Several treatments can be used instead of antidepressants for treating depression and other mental health conditions.

Talking therapies
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of talking nortriptyline 25 mg pills therapy that's increasingly being used in the treatment of depression. Most experts valtrex without a prescription recommend that people with moderate to severe depression are treated with a combination of CBT and antidepressants.

However, if you're unable or unwilling to take antidepressants, you have the option of receiving CBT on its own.

CBT helps you understand your thoughts and behaviour, and how they affect you. It helps you recognise that events in your past may have affected you, but it concentrates mostly on how you can change the way you think, feel and behave in the present. It also teaches you how to overcome negative thoughts.

CBT is usually available on the NHS, although the waiting lists are usually long. You normally have a short course of sessions, usually 6 to 8 sessions, over 10 to 12 weeks, on a 1-to-1 basis with a therapist trained in CBT. In some cases, you may be offered group CBT.

Online CBT
Computerised or online CBT is a form of CBT that works through a computer screen, rather than face-to-face with a therapist.

These therapies can be prescribed by your GP or a mental health specialist and are carried out with their advice and support.

Ask your GP for more information or read more about self-help therapies.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
Interpersonal therapy (IPT) focuses on your relationships with other people and on problems you may be having in your relationships, such as difficulties with communication or coping with bereavement.

A course of IPT is usually structured in the same way as a course of CBT.

There's some evidence that IPT can be as effective as antidepressants or CBT, but more research is needed.

Counselling
Counselling is a form of therapy that helps you think about the problems you're experiencing in your life to find new ways of dealing with them. Counsellors support you in finding solutions to problems but do not tell you what to do.

Counselling on the NHS usually consists of 6 to 12 sessions lasting an hour each. You talk in confidence to a counsellor, who supports you and offers practical advice.

Counselling is ideal for people who are generally healthy but need help coping with a current crisis, such as anger, relationship issues, bereavement, redundancy, infertility or the onset of a serious illness.

Talking therapies on the NHS
You can get talking therapies like counselling for depression and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on the NHS.

You can refer yourself directly to an NHS psychological therapies service (IAPT) without a referral from a GP.

Read more about NHS talking therapies

Exercise
Research suggests that regular exercise may be a more effective treatment for mild depression than antidepressants.

Exercise helps boost levels of chemicals called serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which can lift your mood.

Exercising on a regular basis can boost self-esteem and confidence, which can help to relieve symptoms of depression.

Read about starting exercise and exercise for depression.

Self-help groups
Talking through your feelings can be helpful. You can either talk to a friend or relative, or you can ask your GP to suggest a local self-help group. There are also chat rooms on the internet that offer support.


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