But there is hope. Treatment for depression has come a long way in the last decade. Treatment for depression is a must, experts maintain. According to psychiatrists and psychologists, if you have one episode of depression you are more likely to have a second and a third bout. Between episodes, about one out of four people with depression will still have some symptoms and trouble doing their daily activities.
Unchecked depression can lead to suicide.
Depression in older people is a particular problem in Southwest Florida, where there is a higher number of elderly people. Those people often become victims of depression because of medical problems, she said. Someone who is suffering from heart disease, emphysema or diabetes may also have depression because of his physical ailments, Cohen explained. We haven't gotten the community health services in many cases to make sure people with depression, and other mental disorders, are properly supervised. The good news is that 90 percent of those treated will recover, Cohen said.