). These two treatments are best used in conjunction with one another. In psychoanalysis (talking therapy), specific techniques are used to find historical trauma that has caused or contributed to the patient's illness. The process is long and usually takes place in a series of daily sessions (usually 4-5 hours per week). The focus is on bringing the patient's unconscious thought to light and is effective in finding the reasons for the problem. It is, however, not as effective in solving the problem.

It is important to treat depression with medication, but it is also important to care for the origins of the illness. Therapy allows people to understand their condition and its cause. If it has been triggered by a real experience, it is human nature to want...