Many years later, the emotions and feelings that they had buried, come back to haunt them. Talking helps and medical treatment may also be necessary. The treatment of depression has greatly improved over the last few years. Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Wellbutrin and similar medications are well tolerated and have few side effects. As a rule, these medicines do not work overnight but after about two weeks there is a great improvement in mood and performance.
Patients often express concern about becoming dependent on medication.
It is important to understand the way in which these medicines work because then it is clear that this worry is unnecessary. When treated, patients increase their brain level of serotonin and dopamine, and this leads to improvement. Once the brain is capable of creating adequate levels of the transmitters, the medication can be stopped. The occasional patient will attempt to self medicate with St. John's Wort or similar substances. There are some reports that these products are effective but unlike the medicines listed above, St. John's Wort has not been studied over a long period in a large group of patients.