Treatment for depression varies from person to person; some mainly require intensive therapy, others need medicine to help deal with biochemical imbalances.
Psychopharmacological treatment for depression is not a one-size-fits-all, unlike taking aspirin or cough syrup which both addresses the problem directly. In fact, a new study has found that searching for the right treatment involves a trial-and-error process.
A recent study, the STAR*D Report, has looked into the effectiveness of antidepressants for people with depression. The study, which is listed as the largest study tackling the subject to date, discovered that only 37 percent of individuals experiences remission after trying one antidepressant. "Remission" is the relief of depression symptoms.
Minnesota board-certified psychiatrist Joseph Hullett, MD, senior medical director for OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions, said that even after trying out at least four different antidepressants, only 67 percent of individuals experienced remission.
There are ways to know if your antidepressant is working effectively to treat your symptoms or not. According to Dr. Hullett, feeling better right away and responding very quickly to a treatment is not a good sign. The mechanism of an antidepressant involves increasing and balancing feel-good neurochemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. This process takes some time; in fact, relief from depression takes at least two to 12 weeks to set, peaking at about six to eight weeks. Dr. Hullett points out that feeling different immediately after taking the antidepressant could be a side effect of the medication, or a placebo effect.
Another sign that your antidepressant is not working to your benefit is when depression symptoms seem to be improving, yet you still feel like you are not "yourself". According to Dr. Zinia Thomas, MD, a psychiatrist at Spectrum Psychiatry in St. Louis, relief is possible despite the "wrong" antidepressant for you, but it may not be the relief you hoped for. Dr. Thomas suggests trying another antidepressant or adding other treatment techniques such as psychotherapy, mood-boosting cardio exercise, or light therapy, among others.
