Treating Depression - Essay Example

s Treating Depression Depression is a multifaceted phenomenon and is an emotional response that can be triggered by a life events or even physiological factors. Therefore, as a mental health professional it is important to first analyze the etiology of depression to design a treatment regimen that targets and completely eradicates the source. The main physiological cause of depression is associated with fluctuating hormones and psychologically it is triggered by erroneous thought processes or cognitions.

Hence, the two treatments for depression would be drug therapy and Cognitive therapy to help the client mollify his condition. According to the Biological paradigm, depression is set off in an individual if he or she possesses a genetic predisposition that causes chemical imbalances. Researchers have discovered that low levels of serotonin and noradrenalin are associated with depression (Beck & Alford, 2009). In order to alleviate the symptoms, a mental health professional would prescribe psychotropic medication under the classification of SSRI’s (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors).

Fluoxetine or generally known as Prozac are the recommended as the best form of SSR’s that aims to regulate the levels of the aforementioned neurochemicals in the body to provide the client with short-term gains. On the other hand, studies have also emphasized on the efficacy of cognitive therapy that involves coaxing the client into assessing the rationality of his or her cognitions that trigger the depressive behavior. A depressed person exaggerates and attaches extremely negative meanings to themselves and their surroundings.

Such thoughts are vastly automatic and they jump on to the worst possible conclusion; also known as arbitrary inference. Cognitive therapy is designed to disassemble the client’s problems in to various components and the therapist provides the client with tools that would make their problems manageable. The client uses these tools to counter the negative thought processes and gradually he or she is able to offset depression successfully. (Beck & Alford, 2009) If both the treatment processes are combined, they can provide the client with great improvement.

However, a therapist must follow-up on his client as frequently as possible to make sure that the client does not relapse back into his former mental state (Beck & Alford, 2009). In this regard, Patient-Practitioner relationship is of prime importance and the therapist must engage the client in the treatment and establish a healthy rapport that would further increase the efficacy of the treatment regimen. Work Cited Beck, Aaron T; Alford, Brad A. “Depression: causes and treatment”. University of Pennsylvania Press. 2009