Treatment For Depression And Anxiety: Pills Or Exercise?

Feeling Depressed Or Anxious Is Normal

Depression and anxiety are mental and emotional states that affect everyone. We can never avoid feeling depressed or anxious once in a while and it is understandable. The death of a loved one, a failure in an exam or having no luck in love - all these events can make people depressed for a time. To others, it will be a traumatic experience such that it will make them anxious of similar events in the future.

There is no escaping depression or anxiety but an afflicted person will be comforted to know that being depressed or anxious is usually only temporary. When the feelings of depression or anxiety tend to stay longer, then treatment for depression and anxiety may be required. 

Clinical Diagnosis of Depression or Anxiety

Feeling depressed or anxious should be temporary. Once these feelings tend to have a negative effect on a personal or working relationship, a personality or manic disorder may exist without the knowledge of the person. Another tell-tale sign is the period of the depression or anxiety attack. Lastly, if these symptoms recur over time, clinical help may be required immediately with treatment for depression and anxiety. 

Clinical depression is identified to be a severe form of depression. Anxiety and panic attacks are likewise considered serious mental disorders that can range from simple to adverse behavioral and oftentimes ritual-based symptoms. These forms of mental disorder should be properly diagnosed and confirmed by a professional doctor so that the right treatment for depression and anxiety can be prescribed.

Part of the doctor's analysis for an accurate diagnosis will be to identify the source of the depression or anxiety and how long a patient has been depressed and anxious. If he confirms that there should be no reason for depression or anxiety, he will look for an alternative cause and a treatment for depression and anxiety will be prescribed. But, if ever, he finds nothing of note to associate the present feelings of depression and anxiety of his patient to an actual event, his findings will be conclusive for a mental disorder. 

Treatment for Depression and Anxiety

Clinical depression and anxiety attacks are usually treated with antidepressant medications in addition to psychotherapy sessions. These sessions may take a few months while the antidepressant drugs continue to be administered in manageable doses. This is why there are complementary treatment methods for depression and anxiety, which we will discuss below. 

A good thing is that there are studies that pinpoints exercise as a possible inclusion in the treatment regimen. It is important to note that exercise does not treat depression or anxiety but it improves the mental and emotional state of a person such that actual treatment of the mental disorders is more effective. Exercise benefits the body by improving muscle tone, breathing and blood pressure. Vast research on the subject have yielded results of not only benefits to physical fitness but also improvements to current mental state or condition.   

Exercise. Studies reveal that mood disorders such as anxiety attacks could be improved by exercising for 10 to 15 minutes daily while signs and symptoms of depression will be improved when exercise is done for at least 30 minutes everyday. The research does not include the effects of long periods of exercise. Experts theorize that exercise may actually have a positive effect on the management of mental disorders by releasing happy hormones called endorphins that improve the mood of a person. Other than this, exercise improves body temperature that has calming effects to the body.

Acupuncture. Another treatment method that is being eyed by doctors is the use of Acupuncture. Its pressure counterpart, called Acupressure, is likewise being considered as a possible alternative treatment for depression and anxiety. Acupuncture and acupressure focus energy to specific points in the body, from the head down to the toe - Chinese medicine believes that these are the nerve points that interconnect with specific areas of the brain. By stimulating these points, a practitioner can balance the body energy.

Though research continues to be conducted on alternative treatments for depression and anxiety, professional help is still advised for people experiencing this condition.