What happens to people with depression?
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Are you suffering from depression?
What happens to people suffering from their first severe depressive episode varies widely from person to person:
- Without treatment most depressions will disappear after or between two and four months but may in rare cases last for several years
- 10-15% of those who do not seek treatment for depression will remain depressed for more than a year
If you are in any doubt as to whether you are suffering from depression, you may find it useful to read about the symptoms of depression.
If you still think that you are suffering from depression, we would advise you to contact your doctor or a psychiatrist. They can make a definitive diagnosis and recommend the right treatment for you.
Should I be admitted to hospital?
Wondering whether you should be admitted to hospital? Your family physician can advise you. The most important reasons for someone to be admitted are:
- Very little energy and unable to care for themselves
- Suicidal
- Psychotic symptoms
Read more about hospital admission.
What happens when my depression is over?
Once your depression is gone, it's important that you continue to take your medication. If you continue your medication:
- You may prevent relapse
- You may prevent a future episode
Without long-term treatment, more than 85% of people will suffer from a future depressive episode and 10% will suffer from a manic episode.
It's important that you avoid having more depressive and/or manic episodes because:
- Suffering from depression and mania is distressing
- Failure to treat the illness increases the risk of further episodes of depression or mania
Each time you have a depressive or manic episode you increase the risk of having more in the future. So we cannot stress enough the importance of long-term treatment.
What happens in the event of recurrent depression?
Psychologically?
We now know that if you have recurrent depression your quality of life will be poor.
Your quality of life will be worse than that of people with diabetes or severe heart disease. Your quality of life will also be impaired between depressive episodes.
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Socially
Recurrent depression may have implications for your social life. Many people with recurrent depression:
- Live alone
- Are divorced
- Have few friends
- Encounter problems with their friends, children and partners
If you can recognise your own life in this, we would urge you to read our advice here. Read more...
Sexually
If you're depressed, this will often affect your sex life. Depression will reduce your libido and sexual activity. So what should you do? Read more...
Memory
If you suffer from recurrent depression, you may have problems with your memory. These problems may be encountered during periods when you're not depressed.
Suicide
Severe depression can be very serious. 15% of people take their own lives and even more attempt to take their lives.
Most suicides happen during the early stages of the illness. Read more...
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Physical illness
People with depression are more likely to suffer from physical illness. Read more...
But don't lose heart - there are many different ways of treating depression. Read more...
How do I avoid further depressive episodes?
Living with recurrent depression will have many negative implications for your life.
Furthermore, depression often gets worse each time it returns.
If you're having your first bout of severe depression, it's extremely important that you try to avoid having further depressive or manic episodes.
You can do something to avoid getting depressed again. For example, you can discuss treatment plans with your doctor or psychiatrist.
It's important for you to accept that you are vulnerable and more likely to be struck by depression in certain situations. Read more...
However, it's also extremely important that you bear in mind at all times that the right treatment will give you every chance of leading a normal life in the future.
Never forget that treatment should involve a combination of:
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