Depression Treatment

Most people with depression can get help from treatment. For most people, spotting depression early and getting it treated might cut down on how long and how serious the depression is.

Depression Treatment Options

The most common treatments are antidepressant medicines, "talk" therapy, or a combination of both. You and your doctor can work together to decide on the right depression treatment for you.

Studies show that antidepressants have been effective in treating depression. A type of medicine called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is most often prescribed by doctors.

In "talk" therapy, the patient and therapist talk about the patient's experiences, relationships, events, and feelings. Two of the approaches found to be effective for treating depression are interpersonal therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

Interpersonal Therapy

This approach looks at the patients' personal relationships that both cause depression and make it worse.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

This approach helps people learn how to get more fulfillment through their own actions. The person is shown how to unlearn the patterns in his or her behavior that add to, or are a result of, the depression.

Talking about the difficult areas in life and trying to work them out is very valuable and can reveal some of the reasons behind the depression. Working with a caring therapist can help you find better ways of dealing with your problems.

Phases of Depression Treatment

There are 3 phases of depression treatment.



Acute Phase During the acute phase, the person starts taking medication, the symptoms of depression start becoming less severe and the person begins to feel better. If a moderate improvement isn't seen in the following 6 to 8 weeks after starting medication, treatment might need to be adjusted. This phase lasts for the first 6 to 16 weeks that a person is taking an antidepressant.	Continuation Phase During this phase, the person continues to take medication to prevent depression symptoms from coming back. This phase lasts for 16 to 20 weeks after the symptoms first subside. In general, the person will keep taking depression medication at the same dose during this phase. The person shouldn't stop taking an antidepressant without talking to a doctor.	Maintenance Phase The purpose of this phase is to prevent another episode of depression. In this phase, treatment that was effective during the acute and continuation phase should be used. How long this phase lasts depends on the person's medical history and on the advice of a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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Depression is a serious medical condition, which can lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior. Children, adolescents, and young adults taking antidepressants may be at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior within the first few months of treatment. This risk must be balanced with the medical need. Those starting medication or changing doses should be watched closely for suicidal thoughts, worsening of depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. In children and teens, Zoloft is only approved for use in those with obsessive-compulsive disorder. A patient Medication Guide about "Antidepressant Medicines, Depression and Other Serious Mental Illnesses, and Suicidal Thoughts or Actions" is available.

Zoloft is not for everyone. People taking MAOIs or pimozide shouldn't take Zoloft. Concomitant use of Zoloft with NSAIDs or aspirin may be associated with an increased risk of bleeding. Side effects may include dry mouth, insomnia, sexual side effects, diarrhea, nausea and sleepiness. In studies, few people were bothered enough by side effects to stop taking Zoloft. Side effects may result from stopping Zoloft particularly when abrupt. You should, however, stop taking Zoloft if you get any of the following symptoms of Serotonin Syndrome, a rare but life-threatening reaction, such as fever, sweating, muscle stiffness, trouble thinking clearly, a change in mental functioning, sleepiness, or change in your breathing, heartbeat and blood pressure.

You should tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, as there is a potential risk to the fetus with Zoloft. Like many antidepressants, Zoloft can be present in breast milk so tell your doctor if you are nursing.

Zoloft is approved to treat depression, social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) in adults over age 18. It is also approved for OCD in children and adolescents age 6-17 years.

Zoloft is not habit-forming and is not associated with weight gain. So talk to your doctor about how Zoloft might help you. Zoloft comes in 25-mg, 50-mg, and 100-mg tablets. You and your doctor can discuss a dose for you.

The health information contained herein is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace discussions with a healthcare provider. All decisions regarding patient care must be made with a healthcare provider, considering the unique characteristics of the patient.

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