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If the symptoms do not alleviate after a week or two then it can be described as Post Partum depression where the mother has a major depressive episode.

Treating depression: After diagnosing the type of depression a person is suffering from then we look to the types of treatment available to them.

Medication: A common practice is to use anti-depressant medications to alleviate the symptoms. Some medications can result in unwanted side effects, like sickness and constipation, but the benefits can often outweigh the disadvantages and you learn to cope with these because the medication is helping to stabilize your mood.

There are short term medications that can instant relief from severe symptoms but there use is restricted because they do not cure the depression and can lead to problems such as dependency.

Often help is needed with sleeping as resting can make your depression worse during the daytime. When you suffer sleep deprivation it only increases your feelings of desperation so a medication for night time can be administered should it be required.

Some people prefer to take a natural remedy such as St Johns Wort which has been proven to help with depression, though this use depends on your severity and type of depression and needs to be discussed with your doctor.

Psychotherapy: The use of talking through your problems with a trained professional. They can help you to come to terms with your mental health and behaviour and learn coping mechanisms so that you can operate on a day to day basis. As with all forms of counseling this needs to be right for you and feel comfortable discussing your feelings. If it is difficult to communicate the therapy can influence the depression.

ECT: Electroconvulsive therapy is normally used when either medication has not been adequate or when medication cannot be used for other health reasons. Due to the nature of using an electrical current to cause a seizure this is usually used as a last resort after more viable treatments have been tried and tested. Treatments usually last a few weeks but have been proving to have a reasonable success rate.

CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the use of a therapist to alter the way we think and react to our negative thoughts and belief's. To think more realistically in how we determine what to do and how we reply to certain situations. The belief is this may help with the depression and other symptoms such as anxiety and anger. To improve how we feel and react.

Sometimes a person may require a combination of therapies to control the symptoms of depression. The causes of are difficult to determine and understand but aspects such as family history, stress, certain physical problems can contribute to the occurrence of depression.

Depression cannot be cured overnight and it may require weeks or even months for a person to feel the fulls benefits of medical intervention. But the first step is to seek help and with the support available a person can normally look forward to having a future, whereas before they only saw darkness.

Learn more about this author, James Mockridge..
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