Medication plus psychotherapy is the most common form of combination therapy and for good reason; it has been shown to be superior to either medication or psychotherapy alone. The popular theory as to why the combination is so successful stems from two separate theories behind the cause of depression. One that suggests depression is a psychological disorder, originating from past or present experiences that affect mental and emotional coping mechanisms. And another that suggests depression is caused by an imbalance if certain chemicals in the brain. Many experts believe it could be a combination of these two causes, thus psychotherapy would be used to treat the former and medication the latter.
Finding the Right Combination
It is important to recognize, however, that this approach is not a one-size-fits-all model as people respond differently to various medications as well as modes of psychotherapy. For example, one person may do very well with cognitive-behavioral therapy paired with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI); another may be better served with a client-centered approach and a serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI).
Unfortunately, there is no perfect formula to predict exactly who will respond to a specific combination, but speaking honestly and openly with both a physician and a mental health professional can help significantly increase the odds of success as you develop a treatment plan.
Generally, antidepressant medications are taken daily, and therapy appointments are once per week. These appointments are usually 45–60 minutes, depending on the practitioner and the mode of treatment. Sometimes therapy sessions are increased in frequency if the depression is severe or if it is not responding well to only one meeting per week. Medications are usually adjusted according to issues such as cost, response to the drug, and side effects.
Consider This
The major benefit of the medication/therapy combination is that it addresses both theories about the cause of depression; if the disorder is both a psychological dysfunction and related to problems in brain chemistry, this two-pronged approach targets both. It essentially offers two fairly safe and effective treatments for one condition. The potential downsides of the combination approach are not significantly different than either approach alone. Issues such as cost, time commitment, and side effects of the medications all need to be considered. But if those factors are all accounted for, this is very often the treatment of choice for depression.
