Postpartum Depression : Treatments

The treatment for depression after birth often includes medication, therapy, or a combination of both. There are several types of antidepressant medications that may be given to breastfeeding mothers, including nortriptyline, paroxetine, and sertr...

Several treatment options exist, including medication, psychotherapy, counseling, and group treatment and support strategies, depending on the woman's needs. One effective treatment combines antidepressant medication and psychotherapy. These types...

Several treatment options exist for mild-to-moderate PPD; these are psychiatric therapies that include inter-personal therapy (IPT) and cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). Under investigation at the time of this writing in 2001, bright-light therapy...

Treatment should begin as soon as the diagnosis is established. A typical treatment plan includes psychotherapy and medications. Recent studies have found that a group of medications known as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are...

Postpartum depression can be effectively alleviated through counseling and support groups, so that the mother does not feel she is alone in her feelings. Acupuncture , Chinese herbs, and Western herbs can all help the mother suffering from postpar...

At different points in life most people experience some kind of crisis. A crisis is defined as a situation or event in which a person feels overwhelmed or has difficulty coping. A crisis might be caused by an event such as the death of a family member, the loss of a job, or the ending of a relationship. During such times people experience a wide range of feelings, and each person's response to a crisis is different. It is normal to feel frightened, anxious, or depressed at such a time. Crisis counseling involves providing support and guidance to an individual or a group of people such as a family or community during a crisis. The purpose of crisis counseling is to decrease emotional pain, provide emotional support, make sure that the person in crisis is safe, and help develop a plan for coping with the situation. Sometimes it also involves connecting a person to other community or health services that can provide long-term support. Crisis counseling can be linked to health education if it is used to increase knowledge of how to avoid or cope with a crisis in the future. It can also be used to change people's attitudes and beliefs about people in crisis, and to provide people with information about help available in their community. Public health professionals, for example, might educate a community on how to cope with a natural disaster such as a hurricane or an earthquake. Crisis counseling is also related to health promotion. People can be taught useful skills that will help them to anticipate and cope with a crisis. Skills, information, and support services gained through crisis counseling can also help a person or a group of people to improve their health and quality of life. Crisis counseling can also be tied to health promotion through the development of health-related public policy and supportive environments. For example, public health professionals might create a policy to build crisis counseling centers or to develop a peer counseling program in high schools or colleges. A valuable tool for public health, crisis counseling has several advantages over other types of counseling or health services. It is relatively low-cost and simple to provide, and it is flexible and easy to learn. A wide variety of health professionals, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers, can be taught to help people through the application of crisis counseling techniques. Crisis counseling services can also be provided in a wide variety of places or settings, including hospitals, community clinics, military bases, and police stations, as well as through telephone-based services. New technologies have also created the possibility of Internet-based crisis counseling. Such services provide an important link between a community and the health care system. By using these resources people can sometimes get the help they need without using more expensive health care services, and they can often take advantage of twenty-four-hour crisis services. People with chronic health problems such as schizophrenia or depression can also get help from twenty-four-hour services when their physician or psychiatrist is not available. Many communities have developed peer counseling programs for specific groups such as adolescents and senior centers. Public health professionals who offer crisis counseling have been faced with a growing variety of issues and clients. Many communities are home to an increasing number of people from a wide variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. There are also more older people in society than ever before. These trends have increased the number of incidents of elder abuse, hate crimes, and cultural clashes. These types of events, along with issues such as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), have increased the workload of crisis counselors. The field has also grown with the development of "first response" programs. Police officers, firemen, paramedics, and others are being trained to deliver on-the-spot cris

Detailed information on hormone replacement therapy, including the controversy over its use

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the use of synthetic or natural female hormones to make up for the decline or lack of natural hormones produced in a woman's body. HRT is sometimes referred to as estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), because the first medications that were used in the 1960s for female hormone replacement were estrogen compounds.

Hormone therapy (HT) is a medical treatment with a medication containing one or more female hormones, commonly estrogen plus progestin (synthetic progesterone), and sometimes testosterone. Some women, usually those who have had their uterus removed, receive estrogen-only therapy. HT is most often used to treat symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, sleep disorders, and decreased sexual desire. Hormone therapy comes as a pill, patch, injection, or vaginal cream.

The treatment of mental or emotional disorders and adjustment problems through the use of psychological techniques rather than through physical or biological means.

Psychotherapy can be defined as a means of treating such psychological or emotional problems as neurosis or personality disorder through verbal and nonverbal communication. It is the treatment of psychological distress through talking with a specially trained therapist, and learning new ways to cope rather than merely using medication to alleviate the distress. It is done with the immediate goal of aiding the person in increasing self-knowledge and awareness of relationships with others. Psychotherapy is carried out to assist people in becoming more conscious of their unconscious thoughts, feelings, and motives. Psychotherapy's longer-term goal is making it possible for people to exchange destructive patterns of behavior for healthier, more successful ones.

Psychotherapy integration is defined as an approach to psychotherapy that includes a variety of attempts to look beyond the confines of single-school approaches in order to see what can be learned from other perspectives. It is characterized by an openness to various ways of integrating diverse theories and techniques. Psychotherapy integration can be differentiated from an eclectic approach in that an eclectic approach is one in which a therapist chooses interventions because they work (the therapist relies solely on supposed efficacy) without looking for a theoretical basis for using the technique. The rationale of efficacy is reasonable, but it often is based on imprecise memories of past experience without any reference to theory or research data. In contrast, psychotherapy integration attends to the relationship between theory and technique.

