The choice of treatment depends on how severe the depression is and the history of the illness. Antidepressant medications are not habit-forming. It may take as little as eight weeks before you notice an improvement. Some can have side effects including upset stomach, dizziness, headaches, sleepiness or restlessness, hot flashes, tremmors, decreased sexual drive, and dry mouth. Make sure you are under the supervision of a doctor or other qualified mental health professional to ensure the best treatment with the fewest side effects.
Therapy can be effective in treating clinical depression, especially depression that is less severe.
Scientific studies have shown that short term courses of therapy are often helpful in treating depression. ECT has been improved to make it a safer and more effective form of treatment and is used for the more severe depressions and for patients who either can't take medication or who are at immediate risk for suicide. Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a mental illness involving episodes of serious mania and depression. When untreated, a person's mood can swing from abnormally high and irritable to sad and hopeless and then back again, with normal mood periods in between. Over 2 million Americans suffer from manic-depression.