If it is possible, attend the appointments with the psychiatrist. Knowing details of the disease and of the course of treatment can be very helpful. The depressed person can greatly benefit from having a friend who knows how the disease is likely to progress. Know details of the medication that the depressed person is receiving. This allows encouragement to be given.
Antidepressants take from four to six weeks to have a strongly beneficial effect.
The first three weeks of taking these drugs can be filled with ghastly side effects. The depressed person needs constant encouragement to persevere. At first the depression remains severe. If one is anxious or affected by panic and fear, these early weeks of treatment can be very distressing. It will be all right.