If you are depressed you will undoubtedly need help and you may require lots of encouragement to seek the help. However, there should be plenty of support available to you once you have sought the help.

A lot of sufferers find that just TALKING can be helpful.  This may be to partners, family members, friends, midwife, Health Visitor, GP, Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN), psychiatrist, psychotherapist or counselor.  They can also offer you help and support.

Treatments that involve talking that your GP may refer you for are:

COUNSELLING - there may be a free service available to you or you may have to pay privately.  Counselling is a one to one session of talking where the counselor will help you to work out your problems through you talking about them confidentially.

PSYCHIATRIST - a medically qualified Dr who specializes just in the treatment of mental illnesses.

PSYCHOLOGIST - a person who is trained in the science of the mind and the study of behavior.

You do not have to worry about people finding out about your problems as all treatments are confidential.

However, sometimes talking is simply not enough and Antidepressants are required.  It must be remembered that there are three different types of antidepressants each having different reactions on chemicals in the brain.  Therefore it may be necessary that the GP has to find that one best suited to you.  They do take time to work usually around 10 to 14 days or as long as 6 to 8 weeks to feel the real benefit.

It is important to tell the GP if you are breastfeeding as this will influence the antidepressant prescribed.  Some antidepressants do pass into breast milk but there are safe drugs to take.

The Antidepressants that are likely to be prescribed for you are not considered to be addictive but you are recommended to take them for about six months and not to stop them abruptly.  If you do stop them abruptly you run the risk of quickly becoming depressed again.  Stopping Antidepressants is a gradual weaning process.

TRANQUILIZERS are another drug the GP may prescribe.  These drugs are sedatives and are used to treat anxiety and emotional tension.  They may be used if you are experiencing sleep problems.  They are only given for short periods to promote relaxation as they are addictive.  They cannot resolve the  cause of the problem.  Tackling the underlying cause of the problem through Counselling or Psychotherapy offer hope of a long term solution.  Tranquillizers may also be known as anxiolytics or anti-anxiety drugs.  Examples include:

• Diazepam (Lithium)
• Lorazepam
• Oxazepam
• Chlordiazepoxide
• Alprazolam

There are three main types of Antidepressant used to treat depression:

• Tricyclics
• Monoamine Oxidase inhibitors
• Serotonin re-uptake inhibitors

Antidepressants are not used to treat MILD depression especially if the depression is likely to clear soon.

Antidepressants work on the chemicals in the brain.  In depression there is thought to be reduced amounts of the chemicals known as neurotransmitters.  These chemicals affect mood by stimulating the brain cells.  Antidepressants increase the levels of neurotransmitters.

The benefits of antidepressants is not really noticeable for 10 to 14 days after the initial dose and the full effect may not be felt for 6-8weeks.  Like all medication antidepressants may cause some side effects.  In the first day some may cause drowsiness, difficulty urinating, a dry mouth or blurred vision.

HORMONE patches may be of benefit but are not yet established as a treatment.