# do not medically treat your depression



## ur friend :)

hi!as a person who has been through depression for 2yrs, and nw out of it, i no wot im tlkn bout. depression is not a feeling, wel it is a feeling, but that feeling is caused by your thinkin. we need to chnge our thinkn to stop our depression, depressants etc. will jst mke it worse and do mre damage to your health. to chnge your thinkn you gota think positive, take this extract frm pat mesiti's book "millionaire mindset" though it is about how to build wealth through your mind, it can also be applied to depressionepression. Depression is a state of mind, not an emotional state. At one time in my life, I suffered from depression for over 18 months. Then one day I had what could almost be described as an awakening; I started to think, dont want to be depressed anymore! As a result of this change of mindset, I managed to throw off my depression. Depression results from a thought pattern that is all about hopelessness and gloom. To get rid of depression you need to change the way you thinkI have said that our actions are ultimately determined by our thoughts or mindsets. At the same time, however, behaviour can also influence our thought life. One of the behaviours that can often undermine our thought patterns is our speech. Usually, our words express our thoughts. But the words we speak can also have a significant influence on our mindsets. We need to pay close attention to the things we say and the words we allow to dominate important areas of our lives, such as our relationships, our financial world, and our physical wellbeing.Words can be incredibly destructive. Wars have been started over nothing more than a few words. Words can destroy marriages and friendships. Words can also destroy human potential. Think about a time in your life where you have felt devastated by someone elses words; the time as a small child you ran crying to your parents because one of your buddies told you that you werent his friend anymore; the time the teacher told you youd never amount to anything; the time someone criticised your work or told you that you werent very good at something that you loved doing. Consider what impact those words have had on your life.On the other hand, words also have the capacity to create. Think of some of the great speeches of history: Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address, Martin Luther King Jrs I have a dream. Winston Churchills We shall never surrender Such words have inspired whole nations and changed the course of history. People will pay hundreds of dollars to listen to great motivational speakers or to read their writings because of the great impact of their words on peoples lives. (Hopefully, youre having that kind of experience right now!) Think about a time in which you felt like you were on top of the world simply because someone said to you something as simple as, Well done! Think about a time when someone elses words have inspired you to achieve something that you wouldnt otherwise have attempted. Think about the influence words have had on your life.The good news is that if you know how to speak, then all the power of words is at your disposal. Its right there on the tip of your tongue literally! One of the best ways to change the way think about something is to start speaking differently. When we speak positively about our lives, we reinforce positive mindsets and therefore generate positive feelings, which in turn lead to positive actions that have a positive impact on our lives. Our words then become a self-fulfilling prophecy.Challenge:You can start building a millionaire mindset today simply by starting to speak positively about yourself and your world. If negative words have brought you down or held you back in the past, then you can change that today by neutralising the power of those words. If someone has told you youre no good, start declaring to yourself what a great person you are. If youve been told that your task is impossible or that youll never make it, start telling yourself that you are going to make it, that it can be done and you are going to do it. If youve been told that youre just average, start telling yourself that you are outstanding, that you are way above average. If there are things in your world that you want to see change, start talking about those things as though they are changing.If both death and life are in the power of the tongue, then its up to you to make the choice. My advice to you is to choose life!


----------



## Guest

Just hang on a moment please - but are you medically qualified? I think this is quite irresponsible - plenty of people "manage" their depression in a variety of different ways - and may well involve taking presciption anti-depressants, possibly for life (as I probably will). Taking them is not weak minded or cowadly - its a medical treatment for a medical condition. You wouldn't deny a diabetic insulin would you? Same sort of thing in my book, certainly I'm convinced that my clinical depression is a chemical imbalance. I have had a pretty secure, middle-class upbringing - I've looked at the whys and wherefores of "WHY ME" and I really can see no reason why I should be any more susceptible to depression than any other Joe - but I have had it and have had it pretty severely too. You cannot write off the prescription of anti-depressants in some cases of depression and to do so is dangerous and over-simplistic. Frankly, without them I'd be dead. I will grant you that often they are over-prescribed and yes, I certainly see a place for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy but I think you have to tread VERY carefully when talking about treating what can be a life-threatening condition without the proper tools for the job.Sue


----------



## 18438

lets se... A: clinical depression is imbalances in brain chemistry.b: you sound like a secret fan, give me a breakc: what you are saying is extremely dangerous, some people need meds in order to combat their depression and there is nothing wrong with that.


