Depression Treatment: You Can Feel Better

There are two common types of treatment for depression:
medication and psychotherapy.
Ask your doctor which type is best for you.
Some people need both treatments to feel better.

Medication

Your regular doctor or a psychiatrist
(a medical doctor trained in helping people with depression)
can prescribe medication for you.
Antidepressants may take a few weeks to work.
Be sure to tell the doctor how you are feeling.
If you are not feeling better, you may need
to try different medicines to find out
what works best for you. Medicines sometimes
cause unwanted side effects.
You may feel tired, have blurred vision,
or feel sick to your stomach.
Tell the doctor if you have these or any other side effects.

Psychotherapy or "Talk" Therapy

Psychotherapy involves talking to someone
such as a psychologist, social worker, or counselor.
It helps you learn to change how depression makes
you think, feel, and act. Ask your doctor or psychiatrist
who you should go to for this kind of therapy.
You can feel better.