Psychiatric Treatment for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Mind Therapy Clinic specializes in Treatment-Resistant Depression, also called refractory depression. Unfortunately, depression treatments don't always work. As many as two-thirds of people with depression aren't helped by the first antidepressant they try. Up to a third don't respond to several attempts at treatment.

Treatment-resistant depression can leave the sufferer hopeless. Months or even years can go by without any relief. And after the effort it took to get help, it can be demoralizing when depression treatments do not work.

At Mind Therapy Clinic, we start by helping our clients understand treatment-resistant depression:

• Have past psychiatric treatments failed to make them feel better?
• Past psychiatric treatments helped some, but still don't feel like old self?
• Have the side effects of the psychiatric medication been hard to handle?

Treatment-resistant depression can be hard to diagnose. Sometimes, other conditions or problems can cause similar symptoms. Mind Therapy Clinic's Psychiatrist will:

• Confirm that the usual antidepressant treatment is appropriate for a patient's brain abnormalities using rEEG. At Mind Therapy Clinic, referenced electroencephalogram (rEEG), an apparatus for recording electrical activity of the brain, is used to diagnose depression and guide psychiatric medication treatment. Even without use of rEEG sometimes careful evaluation reveals that a patient may not have depression in the first place. Instead, they have conditions like bipolar disorder and have been getting the wrong treatment. Other people have a low-level, chronic depression - that is distinct from treatment-resistant depression.
• Make sure the psychiatric medication is being used correctly. Up to half of all people who get prescribed drugs for depression don't take them as recommended. They miss doses or stop taking them because of the side effects or simply give up too soon.
• Check for other psychiatric or physical causes. Other physical or mental issues can worsen or cause depression such as medicines used to treat common medical problems. Switching medication or treating the underlying problem may resolve a hard-to-treat depression. Evidence suggests that people who have especially severe depression may also be harder to treat. A long duration of symptoms may also increase the risk - which is one reason it's so crucial to get control of depression symptoms quickly. The longer depression goes on, the harder it may be to control.
• Psychiatric medication is closely monitored
• Supplement treatment with psychotherapy
• For those desiring more natural treatment, Neurofeedback Treatment is also available
• Care planning and management