How much will depression treatment help me?

What You Can Expect From Treatment Treatment can:

help you feel better by decreasing your symptoms
reduce your chances of having another episode of depression
reduce your risk of suicide

Treatment can improve your moods. Receiving treatment for depression will help you feel better by decreasing the uncomfortable symptoms of this illness. As treatment progresses, most people feel better and better. That means the symptoms of depression become less intense, are less frequent, and last for shorter periods.

Treatment can help keep depression from coming back. About 50% of people who have had 1 episode of depression will go on to have a second episode. If you have had 2 episodes of depression without treatment, your chances of having another episode are even greater. If you have had 3 untreated periods of depression, you have a 90% chance of having another depressive episode. In fact, the longer your depression goes untreated, the more likely you are to have more severe and more frequent episodes of depression. The right treatment can prevent suicide. Some experts estimate that most suicides are due to misdiagnosed or poorly diagnosed depression. By getting the right diagnosis and effective treatment, you can feel better sooner and start living the life you deserve. If you have a plan to kill yourself, or are about to, call 911, or the local emergency number in your area. If you've been thinking about suicide, call your doctor, a local mental health hot line, or mental health services in your community immediately. Or you can call the National Suicide Survival Hot Line 24 hours a day at 1-888-SUICIDE.

Treatment can help keep depression from coming back. About 50% of people who have had 1 episode of depression will go on to have a second episode. If you have had 2 episodes of depression without treatment, your chances of having another episode are even greater. If you have had 3 untreated periods of depression, you have a 90% chance of having another depressive episode. In fact, the longer your depression goes untreated, the more likely you are to have more severe and more frequent episodes of depression. The right treatment can prevent suicide. Some experts estimate that most suicides are due to misdiagnosed or poorly diagnosed depression. By getting the right diagnosis and effective treatment, you can feel better sooner and start living the life you deserve. If you have a plan to kill yourself, or are about to, call 911, or the local emergency number in your area. If you've been thinking about suicide, call your doctor, a local mental health hot line, or mental health services in your community immediately. Or you can call the National Suicide Survival Hot Line 24 hours a day at 1-888-SUICIDE.