help other than meds and therapy?
my boyfriend was hesistant to get help, but he's decided he'd be willing to try again if it's something other than the usual meds and cbt. any suggestions?
Depending on his specific issues, he might be able to do a different therapeutic approach if he felt CBT wasn't working for him. DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), for example, is very popular for depression and anxiety as well as its orginally intended purpose of using it for BPD.
He could also try group therapy or a support group.
It's difficult to know what to say, because it's difficult to know what "the usual meds and cbt" really means.
The usual meds for depression are SSRIs. There are several other types of meds for depression, and most doctors will know about them. All psychiatrists will certainly know about them.
The usual kind of CBT for depression follows a treatment manual. There's another, more specialized kind of CBT that is adapted more closely to the needs of an individual. And in addition there are dozens (hundreds, maybe?) of therapies that are not CBT.
If your boyfriend is hesitant to go back to something he tried before and it didn't work, he is being very sensible, in my opinion. But there are many other options. If he'd like to chat to me about them in more detail, point him to my profile. If he sends me a message, I'll reply as soon as I can. Or message me yourself, if you like. Or of course we can discuss the situation in more detail here in the public forum.
@peachkitty
@RarelyCharlie thanks for responding!
i was referring to more alternative treatments, like TMS, for example.
My understanding is that treatments like TMS and ECT (and others) are not really alternatives, they are the last resort when everything else has failed. I don't know anyone who has had TMS, so there's nothing more I can say about it. I've met a couple of people who have had ECT, and they say it worked well, but one of them told me the benefit wasn't permanent for her.
@peachkitty
@peachkitty TMS worked to some degree the first month I tried it. I did another course six months later and it didnt work. The first time, it started working after they started doing TMS on both the right and left side. There were no side effects for me whatsoever compared to meds.