Have you been diagnosed with a depressive disorder and tried various traditional treatments, like prescription antidepressants, but are still struggling with symptoms of depression? You may be living with something called treatment-resistant depression. While traditional treatments for depression typically work for the majority of people struggling with depression symptoms, people with treatment-resistant depression don’t respond as well to these types of treatments. Fortunately, there is hope for people living with treatment-resistant depression including new and revolutionary treatments that work differently than traditional treatments.
Understanding more about treatment-resistant depression can give you an idea of whether this type of condition is something you’re experiencing. And, give you insight into what to expect when it comes to getting a diagnosis and exploring available treatment options.
Before you can assess various treatments for treatment-resistant depression and see what may be best for you, you have to be evaluated for this condition. Receiving a diagnosis allows you to have access to these types of services and go about choosing the right facility to meet your individualized needs. The process of receiving any mental health diagnosis is to undergo an assessment process. During the assessment process, you can expect:
Fortunately, if you find that you are not finding relief from traditional depression treatments and receive a diagnosis for treatment-resistant depression, there is still help available to you. Recent findings show the success of a number of available treatments that work to reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms of treatment-resistant depression. Some of these treatments include:
Ketamine Infusion Therapy: Ketamine was once used as an anesthetic, but recent findings prove that low doses of ketamine can actually help with depression symptoms. In fact, ketamine infusion therapy has a success rate of about 90% in helping to reduce depressive symptoms. Ketamine can be utilized in combination with other treatments like antidepressants and is safe for use for people who are qualified as optimal candidates. There is little risk of side effects and patients can expect to experience symptom relief as soon as after their first session. Ketamine infusion therapy involves having an IV placed to administer low doses of ketamine directly into the bloodstream. It’s believed that ketamine works by stimulating certain receptors in the brain to reset brain function – bringing a patient back to a baseline of how they felt before they ever experienced symptoms of depression.
Esketamine Therapy: Esketamine is ketamine therapy in a different form of administration. Esketamine is a type of ketamine that can be inhaled rather than administered intravenously (IV). It works just like ketamine infusion therapy to fight the severity of depression symptoms but is administered through a nasal inhaler. Treatments are supervised by medical professionals to ensure safety and effectiveness.
TMS: TMS stands for transcranial magnetic stimulation. This treatment involves sessions in which a patient’s brain is mapped using an imaging device. Then, a patient is fitted with a cranial magnetic device that works to send magnetic pulses through the brain to stimulate specific areas of the brain that are known to cause symptoms of treatment-resistant depression. In many people who are living with depression, certain areas of the brain stop functioning properly. With TMS, these areas of the brain can start responding to signals that help to release specific neurotransmitters responsible for mood regulation. Sessions last for up to 45 minutes and are very successful, with up to 60% of patients living with treatment-resistant depression experiencing positive outcomes.
If you think that you are struggling with treatment-resistant depression, find out more about available and effective treatments at Delray Brain Science from our website.
