Complementary Treatments

Many people think of the terms ‘alternative’ and ‘complementary’ as the same thing and although the therapies themselves may be exactly the same, the way they are used really determines which term is most appropriate.

Complementary and alternative therapies either complement or are an alternative to conventional treatments such as psychological therapy and antidepressant medication.

For example, a person with major depression may use massage as an adjunct to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and antidepressant medication. In this case it is termed complementary.  If however, a person with fairly mild depression uses massage (and probably a range of other self-management approaches) instead of psychological therapy or antidepressants, it is termed alternative.

Some of the interventions and therapies listed in this section may be better used as complementary methods rather than alternatives, however, this will depend on the type, cause and severity of the depression symptoms.

Always discuss potential treatment methods with your doctor or appropriate healthcare professional before embarking on a new program.