How long does clinical depression last

Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Many people with clinical depression wonder if their symptoms will go away on their own with time. The answer to this question depends on a variety of factors, such as the type and severity of the depression. However, since depression is highly treatable, seeking proper treatment can help you feel better more quickly.

Plus, not taking care of depression not only leads to needless suffering, but it can have devastating consequences. Treatment options can be tailored to your situation, providing the best results. Many say that "time heals all wounds," but that's not entirely true when it comes to depression. How long depression lasts—and whether it will get better without treatment—can vary based on a variety of factors. Certain types of depression tend to last longer than others.

For example, seasonal affective disorder generally occurs only during the winter months, easing once springtime hits, whereas persistent depressive disorder is diagnosed when depression lasts for two years or more.

The cause of the depression can also affect its length. If the depression is caused by a specific situation or temporary stressor, it may not last as long. Depression can also occur as a result of other health conditions. For example, some women experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which is a depression associated with premenstrual syndrome, and new mothers can sometimes develop postpartum depression.

Talking to your doctor can help determine what type of treatment is recommended based on the cause of your depression. The severity of the depression can also impact whether it will go away on its own. If the depression is mild, it may resolve itself without any type of formal treatment. If you have moderate or severe depression , additional treatment may be needed to get it to subside.

If you have been diagnosed with depression , the good news is that depression is a highly treatable illness. Treatment usually includes medication, therapy, or a combination of the two. Complementary treatments may also help. Herbal remedies, acupuncture, exercise, meditation, and massage have all been found to help ease depression. If your depression seems to be interfering with your quality of life, your doctor can help you find the combination of treatments that works best for you.

Major depressive disorder MDD is the most common form of depression and can ebb and flow throughout a person's lifetime. These symptoms must be present for at least two weeks before a diagnosis of MDD can be made.

If depression persists for two years or more, persistent depressive disorder PDD , also known as dysthymia , may be diagnosed. While many medications, such as antibiotics, cure the illnesses they are designed to treat, antidepressants do not cure depression. Their effect is only temporary. This is because antidepressants work by changing the brain's chemistry , but only for as long as the person is taking them. They do not address the underlying causes of depression.

The National Institute of Mental Health shares that depression has a number of potential, and oftentimes complex, causes. No matter the cause, untreated depression can be extremely debilitating to an individual, interfering with every part of life.

In addition, severe depression can potentially lead to suicide if it does not receive immediate attention. Depression has also been linked to a variety of physical health issues, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic disorders. Having depression can even make it more difficult to treat other medical illnesses because the lack of motivation and energy associated with depression makes it more difficult for patients to comply with their treatment regimens.

While it is possible that an individual episode of depression may go away on its own without treatment , there is no guarantee that things won't get worse before they get better.

That is why it is important to seek immediate treatment at the first signs of depression. While more severe cases of depression usually require professional mood disorder treatment to see improvement in symptoms, some depression may go away without treatment. This is usually the result of more mild cases or types of depression that tend to only be temporary in nature such as postpartum depression. Although there is a chance that some depression will go away without treatment, the best way to decrease the amount of time that depression lasts is to get professional help.

Especially in the case of major depressive disorders, a professional depression treatment center could reduce the severity and duration of symptoms drastically. Treatment usually includes a combination of psychotherapy techniques and medications. Left untreated, some depression can become more severe or lead to other secondary problems.

Other mental health problems may arise, or depression could also snowball into suicidal ideation. In some cases, people will turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate and develop a substance abuse problem on top of their depression. When this occurs, dual diagnosis treatment becomes necessary. There are a variety of treatments that can be used to help treat and reduce symptoms as well as to reduce the risk of recurrence or severity of an episode.

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