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 Supportive wife comforting husband with TRD during a meeting with a counselor.

What Is Treatment-Resistant Depression?

March 08, 2024

Once you’re diagnosed as having depression, you count on treatments to help you alleviate symptoms like anxiety, hopelessness, and tiredness. Yet, what do you do if customary antidepressants don’t offer relief or make your symptoms more unpleasant? If you have attempted two or more treatments and continue to grapple with depression, you may have Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD). Learn more about this disorder and get a better idea if you or someone you love has Treatment-Resistant Depression.

How Are Individuals Diagnosed With Treatment-Resistant Depression?

Treatment-resistant depression describes patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who haven’t responded to at least two oral antidepressants taken to the prescribed dosage and duration. While you could detect brief improvements in mood, they are usually followed by a return of symptoms. You might even discover that your episodes of depression are longer and more intense.

If antidepressants haven’t worked for you, you’re not alone. According to one study, between 29% and 46% of those participating didn’t get extended relief from oral antidepressants.

What Are TRD Symptoms?

TRD is a subset of a Major Depressive Disorder. Consequently, the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression are familiar, but you are unable to get relief from traditional antidepressants. These symptoms can include:

  • Constant sadness or hopelessness
  • Loss of interest or pleasure in activities
  • Fluctuations in weight or appetite
  • Sleep issues like lethargy or insomnia
  • Feeling unfavorably about oneself.
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Phantom joint pain, back pain, or headaches
  • Self-harm
  • Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

It's essential to understand that the frequency and intensity of these symptoms, despite treatment, make TRD distinctive from other forms of depression. Additionally, managing TRD often demands a more complex kind of depression treatment, possibly including a mix of prescriptions and psychotherapy.

SPRAVATO Sanctioned For Treatment-Resistant Depression

SPRAVATO is the first FDA-authorized nasal spray to treat individuals age 18 and over with treatment-resistant depression. Esketamine is the active chemical ingredient and is believed to mitigate symptoms by affecting specific brain pathways. In a clinical analysis, people who took Spravato and an oral antidepressant had a more pronounced decrease in depressive symptoms after four weeks than individuals who took a placebo with an antidepressant.

SPRAVATO is administered under direct observation of medical specialists at a facility certified in the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. A comprehensive assessment of your medical background is mandatory prior to beginning care. Potentially serious side effects could result, including dissociation and sedation, and patients must be observed for two hours after treatment.

Turn To The Counseling Center For Help With Treatment-Resistant Depression

Treatment-resistant depression can bring on a new level of anxiety with feelings that your situation may never improve. Fortunately, a new strategy for medicine, psychotherapy, and healthcare will help you get past TRD. The Counseling Center is here to help. We supply a number of specialized services for treatment-resistant depression and are an authorized SPRAVATO treatment center. Get help now by dialing 866-850-5001 or filling out the simple form on this page.