What Is Treatment-Resistant Depression?
Depression is a serious mental illness that can have devastating effects on a person’s life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), depression is a leading cause of disability across the globe. It is estimated that 1 in 5 adults in the United States suffers from depression, and most of them don’t receive sufficient treatment.
What exactly is Depression?
Most people often confuse depression with sadness. While it is true that sadness is one of the symptoms of depression, there is much more to it. Depression is more than just feeling blue. It is a mental illness that can lead to serious changes in a person’s mood, thoughts, behavior, and physical health.
Symptoms of Depression
The symptoms of depression can vary from person to person. They may also vary in severity, depending on the individual or cause of depression. Some common symptoms of depression include:
- Persistent sadness or empty mood
- Loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Mood swings
- Guilt
- Insomnia
- A negative outlook on life
- Low self-esteem
- Loss of energy or increased fatigue
- Irritability, restlessness, or anxiety
- Difficulty concentrating
- Feeling hopeless and helpless
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
Depression can cause physical problems such as headaches, stomachaches, and back pain. It can also lead to substance abuse and other risky behaviors.
What Causes Depression?
There is no single cause of depression. Rather, it is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and environmental factors.
Depression can run in families, and scientists have identified over 100 gene variations linked to the disorder. This suggests that depression has a strong hereditary component. However, genes are not the only factor involved.
Other possible causes of depression include:
- Major life changes or trauma, such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or loss of livelihood
- Certain medical conditions, such as a thyroid disorder, cancer, or chronic pain
- Certain medications, such as those used to treat high blood pressure or birth control pills
- Substance abuse
- Poor nutrition
- Certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem or being overly dependent on others
Treatment-Resistant Depression
Have you been struggling with depression but feel like your condition isn’t getting any better even after trying different medication trials? If so, you may have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). TRD is a type of depression that does not respond well to standard depression medication and affects about one-third of depression patients.
However, experts tend to disagree on how to diagnose treatment-resistant depression. Some say that a person has TRD if they have failed to respond to two different treatment trials with medication from different classes. Others say that a person has TRD if they haven’t responded to at least four medication trials.
There are many possible reasons why a person may develop resistance to depression treatments. It could be due to co-occurring disorders, the severity of their condition, type of depressive disorder, or the way their body responds to the medication.
Managing Treatment-Resistant Depression
It is important to remember that TRD is not a hopeless condition. You just need a little more time to find the right treatment plan. If you have been diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, you may have to consider the following options:
Augmentation: Adding a second medication to your current treatment to enhance its efficacy.
Switching medication: Replacing your current medication with a different one may prove effective.
Combination: Taking two or more medications at the same time or incorporating psychological therapy into your treatment plan can also help ease TRD.
Adjust dosage: People respond differently to medication, and what works for one person may not work for another. Your doctor may need to adjust your dosage to find the right balance.
Addressing co-occurring disorders: If you have co-occurring mental or behavioral health disorder, treating that disorder may help improve your depression symptoms.
Alternative Treatments
Several alternative treatments have shown positive results in treating TRD. These include ketamine therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and vagus nerve stimulation. However, ketamine therapy has stood out as the most promising alternative treatment for severe and treatment-refractory depression.
Multiple studies show that low-dose ketamine infusions can rapidly reduce depressive symptoms within hours or days, even in people who haven’t responded to other treatments.
Final Thoughts
Having treatment-resistant depression can be incredibly frustrating and discouraging. However, it does not mean you’ll never find relief. A mental health professional can help you explore different treatment options and develop a treatment plan that works for you. Remember that if one treatment doesn’t work, you can always try a different approach.
