When it comes to depression treatment, is outpatient treatment or an inpatient depression treatment program best for you? That depends. Once a person has been diagnosed with depression, his or her doctor should discuss the best options for care based upon type and severity of depression symptoms. Whatever care is prescribed, however, it’s vital for people to understand that there are no quick fixes for depression. It takes time to find the level of care that works best for each person. In fact, it’s not unusual to try a number of different levels of care in order to treat depression effectively.

Just as no two people are exactly the same, depression treatment is not a one-size-fits-all approach. What works to treat one person’s depression may not work to treat another’s, which is why anyone struggling with depression should learn as much as possible about depression, treatment options, and care at home for depression. This will allow each person who has depression to be their own best advocate when it comes to managing the disorder. The best treatments for depression include medication management, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

If not properly treated, chronic depression can cause a significant number of problems in all areas of your life. Depression can last for weeks, months, or in some cases even years. This leaves an individual in a state on constant sadness, fatigue, and just overall run down. In addition to the underlying symptoms, depression can increase the risk for a number of other problems to develop. Before you know it, not only are you trying to cope with the sadness but you are facing financial problems, social problems, and physical problems as well.

Hi, my name is Lauren Hardy and I have a Master of Arts in counseling psychology, with a concentration in mental health. I have worked as a mental health counselor in a variety of different settings providing counseling services to clients of all ages and a wide variety of diagnoses. Additionally, I have over two years of experience in the treatment field as a research analyst at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. With my years of experience in the mental health field and hours I have put in as a researcher, I am able to give insight into the difficulties surrounding psychiatric disorders and the treatment process.