Other Treatments for Depression

"Alternative" treatments for depression should be used in conjunction with conventional treatment– they should be complementary, not a replacement for traditional depression treatments. The following are some of the common alternative treatments used to treat depression.

If you are depressed, speak to your doctor before beginning any alternative remedy, as alternative depression treatments may not interact well with medications you're currently taking. 

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) has been used in Europe for years as an herbal remedy for mild to moderate cases of depression. In fact, German doctors prescribe it more often than any other antidepressant medication. On the positive side, St. John's Wort has relatively few side effects. On the negative side, it is only effective in mild cases of depression and cannot be used to treat major depression.

The results of a three-year study by the National Institutes of Health did not support the use of St. John's Wort in place of an SSRI antidepressant for cases of major depression. The NIH is, however, continuing to study St. John's Wort as a potential treatment for milder depression.

St. John's Wort should not be taken in conjunction with prescription antidepressants, as symptoms may actually worsen. It also has adverse reactions with some medications used to treat cancer, heart disease, seizures, HIV/AIDS, and prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.

Other herbal remedies often touted as effective treatment for depression include ephedra, gingko biloba, echinacea and ginseng. The effectiveness of these herbal supplements on depression has not been clinically evaluated.

Consult your doctor before taking St. John's Wort or any other herbal remedy.

Developed in the 1930s, ECT was originally used to treat a wide variety of mental disorders. Opponents of ECT consider it dangerous. They point to possible side effects, including sleep disturbances, memory problems, confusion, and possible long-term brain damage.

ECT is still used to treat chronic major depression with some success. One theory suggests that the small electric charges sent to the brain stimulate the brain's neurotransmitters.

Patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy are given a muscle relaxant and anesthetic before each session. Best results are seen after several sessions, usually performed at a rate of three per week.

In spite of its bad reputation, ECT remains a viable alternative for patients who don't respond to more conventional treatments for depression. Its use is strictly controlled by guidelines established by the American Psychiatric Association, and in most states written consent is necessary before ECT can be administered.

One of the older antidepressant medications, lithium is most often used to treat bipolar disorder (manic depression). Two to three weeks of treatment with lithium are often necessary before maximum effectiveness is reached.

Lithium can affect kidney and liver function, has a long list of other possible side effects, and can react with a number of different over the counter and prescription drugs. However, if other antidepressants fail to work, lithium is a viable alternative.

Seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD or "winter depression", occurs when lack of natural light during the winter causes depression. Light therapy can either be natural or electric. When possible, exposure to natural light outdoors is recommended. Phototherapy is often used when exposure to sufficient natural sunlight is not possible. Phototherapy uses light to duplicate natural light to stimulate the brain.

Resources

Lawrence, J. (2002). Effects of ECT. Retrieved May 30, 2003, from the ECT Web site: www.ect.org/effects.html.

National Institute of Mental Health. (updated 2002). Depression [NIH Publication No. 02-3561].

National Alliance for the Mentally Illness staff. (2002). Lithium. Retrieved May 30, 2003, from the NAMI Web site: www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Helpline1/
Lithium.htm.

Mayo Clinic staff. (2004). Electroconvulsive therapy may relieve severe depression, other disorders. Retrieved August 4,
2004, from the Mayo Clinic Web site: www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=7BF29
C49-E241-40F3-81C00DA6573DCDC8.