Depression is an episodic problem that is it tends to happen repeatedly once we have one experience. So if we get depressed and get better there is a 50% likelihood that we will get depressed again. If we have had two or three episodes of depression there is a 70 or 80% probability that we will be depressed again.
This happens unless we either stay on a maintenance dose of an antidepressant that works for us or if we have developed some depression management skills. The maintenance dose of an antidepressant sounds easy but often is not. We may need to go through several antidepressants to find one that works well for us. Since 80% of antidepressants are prescribed by general practitioners (GP) they may not be able to fine tune your prescription as well as a psychiatrist. GPs are also not as good as diagnosing depression as they could be so they may tend to over-prescribe an antidepressant when another treatment might be better for you. The last problem with antidepressants is that people tend to discontinue using them against their doctor’s advice so a person is left without anything to keep them from experiencing the symptoms again.
Depression management skills work much better for a much longer time to keep depression away. Unfortunately most people don’t get these skills at the right time to avoid relapse. If we are having our first depression experience we often lose interest in learning much about it when it begins to subside. For that first experience we may not get any psychotherapy and if we do we probably won’t get the type of help that will give us lasting skills – cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This is because most therapists are “psychodynamic” in their approach to helping us and they don’t use a strong structured or learning method.
So to get off of the “depression roller coaster” do one of two things. Either don’t get on the roller coaster in the first place by learning what you can as early as you can about how to manage depression. Or if you are already on, find your first opportunity to get off when you are feeling well and dedicate yourself to learning everything you can. We hope you do!
Oct 25, 2011 at 5:34 AM Self injury, including cutting and burning, is a common manifestation of anxiety and depression. At <a href="http://www.pchtreatment.com/depression-residential-treatment-center.php">Depression Treatment Los Angeles</a>, patients receive psychiatric testing and evaluation, and can receive a variety of therapies. At a self injury treatment center, patients can be prescribed medications, and be prescribed speech therapy to cope with their disease.
Oct 25, 2011 at 6:31 AM Self injury, including cutting and burning, is a common manifestation of anxiety and depression. At <a href="http://www.pchtreatment.com/depression-residential-treatment-center.php">Depression Treatment Los Angeles</a>, patients receive psychiatric testing and evaluation, and can receive a variety of therapies. At a self injury treatment center, patients can be prescribed medications, and be prescribed speech therapy to cope with their disease.
Oct 25, 2011 at 7:02 AM Self injury, including cutting and burning, is a common manifestation of anxiety and depression. At <a href="http://www.pchtreatment.com/depression-residential-treatment-center.php">Depression Treatment Los Angeles</a>, patients receive psychiatric testing and evaluation, and can receive a variety of therapies. At a self injury treatment center, patients can be prescribed medications, and be prescribed speech therapy to cope with their disease.
Oct 25, 2011 at 4:33 PM Self injury, including cutting and burning, is a common manifestation of anxiety and depression. At <a href="http://www.pchtreatment.com/depression-residential-treatment-center.php">Depression Treatment Los Angeles</a>, patients receive psychiatric testing and evaluation, and can receive a variety of therapies. At a self injury treatment center, patients can be prescribed medications, and be prescribed speech therapy to cope with their disease.
Dec 13, 2011 at 3:36 AM Self injury, including cutting and burning, is a common manifestation of anxiety and depression. At <a href="http://www.pchtreatment.com/depression-residential-treatment-center.php">Depression Treatment Los Angeles</a>, patients receive psychiatric testing and evaluation, and can receive a variety of therapies. At a self injury treatment center, patients can be prescribed medications, and be prescribed speech therapy to cope with their disease.
Dec 13, 2011 at 4:02 AM Self injury, including cutting and burning, is a common manifestation of anxiety and depression. At <a href="http://www.pchtreatment.com/depression-residential-treatment-center.php">Depression Treatment Los Angeles</a>, patients receive psychiatric testing and evaluation, and can receive a variety of therapies. At a self injury treatment center, patients can be prescribed medications, and be prescribed speech therapy to cope with their disease.
Jan 16, 2012 at 12:57 AM Self injury, including cutting and burning, is a common manifestation of anxiety and depression. At <a href="http://www.pchtreatment.com/depression-residential-treatment-center.php">Depression Treatment Los Angeles</a>, patients receive psychiatric testing and evaluation, and can receive a variety of therapies. At a self injury treatment center, patients can be prescribed medications, and be prescribed speech therapy to cope with their disease.