Antidepressant medications can be essential to depression treatment, but they aren’t right for everyone. Specialized mental health practice Nurocoach has an office in Houston, Texas, and access to a nationwide network of highly skilled therapists via telehealth. They offer a range of nondrug treatments for depression, including talk therapy and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Call Nurocoach or schedule a consultation online today to learn more about alternatives to medication for depression.
One of the primary depression treatments is medication, which can be very helpful for many patients. However, some people would prefer not to take drugs, others suffer unpleasant side effects when taking antidepressants, and some don’t experience sufficient benefits from medications.
The main non-drug treatment for depression is talk therapy. Counselors and psychotherapists use various techniques to help people overcome or manage psychiatric disorders, including:
CBT focuses on reducing everyday stresses that worsen depression. You learn to recognize when your thoughts are inaccurate and unhelpful and challenge them, changing how you see things to accomplish daily tasks more easily.
Psychoanalytic therapies help you identify the experiences, learned behaviors, and traumas that underlie your mental health problems. By working through them with Nurocoach’s skilled counselors, you lessen these memories’ effects on your thoughts and emotions.
Patients with mild-to-moderate depression often find therapy alone enough to treat their condition successfully. If it isn’t, your therapist might suggest antidepressant medications. However, there are additional non-drug treatments for depression that can help many patients.
Common non-drug treatments for depression include:
Studies show that herbs like St. John’s wort can ease mild-to-moderate depression. However, it’s vital not to take St. John’s wort if you’re on a prescription antidepressant, as it could cause adverse effects.
Acupuncture involves using fine needles to stimulate specific points in your body. It can ease pain and improve mood, so it might be especially effective for someone with depression linked to chronic pain.
Meditation and mindfulness (a specific form of meditation) help you clear your mind and reduce stress. A similar approach is guided imagery. Taking up yoga and breathing exercises can also help you deal with depression.
Massage encourages your body to release more serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that people often lack when they have depression. Massage also reduces cortisol, a hormone your body releases when you’re scared or under stress.
Nurocoach offers the innovative BrainsWay® transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as an alternative to medication for patients with moderate-to-severe depression. TMS uses magnetic coils on your head to stimulate activity in the brain’s mood center.
Call Nurocoach today to learn more about TMS and other nondrug treatments for depression. You can also book a telehealth appointment online.
