Living Through Depression

Almost everyone affected by depression will go on to make a full recovery.  The two key ingredients involved in bringing about recovery are:

• Your active participation
• Time

There are no quick-fixes or miracle cures, but there things that can help, and crucially, there are many things you can do to help yourself.  The treatments and services provided through the NHS are generally effective (antidepressants work for about 65% of us, talking therapies for about 50%) but they are no a "cure".  Self-help is very effective, but it takes time for the changes you make to your lifestyle and your routines to work through into improved mood and energy levels.  Fortunately, combatting depression is not an either-or question.  Just because you are taking an antidepressant or seeing a counsellor does not mean that you cannot engage in self-help activities too.  Indeed, most people put recovery down to a combination of self-help strategies, lifestlye changes and the formal support they receive through the NHS.

So while depression is something you have to live through, it is not something you have to put up with.  If you are prepared to take active steps to help yourself, and allow the time needed to heal yourself, you too can join the massed ranks of those who have recovered from depression.