Alternative Therapies as Treatment for Depression
Mental health is becoming an increasingly troublesome problem in today’s
society. Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses that affects the
population. Though the exact cause of depression is unknown, it is thought that “…the
underlying biological basis of depression is a depletion in the levels of neurotransmitters
such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and/or dopamine in the central nervous system.”
(Tung) In the past, herbalists and doctors would create infusions of St. John’s Wort or
Valerian Root to ease the symptoms. However, modern man has created the
pharmaceutical industry, and it has expanded to specifically target these
neurotransmitters and attempt to control them. Though, developments in various forms
of alternative therapy have offered themselves as a form of treatment that are
comparable, if not more effective, than medicine itself.
Anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications are not the simple, quick, cure-all
that people imagine them to be. For one, most people go through a series of different
kinds of medication before they find one that improves their symptoms. According to
results of a survey conducted by Consumer Reports, more than 50% of respondents
had tried two or more anti-depressants, and 10% had tried ten or more. Because we
don’t know exactly how the brain works, these medicines just follow a chemical reaction
based on the neurotransmitters it is affecting, but the side effects vary from person to
person. “However, there are many people who, for a number of different reasons, are
unable to keep on a course of medication for depression. Moreover, many people do
not wish to remain on medication for indefinite periods, or cannot tolerate its side-
effects.”(Boseley) Doctors tend to prescribe the medication, though other options are
out there.
One of the most promising rising treatments for these mental illnesses is a form
of therapy called Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT. This therapy uses
the approach of recognizing the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and
behavior. The patient is told to focus on the problems that they are currently facing, and
to change what they are able. This decreases stress, which itself is a cause for many of
the physical symptoms associated with these disorders. The patient is responsible for
recording their thoughts and emotions outside of the sessions, to provide an insight of
their overall mood. “…for depressed patients achieving stable or unstable clinical
remission, MBCT offers protection against relapse/recurrence on a par with that of
maintenance antidepressant pharmacotherapy.”(Segal) This strategy is effective
because it allows them to identify unhealthy thoughts or behaviors, and strive to fix
them. Personal change and responsibility is imperative to the success of this treatment.
In a brain connectivity study by the UNC School of Medicine led by Gabriel Dichter,
patients undergoing talk therapy had stronger connections between the intraparietal
sulcus, which is involved with maintaining focus, and the orbital frontal cortex, a region
of the brain behind the eyes that assigns positive or negative value to events. These
studies provide promising evidence in favor of alternate therapies.
Incorporation of both motor and cognitive action into therapy has been explored
with success. In Blomdahl’s study, various exercises used in art therapy, such as selfportraiture and exploration of color, provide multidimensional therapeutic factors that
help people with depression in a number of different ways. Like talk therapy, art therapy
actually changes the brain by increasing its plasticity, and therefore the connectivity.
Understanding how these changes in connection work is key to finding the appropriate
treatment unique to each case. Scientists are currently working on predicting this
through the use of brain scans, which could be used in the future as a diagnostic tool.
(Dichter) These types of therapies provide the patient with a set of skills that naturally
relieve their symptoms, without any of the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs.
Long-term commitment to alternative therapies can be used as an effective
treatment to depression, one that is comparable to the current drugs out on the market
today. Pharmacology is a relatively new field in the history of man, and because of this
a lot of the drugs prescribed today for depression can cause more problems than relief.
These drugs are created to treat severe cases, though the majority of people who suffer
from this disease have a mild to moderate experience. Therefore, the side effects aren’t
worth it. Alternative therapies, such as talk therapy, mindfulness therapy, cognitive
behavioral therapy, and art therapy are a couple of options that are being researched
for their effectiveness, and current studies show promising results. Therapies need to
be promoted through doctors, and not fall into advertising industry as the pharmacy
industry did. If patients have knowledge of alternative options to drugs, perhaps the
population wouldn’t be so medicated. The exercises used in these stimulate the mind
and bring on positive change. Medications are over prescribed, and cause side effects
that not only are physical impairments, but can worsen the already present
psychological ones associated with their mental illness. Alternative therapies provide a
way to change the brain, or patient’s way of thinking, to give them better control over
their illness.
Works Cited:
Blomdahl, Christina, Gunnarsson, A. Birgitta, Guregård, Suzanne, and Björklund, Anita.
"A Realist Review of Art Therapy for Clients with Depression." The Arts in
Psychotherapy 40.3 (2013): 322-30. Web.
Boseley, Sarah. "Mindfulness as Effective as Pills for Treating Recurrent DepressionStudy." The Guardian. The Guardian, 21 Apr. 2015. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.
Dichter, Gabriel S. "Brain Scans Predict Effectiveness of Talk Therapy to Treat
Depression” Newsroom. , 14 Feb. 2015. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.
"Drugs vs. Talk Therapy." Consumer Reports Health. , Oct. 2004. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.
Segal ZV, Bieling P, Young T, et al. Antidepressant Monotherapy vs Sequential
Pharmacotherapy and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, or Placebo, for
Relapse Prophylaxis in Recurrent Depression. Arch Gen
Psychiatry. 2010;67(12):1256-1264. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.168.
Tung, Anthony. "How Antidepressant and Antipsychotic Medications Work." Visions
Journal, 2007. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.