What is Major Depressive Disorder?

Depression in any form can significantly affect a person's life. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that approximately seven percent of Americans over the age of 18 will at some point in their lives experience one episode of depression. In many cases doctors can use treatments similar to anxiety cures to help patients overcome them. Major depressive disorder is one of the highest levels of depression and when it is coupled with elevated levels of anxiety can be much harder to treat. 

The STAR D Study

In an effort to better understand major depression when coupled with high anxiety and why this disorder does not respond to the standard anti-depressants used as depression and anxiety cures, the NIMH conducted the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR D) study. The intent of the study was to look at the definition of major depressive disorder, as well as the various depression and anxiety cures to gain a better understanding of how the disorder occurs, why it does and how the various anxiety cures work or do not work.

This study revolved around four different forms of depression and anxiety cures that are currently being used to help those with "difficult to treat" major depression. During the testing phase a number of depression and anxiety cures were used both individually and in a variety of combinations. This study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in January of 2008, was the largest to have been undertaken to this point. 

Results Were Promising in Some Cases

• The symptoms of major depression alone are extended periods of sadness or hopelessness, extended sleep times, lack of interaction, and fatigue among others. When you add in anxiety, the patient is likely to become agitated and unable to function in most social environments. This might lead one to think anxiety cures, which include many of the same treatments used for depression would help. However, there is a percentage of people who simply do not respond or do not respond well to the standard depression and anxiety cures.

• The study involved 2,876 people, of these 1,530 were examined by a team headed by Maurizio Fava, M.D. at Massachusetts General Hospital to see if the depression and anxiety cures being used had any real effect. What they found was that of those with major depression and anxiety disorder involved in the use of Level 1 depression and anxiety cures, 42 percent showed a response to the treatments used and improved. 53 percent of those who had been diagnosed with just major depressive disorder showed an improvement with this level of treatment.

• At this point patients were given the opportunity to move on to Level 2, where they could try different depression and anxiety cures. Not only would this give the patients a better chance to bring their major depression with anxiety under control, but it would give doctors an opportunity to gain a better understanding of this disorder and how best to treat it. 

Treatments Offered

During the testing phase of the study into understanding treatment resistant major depression with anxiety, a number of the most commonly used pharmaceutical depression and anxiety cures were used. Among these were benzodiazepines, and beta-blockers along with several others. It should come as no surprise that not only do these treatments not work with all patients, but that there are a number of holistic and natural depression and anxiety cures which have been found effective when conventional cures fail.

The "natural" depression and anxiety cures being used successfully in the treatment of major depression with or without anxiety disorder are deep breathing and meditation techniques. These are similar to those taught in both Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese medicine. In many cases these techniques are used in conjunction with herbal and botanical supplements. Not only do these forms of treatment seems to work for a large percentage of patients, they do without the patients becoming addicted and without any major side effect, unlike the majority of drugs being used.