----------



## Cherrie

HiI do agree with Sue and Star here... though I'm real glad that you've found a way to manage/be free from your depression without medication.Like they both said, clinical depression is a genuine illness just like diabetes or heart diseases -- it is a chemical imbalance of the brain. For many people with depression, think positive is not enough and in many cases because of this imbalance it can be extremely hard for them to think positive in the first place. So if there are meds available for them to treat this imbalance, why not?Untreated (severe) depression can be very dangerous and there's real potential that the depressed person may do harm to him/herself or even carry out suicide. So, when someone needs medicine, they need medicine, really.Cherrie


----------



## Guest

Thanks hun - very well put. You know the number of times very well meaning people said to me "just think positively Sue" - curiously enough for a depressive, I'm a very upbeat, positive, see the best in most people sort of girlie - well I am, now I'm being treated properly.How can I describe depression - real, clinical depression - it sort of sucks out the essence of "you" and is the blackest, most god-awful and cruel disease in the known universe.Sue


----------



## Kathleen M.

Depression ranges from relatively mild to extremely severe. It will not be a one size fits all disease to treat. (not that any disese is one size fits all)Many people with mild to moderate depression may be able to manage it with lifestyle and therapy only treatments. Others have physical changes/imbalances that require medical intervention or have it severely enough that it is dangerous to leave it untreated/under treated.Like with type two diabetes or heart disease or any other serious chronic illness I do think that lifestyle or other non-drug treatments are an important part of the mix. However, even when a person does everything "right" they may not be able to do it without medicine.Cognitive behavioral techniques (changing the mindset) can be an important part of treating depression. However, studies show that while it can be effective for some by itself, many people need both medication and therapy to get a good result. Often it seems that you have to be well enough for the therapy to work, and therapy may eventually allow some people to get off medication. That insurance only seems to want to pay for drugs is a whole 'nother soapbox.I'm glad you found something that worked for you. Sucess stories are always good. Just be careful about suggesting your way is the best way for everyone.K.


----------



## Guest

Yes fair point Kathleen - and of course, here in the UK, we are blessed with the National Health Service - where thinking about "funding" your treatment (unless, for example, you want to "skip the queue" for say, CBT and go private) is not really a part of the picture.I suppose I'd be right at the extreme end of the depression "spectrum" if you want to put it like that and of course, I'm sure many with mild/moderate depression can probably do very well - probably better without anti-depressants.I was just abit "jumpy" about suggesting that life without anti-depressants was the cure for all. Many folk simply cannot be "cured" (though I never consider myself cured - only in remission) without medication and/or alternative therapies too and to suggest otherwise is naive and dangerous.Thanks for that perspective.Sue


----------



## SweetSpice

HiReading your article helped me alot and your absolutely right, its the way you think that helps.. please keep posting more on depression and i would love to hear from you..thanks once again cindy


----------



## Guest

Fair enough - though I have to say "the way you think" has absolutely nothing to do with severe, soul-sucking, life-limiting clinical depression - it really doesn't.Sue


----------



## 18438

Does it seem odd to anyone else that the only supportive post in this thread is the only post made by that person?


