Can depression be cured?

Thank you for your question, reader. Depression is a biological mood disorder that is deeply distressful to experience, and it is important for people with depression to know that their mood will eventually recover. People with a history of a depressive episode, a period of low mood with other symptoms that lasts two weeks or longer, will be able to get back to “normal” again and have the motivation to participate fully in their lives. There are different factors that can help people recover from depression faster. Working with a mental health professional in therapy and taking anti-depressant medication are two of the tools that can help speed recovery. When depression goes untreated, it can lead to suicidal actions that do not allow people to recover, so it is important to seek help if you have symptoms of depression. Other symptoms of depression are:

• Loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities
• A significant change in appetite or change of weight
• Sleeping a lot more or a lot less than usual
• Feeling agitated or much less active than normal
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Loss of concentration or ability to think clearly and make decisions
• Recurrent thoughts of death and/or recurrent suicidal thoughts with/without a plan to complete suicide

If you have been experiencing any suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Depression is likely associated with changes in brain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. "These neurotransmitters play important roles in regulating energy levels, sleep, appetite, motivation, and pleasure," according to a quote from Amy Ricke, MD (https://www.insider.com/why-does-depression-make-you-tired). People who have experienced a depressive episode are at a greater risk of experiencing another episode of depression in their lifetimes. In this sense, there is no absolute cure for depression, as it can recur. When someone is experiencing depression, the goal is to help their mood to recover so that the episode of depression resolves. Some people only experience one depressive episode in their lives, and others will have multiple. Depression can be debilitating and cause temporary, significant disruption to daily life activities, so it is important to seek help and get on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.