An Overview of Depression Treatment
With advances in medicine, clinical
depression (also known as major depression or just depression) is now quite treatable. More than 80 percent of those who seek treatment show improvement. The choice of depression treatment that a healthcare provider recommends will depend on a number of factors, including:
- The type of depression (see Types of Depression)
- The severity and length of time a person has had depression symptoms
- The history of the illness
- Other depression treatments that have been tried in the past.
As with many illnesses, early treatment for depression is more effective and helps prevent the likelihood of serious recurrences. Depression must be treated by a physician or qualified mental health professional.
Depression Treatment: What Are the Options?
The most commonly used treatments for depression are:
There are a variety of antidepressant medications and psychotherapies for depression treatment. Some people with milder forms of depression may do well with psychotherapy alone. People with moderate-to-severe depression most often benefit from depression medication. Most people do best with a combination depression treatment plan, including:
- Medication to gain relatively quick relief of symptoms
- Psychotherapy to learn more effective ways of dealing with life's problems, including depression.
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