Treatment for depression is not a one-size-fits-all prescription. You may be treating your depression with antidepressants or talk therapy, called psychotherapy, or both. Finding the right treatment for you takes time. And, you may have to try a few different treatments to find the one that works best. In fact, only about half of people with major depression respond to the first treatment.
What can you do? Learn the signs that your treatment is not working. If you experience any of these signs, talk to your doctor as soon as possible. Together, you can find the treatment that works best for you.
Antidepressants take time to work. 3 out of 5 people are completely cured after the first use of the drug. Doctors call antidepressant treatment that doesn’t work within six weeks of treatment-resistant depression. If you have this condition, you may have to switch to a different antidepressant or take a different medication.
It is important to let your doctor know if you are not feeling better. It is important not to stop taking your current antidepressant on your own. Stopping an antidepressant suddenly can cause an unpleasant withdrawal reaction. Withdrawal symptoms can include headache, dizziness, nausea, and anxiety.
If your doctor diagnoses you with a mild or moderate form of depression, you may be able to use only psychotherapy (talk therapy).
Psychotherapy takes time to work. But if you don’t feel better after certain sessions, you may have a more severe type of depression. Not feeling better can include symptoms that interfere with your ability to sleep, eat, work, and enjoy life. Studies show that antidepressants along with psychotherapy work better than psychotherapy alone for severe depression.
Even if your antidepressant is working well to control your depression, the side effects can be too much to handle. Side effects may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, weight gain, and sexual problems.
Many side effects subside over time. But if side effects continue to be a problem, let your doctor know. There are medications that can control side effects. Or, you may need to switch to a different type of antidepressant. However, whatever you do, don’t stop taking it on your own. Talk to your doctor.
Different types of depression have different symptoms and need different treatment. For example, psychosis causes you to have false beliefs or to see, feel, or hear things that are not real. This type of depression often requires more aggressive treatment than antidepressants alone.
Many people have a combination of depression and anxiety. The two conditions are not the same. Anxiety may require different treatment.
Other disorders that can coexist with depression include substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, heart disease, and cancer. When these conditions are successfully treated, your depression treatment will likely work better.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that is often confused with depression. Someone with bipolar disorder has alternating periods of depression and mania. Mania is a mental state of high mood and euphoria.
If you are being treated for depression and are starting to feel high and agitated, you may have bipolar disorder, not depression. People with bipolar disorder taking antidepressants often go into manic episodes. Bipolar disorder requires a different treatment.
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Treating depression takes time, and often the first attempt at treatment doesn’t work.
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You may need to change or add treatments as you go through the course.
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If you see signs that do not improve or still have symptoms, tell your doctor. However, never stop treatment on your own.
