The underlying cause of depression is almost always unresolved psychological issues. Thus the best treatment, and the only one that resolves the issue rather than blocking it is psychotherapy. However, this is also the most expensive.
The psychological issues creates a biochemical imbalance in the physical body that is associated with the depression. There are about six different categories of depression. Most people are familiar with B-12 depression, and serotonin/dopamine deficiency. There is also a copper toxicity depression that happens to women postpartum and during PMS when the hormones are out of balance. (I'm only mentioning biochemical causes)(Hormones acting as neurotransmitters are more difficult to treat as there is no reuptake in the presynaptic neuron for hormones as their is for serotonin, dopamine,....)
Several years ago I attended lectures at a psychiatric conference on genetic testing to determine the most probable type of depression and the best treatment and dosage. I was amazed at how accurate it was as a diagnosis tool.
Genetic testing can provide a personalized approach for clinicians to treat patients’ depression. It can help them prescribe an even more individualized treatment plan, taking into account a patient’s own genetic makeup, in addition to the medical history, environmental and lifestyle factors that clinicians already consider when treating patients.
Since every patient is unique, personalized medicine, including genetics, can help provide a treatment plan for depression that is a better match. The Genetic Assay results report includes a listing of all of the variations detected in the genes analyzed on the test. It also includes the therapeutic implications of each genetic result, potential gene-drug interactions, and the overall clinical impact of each variation detected.
Here is a partial sample report...
Liver enzymes, especially the cytochrome P450 group has a lot to due with reaction to various medicines.(these enzymes detox the body and thus create the half life of medications.) Thus they also issue a report similar to this sample report.
