Hi Madara,
Depression can be a chronic, relapsing illness. That means that once you've had one depressive episode, you may have more.
Many people find that their depression gets better at some times, and worse at others. If a person gets treatment and appears to have largely overcome the problem, later on it can worsen again for no apparent reason. A recurrence should NOT cause you to despair or to think of yourself as a "treatment failure." A recurrence can be treated just as effectively as an initial episode. However, you have to get the help you need.
In fact, the skills that a person learns in dealing with the initial episode can be helpful in coping with setbacks and recurrences. Many people who have overcome more than one depressive episode find that while they still have depressive episodes, they become much better at dealing with them. So even though their depression is not fully cured, it no longer controls their lives or the lives of those around them.
In short, the good news is that, once diagnosed, depression is highly treatable.
While there are no guarantees, and success rates vary with circumstances, appropriate treatment can reduce or completely eliminate symptoms of major depression in more than 80 percent of patients, particularly when depressive symptoms are recognized early. Again, even with relapses, reoccurences can be treated effectively. A standard course of pharmacotherapy and/or psychotherapy can benefit the majority of patients with depression.
Casey
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The DC Support Team