----------



## Guest

Who knows - and if it helps those with mild depression - fair enoughsky - I just think its dangerous to dismiss anti-depressants for the more serious end of the spectrum?Sue


----------



## ur friend :)

hello, me againwell i stand firmly to what i believe in because it has helped me. to me i believe that depression is caused by events that have happened to us in the past, and we've let sadness, turn into chronic sadness and then turning it into a medical condition and being depressed about everything. if you are depressed do you ever question why you are depressed? and when you ask this question, there is an explanation. i agree that for things like just feeling sad because its a rainy day, or just constantly feeling like that about anything for no reason, is more medical, but i never use to have feelings like this happen to me, until i started being depressed about a situation at school (but then there you go, that's the reason why someone in this situation would get depressed- because of the whether or because of nothing! and you can change these thought patterns- well there's nothing wrong, so why be depressed about it? and it's not going to rain everyday!). i firmly do believe that you don't need pills, because if you think about it, trace it back to the source, the whole disease is caused by feelings/thoughts and that's all that needs to be changed, if not it be a past problem that had caused the illness. sorry about my txt talk. i am standing beside my word, because im a person who went through depression for 2yrs and then realised that it all lead back to low self-esteem, bad thoughts and bad feelings about what happened in the past. if you think about it, if you just change your thought patterns easily like that, your depressed feeling goes away for that moment. there is a quote that says a wise man is the master of his mind, but the fool is slave to his mind. you guys have become slaves to your own minds, believe it or not, that it is taking control of you and you have to take pills to fix it! aren't you meant to be in control of YOUR mind, the thing that controls the entire body, instead of it ruling you? IT'S NOT YOUR MIND THAT NEEDS TO BE MEDICATED AND CHANGED! tracing it back to the source, am i not right, doesn't your FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS trigger a depressive state?? it's only reacting and physically doing what you want it to do in regards to your feelings - if you choose to be sad, your mind and your body is going to react physically to this! if you had more control over your brain-which causes depressed feelings, if you stopped looking at the world from such a depressive point of view and realise that everyone has bad days, or realise that it really isn't something to get all sad about, you'll overcome it. i've been cured, i've changed to live my life looking at the positives and i have learnt that there's nothing that i can do about my past but learn to never let it happen again, and now i'm living life! reading your posts, you guys are really pessimists aren't you, and that speaks for itself, you guys are pessimists and so also you have become depressionists! if it's about ibs you're depressed about, which in the past i was depressed about this also, i actually talked to a woman in my class who said to not worry and she gave me the same advice- look at it in a positive way, she says her and her kids and husband just can't stop cracking up laughing when they fart. and i also spoke to my class about this leaky gas prob, and they said they never noticed, and when it did happen, they were too worried about other people thinking it was them, and they said that i should just lie and say it wasn't me hahaha! after all it is JUST GAS and it's natural! if you don't agree with my advice, please at least give it a go for a week to change your point of view whenever something depressive weighs on your mind or at least notice that these thought patterns in your mind do occur, and maybe you'll even find out that it's true like i have found out! Thanks sweetspice for your support! one last word, to be depressed is a CHOICE, YOU CHOOSE whether to be sad or not, YOU CHOOSE whether you should be in a depressed mood for the rest of the day or not







"if we simply looked at it, simply and LOGICALLY, we could fix these big problems, that we have stupidly made a complicated problem"


----------



## Guest

I can see your reasoning but I'm sorry, I just don't think this applies to real, clinical depression. However, everyone is entitled to their own opinion so we'll agree to disagree - where I think its dangerous is folk who deperately need medical intervention for a medical condition are made to feel in some way "weak" or flawed because they have to "resort" to anti-depressants. I've said it before and I'll keep hammering it home - many forms of depression are caused by a chemical imbalance and can no more be helped by talking about it than a diabetic who is denied insulin.Sue


----------



## ur friend :)

i think you shouldn't judge before even actually REALLY trying it


----------



## Guest

Yes, I think I have the right to - I know I am receiving the right treatment and I still insist some and only some people with depression NEED ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.Thats all I'm saying and I will absolutely stick to my guns - I very nearly took my own life - I really have been at the coal face of depression and sadly, I'm not that rare a statistic.Sue


