These reasons may vary but all of them are based on the notion that the depressive episode is severe enough to cause changes in the way your body functions. Antidepressant medications are prescribed when one is experiencing difficulty sleeping, especially waking up in the middle of the night or waking up early and not being able to fall back to sleep. Medication might be prescribed if depression tends to be worse in the morning and improve during the day. Medication also is helpful when there are a number of symptoms that are interfering with your functioning. Sometimes medication is prescribed when a person is having trouble participating in other types of depression treatment.
Medication always is needed when one is having thoughts of suicide.
Dosage and Administration Choosing the right antidepressant is not always easy. Your doctor will first try one medication. Later, you may switch to another, depending on how well the first medication reduced symptoms. It also depends on the side effects you experience. Often the doctor will start you on a low dose of the medication, then gradually increase it until the right dosage for you has been reached.