Feeling worthless or guilty Trouble concentrating, thinking, remembering, or making decisions Thoughts of death or suicide The importance of treatment The good news is that depression responds well to treatment. Today, there are many effective treatment options for depression, and most depressed people can expect to feel much better as a result of treatment. The goal of drug therapy is usually to manage symptoms and treat the illness, allowing the depressed person to feel better and get back into a normal daily routine. Psychotherapy may be used to help the person and family to learn new behaviours and coping strategies. Psychotherapy, talking about emotions and depression with a qualified professional, can help reduce and treat symptoms.
Depression touches all types of people.
Certain groups people may be more likely to become depressed. For instance, women are about twice as likely as men to have symptoms of depression. Children and teens can also become depressed. Symptoms of depression in an adolescent are similar to those in adults, but may also include inappropriate behaviors or a drop in school performance. Nearly 18 million people a year suffer from some form of depression, and many more feel the effects of depression in the family.