----------



## Cherrie

Hi, ur friend,Again, I'm glad that you've gotten over your depression without meds. _However_, I do agree with everyone else that for people whose depression is much more severe than short-term milder forms of depression, it is _*true *_that they have already developed a chemical imbalance in their brain which canNOT be changed back unless they take antidepressants. And like Kathleen has already said, the best type of treatment for people with prolonged severe depression is to both take meds and go to therapy.I am NOT saying that when people like yourself have depression for a relatively short period of time they don't suffer badly -- they do, they really do. Myself for example don't have the most severe depression/anxiety and haven't had depression/anxiety for that long, but it can make me feel very very sad beyond description and sometimes I did wonder about the meaning of my existance at all (before taking my medication). So I _do _understand how bad any degree of depression can hurt. And I am NOT denying the fact that less severe depression hurt bad. What I am saying is that for people with shorter time and less severe depression, chances are their brain hasn't developed (much of) this chemical imbalance and they may still regain control with therapy alone or with medication temporarily. So please also try to see other perspectives as people here are all trying to see yours. Please bear in mind that one single panacea for everyone really hardly exist anywhere. And the truth is, it REALLY is dangerous for people with severe depression to not take meds. Please don't deny that -- for the severely depressed, not taking meds can lead to suicide and advising them not to take antideps is really really NOT a good idea!Cherrie


----------



## Kathleen M.

I don't think anyone is saying that therapy-type thought changing treatments cannot work.Just that declaring that what worked for you is the only treatment anyone should need and they should shun all other treatments is a bit shortsighted.I know everyone is excited when the find something that works for them. Just you cannot assume it is the one and only answer for everyone and it can be dangerous to tell people to not seek what may be appropriate treatment they eed to save their life.Ideally everyone would always be able to treat any disease without medication as no drug is side effect free. Realistically, only a certain subset of people can do that.I do think thought-based approaches can help some people (and there is data to back that up). None of the studies show that 100% of people can be cured with therapy and therapy alone. That is why I think do it my way and only my way a dangerous thing to say.


----------



## Guest

Thanks Cherrie and Kathleen - look I'm sorry if I'm abit evangelical about this - but its just something I feel so passionate about - lets face it mental illness, even in these enlightened times is still stigmatised and then to say to people with severe clinical depression "look, don't be weak, throw away your pills - you can be cured with positive thought" is demeaning - Kathleen is right - by choice I would NOT be on anti-depresants, yes, they are over-prescribed and yes, there are often, very often, side-effects - but its about treating the most serious part of your illness - and frankly, with severe depression - that often means doing something NOW to address suicidal thoughts - and because of the chemical imbalance - that means treating PHYSICALLY with medication. The brain is another organ - its just like using the appropriate treatment for a malfunctioning liver, pancreas, kidney.Sue


----------



## 18438

YikesAgain, to echo others, glad it worked for you but..It is not uncommon for youth to suffer depression, due to hormones etc, as you grow older and mature it goes awayHowever clinical depression is not caused by sad feelings or thoughts, its caused by imbalances in brain chemistry. In fact people who suffer from clinical depression do not have any reason for the way they feel. I suffered for many many years with clinical depression, no reasons I could ever think of why, talking about it never made me feel better. In fact since I started medication I have felt better then I have in a long time. Why? its not a placebo effect trust me, its because my brain chemistry needed some tweaking.Im glad you find a way to cure your depression, but please dont assume it will work for everyone, thats a very dangerous thing to say.


