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Treatment for Male DepressionWhat is the Best Treatment for Male Depression?
Psychotherapy is the place where the healing takes place.
In psychotherapy an individual learns about their disorder, coping tools and receives the support and many other thing that are essential for recovery. There are many types of psychotherapy: Cognitive Therapy, Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Psychoanalytical Therapies, Gestalt Therapy, Family Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and many others.
Psychoanalytical type of therapy
Psychoanalytical oriented therapies are based on hypothesis that there is a big part of our psychic that is unconscious and that that part should be explored and addressed because all the answers are there. According to Psychoanalysis the unconscious part of our psychic is controlling our conscious part.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal therapy focuses on the “here and now” factors that are contributing to depression. Its goal is to locate and fix the problems that are causing or/and nourishing depression. Interpersonal therapy looks for those problems in present and not in the past as psychoanalysis does. For example problems in relationships between patient and people around him definitely can contribute to depression and sometimes even cause it. Interpersonal therapy teaches the patient how to better solve relationship problems, cope with them and socialize in general. This is why this type of therapy is a very successful treatment for male depression.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
This is another therapy that has a lot of success in treating male depression, especially the mild and moderate depression. For severe type of depression antidepressants are usually needed together with psychotherapy.
Family Therapy
Family therapy is strongly recommended because it teaches other family members how to behave around a depressed family member and how to support him. Many people are trying to help their depressed husbands, brothers, sons and friends without any success. This is because they don’t know what the appropriate support is for a depressed person. The unfortunate thing is that many people, that are trying their best to help their loved one who is depressed are actually doing right the opposite-they are making him feel worse. This is why the family therapy is strongly recommended and can be very helpful part of a treatment for male depression.
Treatment for male Depression, Antidepressants:
When psychotherapy is not enough antidepressants are used. Antidepressants are not a sole therapy for male depression or depression in general. They are just a tool that should make a patient capable to take part in psychotherapy where the healing process is taking place. Antidepressants reduce some or all of the patient’s symptoms so that he can participate in psychotherapy. Antidepressants should always be used under a professional supervision and never on your own. If antidepressants are misused they can be contra-productive and deepen and prolong depression.
Natural Supplements:
Natural supplements can be used as a part of treatment for male depression instead of antidepressants. This however is not always possible because a patient may not respond to natural supplements and in that case antidepressants should be used if the symptoms are severe and the patient is not able to participate in psychotherapy. Make no mistake, just because natural supplements are natural it doesn’t mean that they are harmless. This is why it is recommended that consumption of natural supplements for depression should also be under a professional supervision. In conclusion, treatment for male depression is psychotherapy alone or together with antidepressants, natural supplements or some other useful "tools". There is no magic pill for depression and there are no shortcuts just as there are none in life.
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