Depression is often treated by doctors with antidepressants.
Depression treatment at the hand of antidepressants, is it useful? Sometimes it is the right answer. Most studies which were not sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry show that only major or long-term depression of the endogenous type get better at the hand of antidepressants. Minor and moderate depressions do not get better more quickly or in a better way with antidepressants than they do with placebo. That is something which has been agreed upon in recent times.
Depression treatment with psychotherapy?
Both in major as in moderate or minor depression it is useful to use psychotherapy in some form or another, even if you also take antidepressants as medication. In the past, people wrongfully thought that the healing effect from therapy came from the therapeutic relationship with the doctor, psychologist, or psychotherapist.
Depression treatment with a therapist?
It is so that a good therapeutic relationship can have a therapeutic effect. However, it is not so that a therapeutic relationships with a doctor or therapist is the only good way to treat a depression.
Depression treatment via online self-help?
The research by 15 Minutes 4 Me clearly shows that people who pick online self-help in the form of an internet self-help program heal just as well, and sometimes even better, than in a therapeutic relationship.
The treatment of depression leaves free choice for therapy type.
The decision is that people can pick which type of therapy for their depression works best for them: online self-help or the more expensive therapy by a living therapist. Studies in the future will have to find out which people get most help from which type, but our experience leads us to believe that it all rests on a simple 'gut feeling', what feels best for you, when it comes to predicting what it is that will help you to heal best.
Depression testing via an online depression test.
To estimate if you are depressed, you can take our simple free depression test here online.
Paul Koeck, MD