----------



## Starr

My dear, I too am very happy for you - but let me tell you something, my then 11 year old daughter was hospitalized in May for attempting suicide due to what is now being treated as clinical depression. Let me tell you -- I am THRILLED to put her on Welbutrin. Depression (of the clinical nature) is something that is a "by product" so to speak, of hypothyroidism, my daughter and I both suffer from hypothyroidism and have been treated for it for about 5 years. This is not the first time she has attempted suicide.DO NOT sit there and assume that you have the answer for everyone. No one has the answer for everyone. I have tried the "let's be upbeat" "let's get the right attitude" and I almost drove my car off a cliff while trying to think happy thoughts (in case I didn't make it clear I was purposely thinking of suicide). So please, do not be naive and assume that you have all the answers for everyone. I am so happy that these things are working for you, but I am just as happy that my daughter and I are able to have medication to balance the chemicals in our brains and keep us from going off the deep end.There is also something called SADS, have you heard of it? It is a clinical disease/syndrom--I have suffered from it all my life -- raised in Michigan, I can assure you -- rainy days do get you down. I have a special lamp to get me through the winter -- so DO NOT make fun of people who talk about the weather getting the best of them. People in Seattle, Washington commit suicide more than anywhere else in the United States of America because of the weather getting the best of them on a regular basis. It is not something to take lightly. Please, do not make such a nitwit of yourself in the future. If you plan to make sweeping statements -- do a little research first.Starr


----------



## Guest

Oh god bless you Starr - what eloquent words - god do I feel for you and for your daughter - I attempted suicide about 20 months ago - having had a few half-arsed attempts in the weeks beforehand. I'm now well and on anti-depressants (I see myself as in Remission from clinical depression), working and being a pretty upbeat sort of girlie. I couldn't agree with you more - thank goodness mental illnesses are being treated with the respect they deserve.May I wish you, your daughter and all your loved ones better mental health from now on in.Sue xxx


----------



## Starr

Thank you so much SueV, I know what this can do to one's life - let me say that since my daughter has been on Welbutrin (I am not sure of the spelling) she is a different child. She is happy - she loves being around people again. She laughs, she is my little girl again. I am on Cymbalta - and am doing very well. So I understand. It is a difficult road to walk and I like your term of "remission" that is what it is -- I liked the term you used of being sucked into the darkness (or something like that) -- that is exactly what it felt like for me -- the darkness was all consuming -- and it never abated. Now it has lifted some - Cymbalta does not do it all for me - but it makes my life bearable. The rest is up to me - eat right, get plenty of exercise and rest -- I am trying







!Thank you for your kind words -- Starr


----------



## Guest

You are more than welcome Starr - so glad things are looking up for you both. I see anti-depressants in exactly the same way as a diabetic would see insulin - its a vital part of the treatment - and t'rest up to you.A very warm welcome to the board - I'm assuming you are from "over the pond"? I'm a Scouser (from Liverpool) in exile 50 miles East living near Manchester.You stay in touch.Sue xx


----------



## 18438

From one Starr to another, glad you and your daughter are doing well.Can I just say that its slightly disturbing to see someone else by the name of Starr on the boards! And spelled the same too!


----------



## Notme

This has probably been said and this topic is on to something else now. But I want to say is the worst thing you can do or say to someone with depression is "you just have to start thinking positively" and it's you're own fault because you don't. Depression MAKES people think the way we do, negatively and like their is no hope. Only with professional help can people who truly have depression get out of . If someone said to me they had depression and just simple "good thoughts" healed it for them. I'd simply think they were talking bull****. No offence to anyone it's juts how I feel about it. People telling me all the time "just get over it " or "stop being so negative" like it's my CHOICE to be this way piss me of something chronic ! really gets me mad. It's just typical misconceived idea normally made by people who don't know what they are on about ! If I have misunderstood the meaning in the first post and it;s not this attitude at all then I'm sorry


----------



## Guest

Oh not at all Notme - think you are singing from the same hymn sheet as the vast majority of people here. If I had a penny for every time folk said t'same thing to me "Oh but Sue you are so cheerful - you can't have depression". Really clinical depression is about as far from being sad as its possible to be - at least at the end of the spectrum I was on less than 2 years' ago. If only cheering up, pulling yourself together and all those other widely inaccurate views of depression could cure one of the most god-awful soul sucking conditions you are ever likely to be afflicted with - wouldn't it be bliss.Are you getting some help Notme - if not, go out and get some and a very warm welcome to the boards.Sue xx


----------



## Notme

Thanks







Yeah I'm sort of getting some help. I see a therapist, just find it hard to open up to her so far! My main problem is I'm impatience and want it all fixed now ! but these things take a long time. I have my days of wanting everything to end but eventually I get over it and get on 'coping'.


