Friends, I invite serious posts.

Sibaprasad

Dear Sibaprasad, as I know, the opinions are splitted/divided about that the mentioned desease (especially depression)  are curable, from medical point of view. |But, from personal practical experience with some of my relatives, I know for sure that  physical exercises (especially running and particularly long distance running) is the right way for overcoming these diseases. Something more from medical point of view and medicament which could be of help, I will write you after making additional consultancies with relevant people. Best regards, Zlatko 

Dear Sibaprasad, Although am not psychiatrist, but the word curable to me means  capable of being cured and if the cause of disease whatever physical or mental is not known so treatment is just symptomatic and here we can not speak about cure.

I do not like the word "curable" as applied to depression or anxiety disorders. Both conditions require lengthy discussions. Let us begin. There is endogenous depression, which may or may not have a genetic component. There is  exogenous depression caused by an important loss or other traumatic event  experienced by a person. Clinic depression is a most serious condition in which a person is unable to function normally in his/her private or public life. Without psychiatric and pharmacological intervention suicide or other harmful behavior such as consuming illicit drugs or over-consuming alcoholic beverages, self-mutilation, etc. are possible. Depression and general anxiety disorders are too complex to address in one response. Let us first consider depression as it is the more dangerous of the two disorders. Colleagues with degrees in psychiatry or clinical psychology, please take the lead in response to Sibaprasad's question.

Anxiety & Depression

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health concerns in our society. They are often experienced as a complex set of emotional and functional challenges.  

The science of mind-body medicine helps us understand the ongoing connection between the mind and body and see how anxiety and depression may be triggered by a variety of factors. These can include nutritional, psychological, physical,emotional, environmental, social, and spiritual factors, as well as genetic tendencies or brain disease. While we often hear about a biochemical cause, meaning that certain chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters are out of balance, it is not clear if the level of neurotransmitters is the actual cause of anxiety and depression, or simply a symptom that a person is anxious or depressed.

Anxiety and depression are not the same, but they often occur together. It is not uncommon for people with depression to experience anxiety and people with anxiety to become depressed. There is also overlap in some of the treatments, so it is beneficial to learn about both conditions.

Depression

Depression is a common disorder, affecting over 350 million people worldwide. It is a disabling condition that adversely affects a person's family, work, or school life; sleeping and eating habits; and general health. In the United States, the incidence of depression has increased every year in the past century, and now, according to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of ten people report experiencing a depressive episode.  

Depression is typically characterized by low energy and mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Symptoms include:

• Sleep disorders (too much or too little)
• Shifts in appetite and weight (too much or too little)
• Irritability or anxiety
• Chronic physical symptoms, including pain, gastrointestinal disturbances, headaches, etc.
• Loss of energy and fatigue
• Feelings of persistent sadness, guilt, hopelessness, or loss of self-worth
• Thinking difficulties, such as memory loss, challenges concentrating or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Some more facts about depression:

• Women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression in their lifetime.
• Men and women experience depression differently—while women tend to experience sadness and guilt, men often feel restless or angry and are more likely to turn to alcohol and drugs to cope.
• Only 50% of people actively seek conventional treatment for depression, although a majority of people do find some relief through treatment.
• Depression causes unnecessary suffering and is a risk factor for suicide.
• Women and adults between the ages of 45 and 64 are most likely to meet the criteria for major depression; however, over 3% of youth ages 13-18 have also experienced a debilitating depressive episode.

Anxiety

Anxiety may be a normal reaction to stress, and it can serve as a prompt to deal with difficult situations. However, when anxiety becomes excessive, it may fall under the classification of an anxiety disorder. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that almost one out of five people suffer from an anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental disorder in the United States.

Anxiety disorder is characterized by emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms that create an unpleasant feeling that is typically described as uneasiness, fear, or worry. The worry is frequently accompanied by physical symptoms, especially fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, and hot flashes. Emotional symptoms include fear, racing thoughts, and a feeling of impending doom. People suffering from anxiety often withdraw and seek to avoid people or certain places.

While generalized anxiety disorder is the most common, there are other anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/conditions/anxiety-depression

As for depression and generalized anxiety disorder, the following links would be useful: "Depression" (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml), and "Generalized Anxiety Disorder: When Worry Gets Out of Control" (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad/gad-trifold_124169.pdf). Both these mental disorders can be treated and get better, if not completely cured.

It's interesting that you say CBT is a total failure. And the notion of "cure" is also a bit of a stretch, unless you define it as no longer interfering with one's daily life.

CBT can be very useful to the patient with milder forms of the Chronic Anxiety Disorder (CAD) and Depression. At the very least, it's helpful in coping with and living with these disorders, especially CAD -- for example, to cope with intrusive thoughts and catastrophizing as well as give the patient the tools to determine when they need outside expert intervention.

Additionally, every therapist handles therapy differently, which I think affects the outcomes. I assert that there is no "pure" CBT and response rates are different because every therapist holds other different views and ways of dealing with resistance and interpersonal issues; for instance, some use mindfulness techniques to help the patient self-observe and self-intervene while others will employ deeper insight-oriented approaches along with that. Another example -- as noted in the citation below, in which motivational interviewing techniques were used to deal with client resistance during CBT:

J Consult Clin Psychol. 2016 Mar 31. "Responsive Management of Early Resistance in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder." Aviram A, Westra HA, Constantino MJ, Antony MM. Link to abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27031326

Renzo,

Isn't loss a common cause of acute stress? Chronic stress is common for all who are tyrannized by the demands of living by the clock.

Why medical treatment?  We should not be optimistic so soon..  There are psychological and even sociological ways which may cure such disorders.  

Dear Zlatko, 

I shall wait for your post.

Regards,

Sibaprasad

Dear Sibaprasad Dutta,

Anxiety and depression correlates. However, you are right they can last long and cast its long and ugly shadow on a person's life. There are medication for these states of affaires.  Medication  transiently used does not apply to these cases, they are more long lasting. Take ad notam that many good works originate from brilliant authors who could not leave their homes or were otherwise incarcerated. Through anxiety and depression they were forced to deepen their understanding of life. When you cannot change something you have to or  are obliged to change your attitude towards the hardship  (Frankl) and learn to live with it and find the way to a brilliant life nevertheless. Take into account that the surrounding may also be responsible for some part of this kind of ill health. A Swedish  "star" just confessed that she could sing for millions but not even have coffee with her mother in law without panic attacks. There is hope and there are possibilities for a fruitful life also in these cases. 

Dear Beatrice,

Yours is an excellent post. In my view, you understand the problem that a person faces when they slide into Depression and GAD. I have been suffering from this trauma for the last twenty years. While my office was responsible for initiating this disease, my wife and son were no less. I am a soft-natured man, and this is what they make a ground for tormenting me. I have consulted doctors all along, though without success. Now I am under the care of a new doctor who is an MD, MRCP (Psychiatry) who has given me great relief within three months. Mine is a case of Bipolar Order Type2 coupled with OCD and GAD. 

Stay fine. Always.

Sibaprasad

Yes its curable

I think depression and anxiety disorders are curable. The earlier treatment begins, the more effective it is. Most patients realize an improvement in their symptoms when treated with antidepressant drugs, talk therapy or a combination of both.