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In general, moderate depression means that you have several of the symptoms listed above, and you find great difficulty in coping with normal activities. Severe depression is even worse. In these situations, a doctor may suggest one or more of the following.

Antidepressant medicines

Antidepressants are usually the first-line treatment for moderate or severe depression. A medicine cannot alter your circumstances. However, symptoms such as low mood, poor sleep, poor concentration, etc, are often eased with an antidepressant. This may then allow you to function normally, and increase your ability to deal with any problems or difficult circumstances.
Antidepressants do not usually work straight away. It takes 2-4 weeks before their effect builds up fully.

A common problem is that some people stop the medicine after a week or so as they feel that it is doing no good. You need to give it time. Also, if it is helping, follow the course that a doctor recommends. A normal course of antidepressants lasts up to six months or more after symptoms have eased. Some people stop treatment too early and the depression quickly returns.

There are several types of antidepressants, each with various 'pros and cons'. For example, they differ in their possible side-effects. (The leaflet that comes in the medicine packet provides a full list of possible side-effects.) If the first one that you try does not suit, then another may be found that will suit. So, tell your doctor if you have any problems with an antidepressant. Antidepressants are not tranquillisers and are not thought to be addictive.

About 5-7 in 10 people with moderate or severe depression improve within a few weeks of starting treatment with a prescribed antidepressant. However, up to 3 in 10 people improve with dummy tablets (placebo) as some people would have improved in this time naturally. So, you are roughly twice as likely to improve with antidepressants compared to taking no treatment. But, they do not work in everybody.

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