----------



## Guest

Power to you - yeah I'm afraid with any sort of mental "wrinkle" - you are probably in for the long haul - its worth the wait though.Good luckSue


----------



## 17190

This is the first time I have read this thread. I remember many years ago, I was undergoing depression. It was severe at the time. Sure, it is easy to say, I am not going to be depressed any more, but can it make a difference? I don't think so. So many times, I tried to talk myself out of my depression. It didn't work. With help and some meds, I got better. At the time, I wasn't very functional. I have had bouts of mild depression over the years that haven't needed meds. But, medication can make a difference between life and death and if you need meds, but all means take them. Love to you all.


----------



## Arnie W

I was taught years ago about 2 types of depression - reactive and endogenous. We may get reactive depression from the death of a loved one, marriage breakdown, dealing with IBS, etc, and it may be possbile to get by with couselling, herbal supplements and willpower. But if you are weighed down with depression to the point that you can barely function, it is worth considering medication.I've tried various prescribed drugs, but in my case I used them temporarily to get me through some rough times. I didn't like the side-effects I had, but if I had disabling depression, I would have carried on.I find Hypericum (St Johns Wort) to be quite good. Has anyone tried 5-htp? I've just started it as I wonder if it would help with not just the mood, but also IBS. Not all the reports about it have been good and you need to use a brand from a respected supplement company apparently.


----------



## Cherrie

Yeah, totally, Arnie...And we need to also be careful about reactive depression -- when things like that happen in life, different people react differently. It is actually healthy to be able to grieve and express sadness when (or very soon after) traumatizing experiences happened. Some people, however, may not. They appear strong and look like they are holding things together and carrying on pretty well -- some may really be doing okay -- but if and especially if this is a person who usually is full of emotions but suddenly go like this (withholding emotions and appearing to be strong) in face of a tragic event, then this is something that truly needs to be concerned about. Not being able to acknowledge feeling sad like that may cause worse depression in the long run. So, i guess what I was trying to say is that it's important to let it out and to seek help, meds and/or counselling. Holding things in when feeling depressed (or numb, or reacting the opposite of what this person would usually do) is not a good idea. Cherrie


----------



## Guest

Yes but you see my depression was NOTHING like that at all - stable marriage (well we've had our ups and downs like most couples whove been together since the dawn of time), great, happy, healthy kids, not many money concerns etc etc but it blew up out of nothing really - and when I look back, I've suffered since I was about 17 - mine is definately "chemical" if I can put it like that. Now, I'm on medication to address this - I'm well (though I consider myself in remission - I don't think you can ever take these things for granted). Luckily, certainly here in the North West, there is a recognition that my "type" of depression - whatever you want to call it - needs long-term, if not permenant treatment with anti-depressants. I'm a lucky girl, I know that - I know others with depression in all its horrible guises battle with poor mental health all the time and their lives are so severely compromised by it that their quality of life is at best very poor.Sue


----------



## Cherrie

Sue, I totally agree that there are many types of depression -- both the one you (unfortunately) have and the ones Arnie mentioned. From my readings I get the feeling that medication is more based on severity and persistance of symptoms than on their types (thankfully).Here are two good, reputable websites to read more about the types of depression:Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depressio...0175/DSECTION=2About Depression: http://depression.about.com/od/mooddisorde...essiontypes.htmAnd plus: Cyclothymia: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cyclothym...0729/DSECTION=2Postpartum depression: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartu...0546/DSECTION=2Schizoaffective disorder: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/schizoaff...0866/DSECTION=2Treatment-resistant depression: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/treatment...ression/DN00016LOL, I realize that's a lot to read, only FYI and if people are interested Cherrie


