Lithium and crisis intervention: Damping affective overload

Lithium carbonate's effectiveness as an antidepressant is demonstrated in three case reports. In each, tricyclic antidepressants had been tried unsuccessfully. With lithium's introduction, however, the depressions remitted and suicidal preoccupation, which was prominent in each case, diminished rapidly. Damping the affective overload enabled ego reorganization and psychotherapy to proceed. Lithium's rapid action makes it a valuable tool for crisis intervention and suicide prevention.