Undeniably, major depression is one of the major illnesses affecting many people in the United States. It is a feeling of being sad, miserable and unhappy. Most people become hopeless and even find it difficult to work, study or even sleep. It is also referred to as clinical depression and its medication includes medication, therapy and sometimes talks. Brain stimulation therapy incorporates activation or touching of the brain directly with electricity, magnetic gadgets or even implants in the treatment of depression and other disorders. In this case we shall focus on the treatment of depression as the electroconvulsive therapy is used in most research stimulation therapy. The Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was developed in 1938 and at first had received negative perspectives among the society (Blease, 2013). However, over the years the therapy procedure has received significant improvement in that it has been useful in treating people safely and effectively. Electroconvulsive therapy is highly considered especially to patients whose illnesses have failed to improve after they have been exposed to other treatment options (Blease, 2013).
Treatment of depression through antidepressants medication or even psychotherapy are the first procedures used in treating severe depression and after the patient does not show any signs of improvement, then the ECT is recommended. ECT may at times be used to treat other mental disorders such as bipolar disease or schizophrenia. Similarly, this treatment procedure may be used in treating life threatening situations such as when a patient is not able to move or respond to the outside world (American Psychiatric Association 2000)
The diagnostic criteria for severe depression require various steps to be carried out in order to appropriately capture the condition. The criteria are referred to as DSM-IV for major Depressive Disorder (MDD). These criteria require the evaluation of depressed moods or losses of interest or pleasure in the daily activities for more than two weeks. Mood in this case is applied to determine instances of change from the person’s baseline (American Psychiatric Association 2000). The next step requires analyzing the impaired functions that incorporate the social, occupational and educational aspects. This should be accompanied with specific analysis of the symptoms involved in the disease. In this case the diagnosis of severe depression involves screening for conditions that may co-exist with major depressive disorder. The procedure involves screening for substance abuse such as drugs, alcohol or even medication. Similarly, it requires testing for mental illnesses that may cause depressed moods as well as other psychiatric disorders that include mania, hypomania, bipolar, schizoaffective and schizophrenia among others (Robbins, 2009).
In the diagnosis of major depressive disorders physicians and other health care providers typically ask their patients about their symptoms and medical history before exposing them to any forms of treatment. In many cases questionnaires have been used to help the doctor with diagnosis and determination of the severity of the depression. In some instances, blood and urine tests have been used in order to rule out other possible medical conditions (Robbins, 2009).
The symptoms for depression involve various aspects that may lead to severe depression if experienced for at least a two week period. These symptoms vary from persistent sadness to pessimism, feelings of guilt, helplessness or being hopeless, loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities that include sex, difficulty concentrating and complaints of poor memory and worsening co-existence of chronic diseases such as rheumatoid, arthritis or diabetes. This may be coupled with instances of insomnia or excessive sleep as well as gains and losses in weight. Other symptoms include fatigue, lack of energy, anxiety, agitation, irritability as well as thoughts of suicide or death (Szalavitz, 2012). Slow speech and slow movements that are accompanied by headaches, stomachaches and digestive problems.
Treatments of this condition include medications, talk therapy and in some case both. The first line of medication used in treating serious forms of clinical depression such as MDD, involves antidepressants. These antidepressants used vary in types but the most common ones include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), escitalopram (Lexapro) and sertraline (zoloft). Similarly, talk therapies help in developing coping skills that help in dealing with depression (Robbins, 2009). They focus on cognitive behavioral therapy which teaches people how to deal with negative thoughts and develop problem solving skills. Psychotherapy is another procedure used in helping the patient to understand issues behind negative thoughts and feelings.
The Electroconvulsive therapy procedure helps in treating patients who have failed to show signs of improvement after being treated with other methods. Treatment using this procedure dampens the connections within and radiating out from a region known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) but only on the left side of the brain. This section has been associated with negative thoughts, criticism, anxiety, pessimism and rumination. It has also been associated with handling more uplifting, optimistic and cheerful ideas. In order to achieve healthy thinking and planning it is therefore important to balance these aspects (Szalavitz, 2012).
Antidepressants and the Electroconvulsive therapy have been associated with increasing levels of nerve growth factors that trigger the birth of new brain cells. They also revitalize the damaged connections in sections of the brain referred to as the hippocampus (Blease, 2013). Therefore, when there are various connections in some parts of the depressed brain, some other parts have very few (American Psychiatric Association 2000). In the treatment of depression using ECT, research has indicated that delivery of ECT to the left side of the head and to the left DLPFC may be more effective. This is especially true considering that in order to enhance mood benefits it would be wise to affect the therapy procedure from the side effects related to the memory (Robbins, 2009).
In conclusion, depression involves negativity in one’s self esteem where people are driven to do things that affect their livelihood. Most of these symptoms associated with depression are located on the left side of the brain but in order to treat them a balance of the activities would be appropriate. Similarly, the study on depression has impacted some knowledge that some of the symptoms maybe prevalent in people and ignored. Changes in moods maybe a symptom of a person suffering from depression and it is therefore important to balance between healthy thinking and criticism as well as anxiety.
References
American Psychiatric Association (2000).Major depressive disorder: a patient and family guide. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.
Blease, Charlotte Rosalind (2013). Electroconvulsive therapy, the placebo effect and informed consent. Journal of Medical Ethics, 39(3), 166-170.
Robbins, P. R. (2009). Understanding depression. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co.
Szalavitz, M. (2012) How Electroconvulsive Therapy Works for Depression | TIME.com. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/21/how-electroconvulsive-therapy-works-for-depression/
