Treatment Resistant Depression

What is treatment-resistant depression?

Having treatment-resistant depression (TRD) means that your condition fails to improve despite trying various combinations of therapies. This problem affects more than 40% of patients with depression.

Many people with depression benefit from talk therapies and oral medication. Interpersonal psychotherapy helps you address the issues in your life, past or present, impacting your mental health. You can also learn coping techniques using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Antidepressant medications are often crucial to recovery from depression, helping stabilize and improve your mood. However, some people struggle to find one that works for them.

If you've been receiving therapy and have tried several antidepressants without success, you might benefit from Dr. Giles' expertise in treatment-resistant depression.

Why would I have treatment-resistant depression?

One of the barriers to effective depression treatment is that there's no single cause for the condition. Another is that no one treatment works for everyone.

Traumatic life events like losing someone close or experiencing abuse can trigger depression. Chronic health problems are often a factor too. Some people get depressed for no reason they can identify. You're more likely to develop depression if other family members have mental health problems.

Underlying these issues is a brain chemical imbalance. Studies show that people with depression don't have as many feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine in their brains. These neurotransmitters play a vital role in mood regulation.

One possibility is that depression causes this reduction in neurotransmitter levels; another is that the decrease is what causes depression. With so many unknowns, it's not surprising that many people struggle with treatment-resistant depression.

How is treatment-resistant depression treated?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate sections of your brain. Dr. Giles puts an electromagnetic coil on your head, which sends out pulses that painlessly access the areas of your brain linked to mood regulation.

Ketamine therapy

Ketamine is an anesthetic that also has a significant effect on depression. Ketamine therapy involves having an intravenous (IV) line in your arm. The medication then drips steadily into your bloodstream over the next 30 minutes.

Spravato®

Spravato is an FDA-approved nasal spray containing esketamine (a refined form of ketamine). You use it under medical supervision in combination with antidepressant medication.

To find out how you can overcome treatment-resistant depression, call Breakthru Psychiatric Solutions today or book an appointment online.

*Dr. Giles does not do medication managment and offers the interventional therapies listed above in conjunction with the support of your primary psychiatrist or PCP.