Importance of Therapy

Psychotherapy consists of talking with a trained expert to learn how to deal with your depression or anxiety condition. The expert can be a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or counselor.

Two of the approaches used by these experts are interpersonal therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Both of these methods are used to treat depression and anxiety disorders. How they are used differs.

Therapy for Depression

"Talk" therapy helps people better understand their problems and helps them work out these problems by talking them over with the therapist. Sometimes they are given issues or "homework" to work on between sessions. Many forms of talk therapy can help depressed people in as little as 10 to 20 weeks.

Interpersonal Therapy

This approach looks at the patients' personal relationships that both cause depression and make it worse.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

This approach helps people learn how to get more fulfillment through their own actions. The person is shown how to unlearn the patterns in his or her behavior that add to, or are a result of, the depression.

Therapy for Anxiety Conditions

In treating anxiety symptoms, it helps to look at both parts of CBT - the cognitive part and the behavioral part.

Cognitive

The cognitive part helps people change the thinking patterns that keep them from overcoming their fears.

For example, a person with panic attacks might be helped to see that these attacks are not really heart attacks, as he or she might have thought. The person is shown that they don't have to jump to the worst possible conclusion.

A person with social phobia might be helped to overcome the belief that others are always watching and judging him or her.

Behavioral

The behavioral part of CBT tries to change how people react to things that make them anxious. An important technique, called exposure, is used. Exposure is when people confront the things they fear.

For example, if someone has a fear of dirt and germs, the therapist might urge the person to get his or her hands dirty and then not let him or her wash them for a certain amount of time. During this time, the therapist would help the person cope with their anxiety symptoms. After doing this a number of times, the person will be less anxious.

A person with social phobia might be urged to spend time in social situations that cause fear, without giving in to the urge to leave.

Or people who have faced danger and trauma might be asked to relive the event in detail, as if in slow motion. By doing this, they are, in a way, going through it again in safety. If this is done with care, the person might be able to reduce the anxiety symptoms that come with the memory of the event.

People might also be shown how to relax and manage anxiety by doing deep breathing exercises.

The Need for Medication

Therapy alone might not help depression and anxiety conditions. There could be chemical imbalances that cause these conditions. It might be important to take medicine. For many people, therapy along with medicine is the best treatment plan. It can help fight depression and anxiety conditions on all fronts.

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Depression is a serious medical condition, which can lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior. Children, adolescents, and young adults taking antidepressants may be at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior within the first few months of treatment. This risk must be balanced with the medical need. Those starting medication or changing doses should be watched closely for suicidal thoughts, worsening of depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. In children and teens, Zoloft is only approved for use in those with obsessive-compulsive disorder. A patient Medication Guide about "Antidepressant Medicines, Depression and Other Serious Mental Illnesses, and Suicidal Thoughts or Actions" is available.

Zoloft is not for everyone. People taking MAOIs or pimozide shouldn't take Zoloft. Concomitant use of Zoloft with NSAIDs or aspirin may be associated with an increased risk of bleeding. Side effects may include dry mouth, insomnia, sexual side effects, diarrhea, nausea and sleepiness. In studies, few people were bothered enough by side effects to stop taking Zoloft. Side effects may result from stopping Zoloft particularly when abrupt. You should, however, stop taking Zoloft if you get any of the following symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome, a rare but life-threatening reaction, such as fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, trouble thinking clearly, a change in mental functioning, sleepiness, or change in your breathing, heartbeat and blood pressure.

You should tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, as there is a potential risk to the fetus with Zoloft. Like many antidepressants, Zoloft can be present in breast milk so tell your doctor if you are nursing.

Zoloft is approved to treat depression, social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in adults over age 18. It is also approved for OCD in children and adolescents age 6-17 years.

Zoloft is not habit-forming and is not associated with weight gain. So talk to your doctor about how Zoloft might help you. Zoloft comes in 25-mg, 50-mg, and 100-mg tablets. You and your doctor can discuss a dose for you.

The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient.

This product information is intended only for residents of the United States. The products discussed herein may have different product labeling in different countries.

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