Treatment for depression varies according to the cause of the condition and its severity. Conventional methods include psychotherapy, antidepressant drugs, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Alternative therapies are particularly effective for minor depression, but for more serious depressions they should be considered as complementary treatments, not replacements for conventional methods. Major or chronic depression should be treated by a psychiatrist.

Conventional Treatment

Unipolar depression is one of the most treatable of the mental disorders. There are several prescription medications available to treat this condition. Given enough time and patience, it is usually possible to customize the treatment, get the right match, and achieve a good outcome.

The tools for treating depression can be divided into the somatic and the psychological.

Somatic treatments include:

Antidepressant medications

Electro convulsive therapy (ECT)

Light therapy

Psychotherapies for depression include:

Cognitive therapy

Behavioral therapy

Interpersonal therapy

Insight-oriented therapy

For those suffering from Major Depressive Disorder, antidepressant medications are very effective-the overall odds that an antidepressant treatment will work eventually are probably at least 90 percent. But you have to be patient and persistent. It may take several weeks for the medication to begin working, and a couple of months before it has reached its optimum effect. It might also take time and effort to find the most effective medication for you and to determine its proper dose. Some people must endure several trials of different antidepressants until they find the one that is a winner for them.