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Originally Posted by shells_n_cheese  Depression runs in my family, my mother was bi-polar. I am worried I am starting down that path. I don't have good insurance,and I am sure I would have to pay something -- if not everything -- out of pocket, and we just cannot afford it. Well, that has been my excuse for a while now, but now I know I REALLY need help. I am a SAHM of 2 wonderful children, and they do not need to be around a depressed mother all day. They suffer too.
What kind of doctor do I look for? What do I do?? I have NO IDEA. I have never done this before.
Thanks.
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You're right to keep an eye on this.
Unipolar depression runs in families of people with bi-polar.
You can get "talk therapy" treatment from a psychologist, social worker, or counselor.
You can get medication treatment from a doctor.
You should call your insurance company and ask what your policy covers. Most policies pay for antidepressants, but you have to check the drug list. Your family physician can prescribe those, but won't have a specialist's knowledge of how to adjust medication. A psychiatrist will also prescribe and will have a specialist's knowledge of medication. In my area, it's very easy to find a family physician to adjust psych meds, though, and there's often a long wait for a psychiatrist appointment. There was a recent study that shows that medication is not more effective than a placebo for mild to moderate depression.
Talk therapy is effective for mild to moderate depression. Many policies pay for a certain number of talk therapy appointments. (My policy will pay for 20 per year.) If your husband is employed, you may have access to an EAP program that provides talk therapy. If you live near a university, it may have a community psych clinic with PhD students or masters students who are doing supervised clinical hours and they might help you.
If you're doing talk therapy, you need to decide what kind of therapy, you want. There's lots of kind, but two of the main choices are CBT or analysis. Cognitive behavioral therapy tends to be shorter term, and focus on specific issues. Analysis is longer term, and focuses more on the whole personality. Both are effective.
If you want to do some self-help, daily cardio exercise (30 minutes per day, at least moderate intensity) is effective in treating depression for lots of people. If you're looking for something to read, I find Albert Ellis' work very helpful. You might start with "A Guide to Rational Living."
