To Treating Depression with Medication Or Not?

[Abu Treika]

heres a thread to continue the discussion between Salahadeen and others on the issue of how to treat depression

stop hijacking the other thread please!!

[Abu_Ubaydah]

From a purely medical point of view, depression can be differentiated into endogenous and exogenous depression. If your depression is a result of events in your life medication may not be the best solution. If you are depressed anyway, then it may. There are lots of "talking" therapies available as well. I would approach your GP (if you are in the UK) as a start.

Also remember that many people who became very successful suffered from depression. Eg Winston Churchill who used to get horribly depressed.

[Wild Wild West]

Whether or not one is taking medication, I would recommend listening to one or two juz' of Quran a day, in addition to reading as much as we can....

It really does fill the heart with joy and contentment...

[Abu_Ubaydah]

Yes Abu_Ikrimah. But I would do that in addition to seeking medical advice. A lot of people commit suicide as a result of depression, it is a very serious problem.

[Fajr]

Whether or not one is taking medication, I would recommend listening to one or two juz' of Quran a day, in addition to reading as much as we can....

It really does fill the heart with joy and contentment...

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاء وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلاَ يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إَلاَّ خَسَاراً
And We send down from the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe, and it increases the wrong-doers in nothing but loss." [al-Israa: 82]

[Wild Wild West]

Yes Abu_Ikrimah. But I would do that in addition to seeking medical advice. A lot of people commit suicide as a result of depression, it is a very serious problem.

Of course brother. Jazak Allahu khayran.

[Abu Sabaya]

It should be kept in mind that antidepressants only treat symptoms, and not underlying causes, of depression.

This means that these medications are more useful for treating acute cases (such as if a person is contemplating suicide) since they are preventing urgent manifestations of his condition that can be harmful and deadly.

So, in the case of someone who wants to commit suicide, there is no reason why one can't combine medical treatment with spiritual methods, as they each have a role to play.

[Ibn Jafar]

It should be kept in mind that antidepressants only treat symptoms, and not underlying causes, of depression.

Is not the underlying cause of clinical depression purely due to a chemical inbalance in the brain?

[Ibn Jafar]

I think I see what your saying. Cause the meds. of whatever class don't really cure you. Like the don't fix the imblanance per se, they just 'mask it' so to speak.

[Salahadeen]

Whether or not one is taking medication, I would recommend listening to one or two juz' of Quran a day, in addition to reading as much as we can....

It really does fill the heart with joy and contentment...

Good advice.

It should be kept in mind that antidepressants only treat symptoms, and not underlying causes, of depression.

This is completely false, bro.

Anti-depressants treat the underlying cause, i.e. neurotransmitters.

This means that these medications are more useful for treating acute cases (such as if a person is contemplating suicide) since they are preventing urgent manifestations of his condition that can be harmful and deadly.

This is also not true, bro.

Anti-depressants are for CHRONIC cases, not ACUTE ones. Anti-depressants take at least 2 weeks to start having an effect, and many months to have the full effect. So this proves that it is not used for acute cases, but for long-term usage.

If the result is needed quickly, a treatment used by psychiatrists is ECT (Electro-convulsive therapy)--NOT anti-depressants. ECT has a number of indications, including if the patient has become catatonic, stuporous, neglects self-care altogether, imminent danger of committing suicide, etc.