If you or someone you care about has experienced struggles with depressive moods, you may have heard the term “Treatment-Resistant Depression” (TRD). But, what does this mean, and can it be treated?
Let’s take a closer look at how TRD is diagnosed, signs and symptoms, and alternative options when traditional medications don’t work.
What Is Treatment-Resistant Depression?
Treatment-Resistant Depression is a type of depression that does not respond to typical treatment options. It requires a thorough evaluation by a qualified mental health professional to review the nuances of each individual’s needs, genetic factors, environmental stressors, and current medications.
For a TRD diagnosis* to be made, a person must have:
- Tried at least two types of antidepressants without significant improvement and/or
- Experienced unpleasant or unsustainable medication side effects without depression symptom improvement
Once TRD is diagnosed, patient and provider alike can then work together to determine a better treatment plan for managing depression.
*Note that when experiencing a mood disorder, it can often feel like depression will never get better – that it’s “treatment resistant” after trying an antidepressant. It’s important to discuss any improvement or worsening of symptoms with your health care provider to ensure a customized and proper treatment plan.
What Are the Symptoms of Treatment-Resistant Depression?
Depression and TRD often mimic one another in symptoms, with one clear difference – you have tried two or more traditional medications prescribed by your clinician, with no results or with unpleasant side effects. Other signs of treatment-resistant depression may include:
- No or very little response to antidepressants
- Ongoing or extended depressive episodes
- Worsening of depression symptoms
- Changes in appetite
- Increase in anxiety or feelings of anxiousness
- Insomnia or difficulty staying asleep
- Suicidal ideation
How Do I Know My Depression Is Treatment-Resistant Depression?
For an official TRD diagnosis, your psychiatrist will work with you to determine if current therapies and medications are effective, and develop additional treatment strategies from there. This may include giving more time for an antidepressant to work, changing the dosage, or even trying a different medication altogether.
It’s important to take all medication exactly as prescribed and to not miss any doses, as well as to follow any set psychotherapy plans. Otherwise, depression may be misdiagnosed as treatment resistant. If you are following plans as ordered by your clinician, antidepressants still aren’t working, and you have been cleared of any other health conditions that may interfere with treatment, then your depression might be categorized as treatment resistant.
So Can You Treat “Treatment-Resistant” Depression?
While the term “treatment resistant” may sound disheartening, there are options. We’ve established that antidepressants don’t always work for everyone, or come with intolerable side effects, but a person’s reaction to medication isn’t necessarily an indicator of their potential response to interventional therapies:
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): TMS is a non-invasive, FDA-approved depression treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain associated with mood regulation. It is designed to help individuals who have not found success with traditional antidepressants, offering faster and longer-lasting relief with limited side effects compared to medication.
SPRAVATO (Esketamine): SPRAVATO, the brand name of esketamine, is an FDA-approved nasal spray treatment for depression. It targets different brain pathways than traditional antidepressants, which is why it can be used alongside standard medication or on its own.
Ketamine Infusion Therapy: Ketamine infusions offer fast-acting depression symptom relief by targeting NMDA receptors in the brain. While ketamine therapy has shown to rapidly reduce depression symptoms, it typically is considered when other treatment options have failed.
Note that these innovative interventional therapies are administered in an outpatient health care setting under qualified medical supervision.
Living with Treatment-Resistant Depression – and Hope for Recovery
Regardless of treatment options, depression may often seem like a life sentence. That’s why, in addition to these breakthrough therapy options, self-care is so important to help improve your mood and see hope in each new day.
Keep these self-care tips in mind:
- Exercise regularly
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Spend time with loved ones
- Eat a healthy diet
- Avoid alcohol and non-prescription drugs
Get Help from Qualified Mental Health Professionals
At Mindful Health Solutions, our goal is to help everyone struggling with depression with a treatment plan that works best for them. We understand the importance of patient-centered care, which is why we offer a truly dynamic menu of interventional treatments that include Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), Spravato (Esketamine), and Ketamine IV Therapy.
Start customizing your care for treatment-resistant depression today with a consultation.
