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There are many types of depression. One of the rare forms of depression is Catatonic Depression. The disorder causes rare symptoms that involve speech and muscles. This increases the importance of understand what is Catatonic depression. If a person experiences double depression with catatonic features for at least two weeks, he/she may suffer from this disorder. People who are severely depressed may show symptoms like remaining virtually motionless, making peculiar movements, elective mutism, extreme negativism or moving around extremely vigorously.
Causes and Symptoms of Catatonic Depression
If you want to understand what Catatonic depression is clearly, you need to first understand what causes this disorder. Catatonic depression is a subtype of clinical depression. It is caused by a condition called catatonia, which is characterized by behavior abnormality and neurogenic motor immobility.
In order to diagnose catatonic depression, the person must show at least two of the following symptoms for two weeks or more.
• Excessive movement
• Loss of voluntary movement
• Involuntarily repetition of some meaningless words
• Extreme loss of motor skills
• Inability to react to his/her environment
• High resistance to suggestions
• Repetitive, stereotyped movements
Understanding what is catatonic depression and what are its symptoms is important to determine the treatment.
Treatment Options
Fortunately, there are many treatment options for Catatonic Depression. Psychotropic drugs like benzodiazepines, antiepilepetics and anticonvulsants are often prescribed to alleviate the symptoms. A combination of medication and cognitive, talk therapies and something like a natural remedy for agitated depression can also help the patients to get some relief. Electroconvulsive therapy is given to some patients to alleviate the symptoms. This therapy targets the underlying cause to provide relief.
Catatonic Depression Natural Remedies
Catatonic depression natural remedies are also available, which help treat the disorder without any harmful side effects. Cognitive therapy is an effective natural remedy that helps break the negative thinking pattern of the patient, which causes him/her to have delusions about various things. With regular sessions, the symptoms can be relieved.
Cognitive therapy can give the patient a positive attitude about life. Light therapy is one of the effective catatonic depression natural remedies, where the patient is treated by exposing to ultra violet rays. Acupressure can also help treat some of the symptoms of this type of depression naturally.
Studies show that doing brisk walking for thirty minutes at least three times a week can help reduce depressive symptoms. Physical activities, yoga and meditation are some of the best Catatonic Depression natural remedies.
Catatonic Depression symptoms respond well to some lifestyle changes. The patient should be monitored carefully by his/her family members and friends, so that they can find out whether the condition is aggravated. Herbs like passion flower, Kava Kava and licorice can help relieve some of the symptoms of this disorder. Taking tea prepared from sage and basil regularly can help improve the condition naturally. Aromatherapy can also provide relief to some extent. Taking a healthy balanced diet can help prevent the condition from worsening.