----------



## Guest

Oh well done you hun - that looks much more interesting than the prospect of sweeping up the myriad of leaves in our little garden (you and I being such keen gardeners - you'll understand dolly!!!) - but I promised myself I'd do that task today - so I'll have a butchers later.ThanksSue xxxx


----------



## eric

The tile of the thread is"do not medically treat your depression"First of all it is MAJOR to be evaluated by a doctor. Depression is treatable, both with meds and with therapy. Some therapy can work as well as medications and there is evidence that it can cause brain changes.However, meds are an important part in a lot of peoples treatments, sometimes just to stablize a person so they can even do therapy. For some due to chemical imbalances or even genetic issues they might needs meds for life.The thinking positive is a medical treatment used for depression, bascially CBT and changing ones thought patterns. This can be extremely hard to do on ones own as well as therapists are medically trained to deal with these types of disorders and help patients work through changing ones thought patterns.Thoughts themselves create powerful chemical and electrical reactions in the body, both postive and negative. Emotions are part of the picture.Most people with chronic moderate to severe depression need help and most Cannot do it on their own, but need professional guidance. Depression can be a serious medical illness. A person can feel so depressed they may not be thinking clearly and have feelings of hopelessness to the point of not being able to function and hence need help from others, including very importantly professional help. "People with a depressive illness cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. "http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publication...-disorder.shtmlYou would not tell someone with bipolar not to take meds.A lot of depression disorders respond best with both meds and therpay, a combination approach. Meds may not get to some important issues that may need to be address in some people with certain types of depression. For example and this is anxiety, which is different then depression, but can be one of the symptoms, is that say someone has anxiety do to a work related issue, like hate there job and boss, but instead of working on that issue, take a pill to relieve the anxiety. Yet the job and boss are still contributing to the actual problem. "Treatment choice will depend on the outcome of the evaluation. There are a variety of antidepressant medications and psychotherapies that can be used to treat depressive disorders. Some people with milder forms may do well with psychotherapy alone. People with moderate to severe depression most often benefit from antidepressants. Most do best with combined treatment: medication to gain relatively quick symptom relief and psychotherapy to learn more effective ways to deal with life's problems, including depression. Depending on the patient's diagnosis and severity of symptoms, the therapist may prescribe medication and/or one of the several forms of psychotherapy that have proven effective for depression."http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publication...treatment.shtml


----------



## Guest

Well done Eric - I think you've covered all the basis here - for me - it was a question of finding the right anti-depressant - after that, I got well - I'm sure it is simply a chemical imbalance. I have heard mixed reviews about CBT - the main issue here in the North West (of the UK) is the inaccessability of access to treatment - a mate of mine has been on a waiting list for TWO YEARS - well I'm sorry but I'd have been dead if I'd relied to CBT to cure all. I've also heard mixed reviews about the treatment itself but I've never had it so I'll leave more detailed analysis of it to somebody who has.I'm really glad this thread was started - I can't even remember by who - the main thing here - certainly for me - is at least people are talking about depression. When I was first really ill - in my early 20's - my mum refused to even contemplate that I had a mental illness "we don't do mental illness in this family" and this from a woman whose own husband had suffered briefly at Cambridge as a law student - back in the early 1940's. She and my dad have both had to come to terms with the fact that they have a depressive for a daughter - and god bless them - have done so with remarkable courage.Sue


----------



## Cherrie

> The tile of the thread is"do not medically treat your depression"


LOL, discussing the types of depression does seem to be a bit of a stretch to the original topic of this thread, doesn't it Eric -- Thank you for taking us back on track! Cherrie


----------

