Depression is a serious illness and can affect the life of the person suffering in many ways, in some cases totally disrupting it.
Medication, professional help and guidance is a must for this ailment however there are certain steps you can take which help curing and managing this condition.
Educate yourself about depression, little or no knowledge is always harmful.
It might seem difficult and may need a lot of effort on your part to break that glass wall, however the more you know about it; the better you will be able to support yourself or the person you are caring for.
Another very important thing is to follow your treatment plan religiously.
It's important not only to take the medicines as directed by the doctor, but also to attend the psychotherapy sessions.
There will be times when you will have to push yourself for the same but no matter how low you feel take the sessions as a path to relief rather than a burden.
In certain cases there are events and situations which can trigger a severe bout of depression, work with your doctor to identify these so that you can effectively protect yourself from such situations; you can also seek the help of your family members and care-givers to identify them.
Another important thing is to understand what needs to be done if the symptoms worsen, also keep discussing any changes that you might feel in your symptoms with your doctor.
Like medicines for many illnesses, there are a large number of them for depression as well, not all will suit you so it might be a bit of a 'trial and error' situation before you can conclude that this is the effective medicine.
Do not be disappointed if you feel that the doctor's advice is not working for you in the trial period.
In some cases you might even need to change the therapist, gist of the matter is- be ready for experimentation and do not give up on the treatment thinking that there is no help available.
Apart from medication doctors also prescribe therapy and exercises.
Medication does help, but in many cases therapy is as helpful or more helpful, also medication works best along with therapy.
Do not hesitate to seek help from your family members and friends during this tough phase, you might feel the need to withdraw all social contact, but the more you interact and mingle with people the better you are bound to feel.
It takes more strength to speak about things than to sit back quietly, so discuss your problems with your loved ones, admitting them is not a sign of weakness.