Effective Alternative Antidepressant Drug Therapies: The Alternative to Pills Approach

There is a great debate about the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs. There is a very vocal faction who contends they are no more effective then placebos...in fact, they report the actual response the vast majority of the users experience is an amplified placebo affect. They have publicly publicized their findings and some users have gone off the medications due to their publications without discussing it with their doctors.

What their finding reveals is that antidepressant drugs are indistinguishable from placebos, for all practical purposes, for those patients who rate at the lower range on the very severely depressed category. Because of the serious side effects associated with the antidepressant drugs, they recommend those individuals within this category seek alternative treatments that are just as effective, but have no side effects.

A few of their alternatives to pills recommendations are exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, and behavioral activation.

The prescription for exercise is a 30 to 45 minute session, 3 to 5 days per week. The participant should maintain this schedule for a minimum of 4 weeks and include a variety of cardio and light weight training. The more intense the workout is the better that will be for the participant. Exercise produces powerful effects on moderate depressed individuals that are comparable to drugs and psycho therapy. Exercise may be more effective if it is used in conjunction with antidepressant drugs according to a Boston University 2006 review.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was found to be better then antidepressant drugs at preventing relapses and bring about a long term reductions in the symptoms of depression. A 14 to 16 session program that includes talk therapy and practical homework assignments is the recommendation. The focus of the sessions is to spot and challenge the negative behaviors and thoughts the patient has that lead to their depression. This type of therapy has proven to be equal, if not more effective then antidepressant drug therapy.

Behavioral Activation is a journaling activity that has proven to be more effective than Cognitive Behavior Therapy and antidepressant drugs for severely depressed patients. The participant is to keep track and journal about their feelings and the activities that promoted them. Giving particular focus to those situations that leave them feeling rewarded and when they avoid these positive situations. By focusing on the consequences of their negative thoughts rather then the content of them, the patient is able to jump start their recovery.

Those individuals choosing to try an alternative to pills therapy should first discuss it with their prescribing physician. There are dangers of going cold turkey from your prescribed antidepressant drug. For many, withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness, miscellaneous aches and pains, nausea, and headaches may result. A gradual tapering of your dosage until quitting is recommended by your doctor is the best method. Some alternative to pills therapies suggest they be performed in conjunction with drug therapy. If you are concern about the side effects of the antidepressant drugs you are taking or you just want to pursue an alternative solution, talk to your prescribing physician about an alternative to pills approach.

Resource: The Myth of the Chemical Cure: A Critique of Psychiatric Drug Treatment by Joanna Moncrieff, M.D.

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