The Power of a Systems Approach to Treating Depression
Depression & the Power of a Systems Approach
The World Health Organization predicted in 2004 that Depression would be the leading cause of disease burden by 2030. Depression is often presented in comorbidity with other factors. In addition to physical illness, this can include poor quality of life, poverty, neurological disorders, and malnutrition. The complexity of depression makes it a complex adaptive system and treating it with a systems approach could lead to more effective results.
Psychotherapy or counseling is effective in determining the pre-existing causation of depression. It looks at you past to determine root cause and factors that may trigger stronger episodes of depression and or anxiety.
Often physical illness can aggravate, trigger, or increase the impact of depression. Some chronic illnesses will have depression as a co-morbid factor such as Type 2 Diabetes. Nutrition and hydration can also impact the presence of depression. Sleep deprivation or insomnia can also lead to depression. Genetics can play at part in depression.
A systems approach looks at all the factors in the management of depression and all the ways in which it presents. The human body is a wondrously complex system with its own unique systems and subsystems. Understanding how depression runs through physical, economic, social, and mental systems can be useful in mitigating the impact of depression on the quality of life. Determining any physical health issues that may be increasing or aggravating depression can be an important first start. Psychotherapy to examine what led you to depression is critical in this process. Spiritual aspects such as meditation, religion and yoga can provide effective tools for reducing the impact of depression. Nutrition and hydration can impact both physical and mental wellness and are important components. Personal strategy to set and achieve goals as well as improving resilience can be effective in mitigating future depressive episodes or the impact of symptoms.
Look at your wellness as a complex system. Depression is a complex disorder within your complex wellness profile. Adding psychotherapy, nutritional coaching, life coaching and personal strategic planning can be effective in improving the quality of life. When done under the careful supervision of your psychiatric or medical doctor it can be highly effective in reducing the impact of depression on your life.
The impact of untreated depression can be greatly debilitating especially as the physical, social, and economic impacts increase. Look for wellness options that include Medical, Psychological or Psychiatric, Nutrition, Personal Strategic Planning and Resiliency strengthening. Trying to solve complex problems with singularly focused solutions is not likely to be effective. Complex problems need systems solutions. Looking at the complex adaptive nature of depression, health and wellness is critical for effectively reducing the impact of depression on the quality of life.
Many platforms such as Counseling on Demand offer Counselors, Therapists and Coaches that cover most of the areas of a systems approach.
For infants, these are benign etiologies. They usually follow muscle or gastrointestinal issues.
