Antidepressants: who needs them?

Our subjective moods of happiness and sadness relating to daily events are usually fairly well balanced and appropriate to what is going on. Sometimes however, we can feel low for no apparent reason. If this is accompanied by other features it may be part of an episode of depression. (See Depression and manic depression).

Depression is one of the most common symptoms affecting your mood. Many people feel down for various periods of time but if it interferes with your ability to carry on a normal daily life, or lasts longer than two weeks, you should talk to someone about how you are feeling. This may be a close friend or relative, or your GP, nurse or health visitor. Depending on your previous experience of your health care professionals you may know who will be a sympathetic ear.

People suffering from depression need help. If they could 'snap out of it' or 'pull themselves together', believe me, they would. Being severely depressed is a life-threatening illness; people who don't get the appropriate help are at risk of committing suicide.

Therapy or antidepressant?
In mild and moderate cases psychological treatments (the talking therapies) can be very effective. In severe depression or when there are a lot of physical symptoms, then antidepressant drugs are invaluable. They help relieve many of the symptoms such as despair, lethargy, poor appetite, insomnia and thoughts of suicide. They are effective in about two out of three people who take them.