Depression Medication

You have heard that feeling withdrawn is a symptom of depression.

After a few weeks though, the feeling of wanting to be isolated lifts and you are back to your normal productive self: rushing around, making things happen, talking and thinking a mile a minute, in fact you feel great.

If this sounds like you or someone you know then they could very well be suffering from a form of depression bipolar in nature.

Sufferers of bipolar disorder alternate between periods of depression and periods of extreme elation known as mania.

A less well known (but equally insidious) form of bipolar is bipolar 2 disorder where on one end is depression but on the other end is hypomania (which literally translates to less mania), a less intense form of mania.

There are various depression tests online that can be taken for someone to assess whether or not they are depressed. It works by calculating your scores in relation to a range of questions, each of which is specific to a symptom of depression. Depending on your score, your result may vary from “unlikely to be depressed” to “severe depression”.

There is a similar depression quiz for bipolar which operates as a manic episode screening test with the view of specifically determining whether or not someone is suffering from bipolar disorder.

As useful as these depression tests may be for self assessment they are never to be used as a replacement for professional medical advice.

Sufferers often wonder whether there are cures for depression. The answer is resoundingly positive.

A range of depression treatments are available with the emphasis being on the use of medication to alleviate symptoms and where possible, prevent episodes.

Antidepressants are the most commonly used form of medication for depression and mood stabilizers for sufferers of bipolar disorder. They are both used in conjunction with psychotherapy and prescribed lifestyle measures.

The side effects for depression medication and the length of time required for them to become effective are often cited as the major drawbacks to depression treatments.

Research is working on developing faster acting medication such as ketamine with less side effects to counteract these issues.