SAD is, indeed, quite easily treated once it’s recognized. The medical community has three ways it typically manages this variety of depression.
The first way is through antidepressant medications or other psychiatric medications. This is usually the treatment of choice if your symptoms are severe. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the extended release tablets Wellbutrin XL – bupropion specifically for individuals affected with SAD. Your health care practitioner may prescribe you other antidepressant drugs, though.
Other antidepressants your health care practitioner may prescribe for this type of depressive episode include paroxetine (sold as Paxil), sertraline (sold as Zoloft), fluoxetine (sold under the name brands of Prozac and Sarafem) as well as venlafaxine (sold as Effexor).
Depending on your individual symptoms, your health care physician may begin treatment even before your symptoms actually surface at the beginning of the season. He may also recommend that you continue to take this medication once your seasonal symptoms end. The theory to this type of treatment is to prevent a worsening of the symptoms the following year.
Once you begin your treatment begins – regardless of the type of antidepressant you’re taking — the medications may take a minimum of several weeks to provide you with the full benefits. Similarly, don’t be disappointed if the first medication doesn’t work as well as your health care physician initially thought. It may be that you’ll have to try several antidepressants before you and your health care physician hit upon the one that works for you.
Before you agree to take any of these antidepressant medications, though, be sure you are fully aware of the adverse side effects of these drugs. For many people, these side effects are even worse than experiencing the depression itself. In fact, many antidepressants now carry the strongest of FDA warnings: the black box warning. Some teenagers and young adults are at higher risk of committing suicide when taking these medications.
If you’re not quite sure that strong prescription antidepressants are the correct route for you, there are two other conventional treatments. The first is psychotherapy. SAD is indeed a disorder that is related to the biochemical processes of your body, your mood and your behavior are also nonetheless contributing factors to the severity of your symptoms.
Undergoing psychotherapy may help you identify and ultimately alter your negative thoughts and behaviors. While these aren’t the primary causes of your depression, managing these aspects of your problem may provide you additional relief.
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