Depression is painful, but don't give up hope

Reading many of your postings reveals how many people are suffering from really crippling depression. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255) Go to the nearest hospital or emergency roomCall your physician, health provider or clergyNational Alliance on Mental Illness
www.nami.org
1-800-950-NAMI (6264)While there are some encouraging posts, many others expose the intense pain that people with depression must learn to endure. It's also clear that family members often don't know how to help.

People with serious depression begin to lose hope. Unfortunately, so do the people who love them. Perhaps the greatest danger is to give up, so it's critical to keep trying to find some relief.

Of course, it's not easy to maintain hope when you feel that there is no hope. I've been a psychiatrist for many years. Taking care of patients with depression has taught me that most patients get better. A very important reason that patients get better is that we have better medications which work in a variety of different ways. While it's critical to find the right antidepressant, it's just as important to find a psychiatrist who you can begin to trust and who will help you to maintain hope.

Over the years, I've treated many teenagers who were miserable and wanted their lives to end. Their parents usually didn't know how to help, but found a way to get them the treatment that they needed. Many of these patients are now parents themselves and have found their path through life. I always appreciate getting a graduation announcement or news of a wedding because it provides me with strong evidence that I'm right to be hopeful.

It's very obvious that some antidepressants don't help some people. Fortunately, there are many medications that can be used to treat depression and it's usually possible to find one that does help. However, it often takes time and requires that your psychiatrist gets the dose right. It also requires that you don't give up.

If there is someone you love who is suffering from depression, there are some critically important things that you can do to help. The most important is to make sure they know that you care for them, even if they're convinced that they're unworthy of your caring. Being there for them is the most important thing that you can do. However, you also need to find a way to help them to find a psychiatrist who can work with them. Once that goal is achieved, it will be much easier for them to become hopeful.

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