Depression is treatable. The main way to treat it is with medicines and counseling. Sometimes, one or the other is enough, but they may be combined. The medicines ease symptoms by changing how the chemicals in your brain work. Counseling helps you spot problems and teaches you how to cope with them as they come up.
Depression is treated with:
Lifestyle changesMedicationsAlternative and complementary therapiesOther treatments—therapyThere are no surgical procedures for depression.
References
Antidepressant medication overview. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T113820/Antidepressant-medication-overview . Updated April 2, 2018. Accessed October 9, 2018.
Depression alternative treatments. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T474293/Depression-alternative-treatments . Updated August 9, 2018. Accessed October 9, 2018.
Depression. National Institute of Mental Health website. Available at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml. Updated February 2018. Accessed October 9, 2018.
Depressive disorders. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders/mood-disorders/depressive-disorders. Updated May 2018. Accessed October 9, 2018.
Major depressive disorder (MDD). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116638/Major-depressive-disorder-MDD . Updated August 23, 2018. Accessed October 9, 2018.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Adrian Preda, MD
- Review Date: 09/2018
- Update Date: 12/11/2020