Counseling in the public health setting can be a challenging, frustrating, and rewarding process: challenging because it requires the use of skills such as assessment, treatment planning, counseling methodology, and referral; frustrating due to high caseloads and increased paperwork due to managed care and low client motivation; and rewarding when a counselor sees individuals regain control of their lives. A knowledge of mental illness and of chemical dependency treatment and recovery issues will enhance a counselor's ability to improve people's lives and their communities. Motivating others to change is a noble task but can only be effective with the proper skills and training. R EDGI E. P RICE ( SEE ALSO : Access to Health Services ; Behavioral Change ; Managed Care ; Mental Health ; Social Work ; Substance Abuse, Definition of )

Changing behavior through a counseling partnership.An approach to counseling for behavior change attracts growing interest.

Hormone Therapy For WomenHormone therapy (HT) increases your levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This will help reduce signs of menopause.

Natural hormone replacement therapy (NHRT) is the use of non-synthetic, bio-identical hormones (estrogens, progesterone, and/or testosterone), derived from plants), to treat hormone imbalances and deficiencies. The first oral contraceptive pill was originally derived from Dioscorea species, wild yam; later soy was used as the precursor for oral contraceptive hormones.

Is HRT right for you? That's up to you and your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider will review your health needs. Then he or she will suggest steps you can take to control any symptoms or health risks. HRT may be one part of your overall program.

Detailed information on hormone replacement therapy, including the controversy over its use

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Friend or Foe?Menopause is a natural stage of life for women.

A Harvard Medical School professor and prostate disease expert discusses the benefits and risks of testosterone-replacement therapy, including misconceptions about whether this treatment increases the risk of prostate cancer.

Women often perceive heart disease as an older person's disease that need not concern them until menopause.

What is the oldest age a woman can still take low-dose birth control pills as a form of HRT if no problems exist?

Talk therapy helps people gain insight into and resolve their problems through verbal exchanges with the therapist.

Psychotherapy can be defined as a means of treating psychological or emotional problems such as neurosis or personality disorder through verbal and nonverbal communication. It is the treatment of psychological distress through talking with a specially trained therapist and learning new ways to cope rather than merely using medication to alleviate the distress. It is done with the immediate goal of aiding the person in increasing self-knowledge and awareness of relationships with others. Psychotherapy is carried out to assist people in becoming more conscious of their unconscious thoughts, feelings, and motives. Psychotherapy's longer-term goal is making it possible for people to exchange destructive patterns of behavior for healthier, more successful ones.

Contrary to what many people believe, psychotherapy for anxiety, depression, phobias or stress doesn't have to be a long and costly process. Feeling better doesn't require a lifetime of intensive psychotherapy.

The treatment of mental or emotional disorders and adjustment problems through the use of psychological techniques rather than through physical or biological means. Psychoanalysis, the first modern form of psychotherapy, was called the "talking cure," and the many varieties of therapy practiced today are still characterized by their common dependence on a verbal exchange between the counselor or therapist and the person seeking help. The therapeutic interaction is characterized by mutual trust, with the goal of helping individuals change destructive or unhealthy behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. For a child, psychotherapy can bolster hope and self-esteem, improve mastery and coping abilities, change maladaptive behavior patterns, and facilitate normal developmental processes. Childhood emotional and behavioral problems that have been treated through psychotherapy include adjustment problems at school; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; anxiety and depression; conduct problems; obsessive-compulsive behavior; eating disorders; enuresis; autism; child abuse; and post-traumatic stress disorder. Severe problems that require immediate professional attention include severe, uncontrollable anxiety; hallucinations and other bizarre behavior; dangerous actions such as arson and other forms of violent aggression; and suicidal behavior. A major distinguishing feature of psychotherapy for children is the role played by the parents, who choose the therapist (in most cases), provide information that aids in the initial assessment, and may be asked to participate in therapy sessions. While therapists generally respect the privacy of children, as they respect that of adult clients, patient confidentiality may be breached if circumstances warrant notifying a parent about activities or feelings that pose a potential danger to the child. Most of the basic therapeutic approaches used with adults are also used with children, but they are adjusted for the child's age, mental and emotional development, and language skills. It is common for experienced therapists to combine several different approaches or techniques. The most effective therapy for a child may be either time-limited (generally six months or less) or long-term, depending on the severity of his or her problems.

Studies that explored the relationship between therapists and their patients suggest what makes psychotherapy successful.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a method of verbal communication used to help a person find relief from emotional pain. It is based on the theories and techniques of psychoanalysis . Psychodynamic psychotherapy is similar to psychoanalysis in that it attributes emotional problems to the patient's unconscious motives and conflicts. It differs from classical psychoanalysis, however, in that psychodynamic psychotherapists do not necessarily accept Freud's view that these unconscious motives and conflicts are ultimately sexual in nature.

Talk therapy is an alternate name for the various forms of psychotherapy that emphasize the importance of the client or patient speaking to the therapist as the main means of expressing and resolving issues.

Psychotherapy can interfere with a patient's social support system, according to one author.

Studies are examining the effects of psychiatric treatment on the brain, with the goal of making treatment more targeted and specific to the individual's condition and needs.

Women experiencing changes in midlife may benefit greatly from psychotherapy.By midlife, you may have spent years perceiving yourself as a certain kind of person — outgoing or introverted, high-strung or easy-going, optimistic or pessimistic — and become accustomed to certain roles and communication styles in your relationships. Even if you’ve become dissatisfied and your usual patterns of coping aren’t working anymore, it may seem too late to rock the boat by questioning your perceptions or seeking changes in important relationships.

An analysis of studies shows that treatment of childhood depression with psychotherapy is not necessarily more effective than other methods not involving therapy.

Researchers measured the biological responses of therapists and patients during therapy sessions, and found that when the patient felt the therapist was listening, their patterns of sweat production (an indicator of empathy) roughly matched.