Will depression ever end?

Thank you for your question, reader. Depression is a mood disorder that is deeply distressful to experience, so people with depression need 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 feel like “themselves” again and have the motivation to participate fully again in their lives. People recover from depression at different time rates, and different factors can help people get better faster. Two of the tools that can help speed recovery are psychotherapy and anti-depressant medications. Practicing self-care can also support treatment and aid recovery. Some good things you can do on your own to recover from depression include avoiding alcohol and other drugs, spending time with family and friends, managing stress, eating healthy, and practicing mindfulness. Sadly, untreated depression 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 a biological condition involving a change in brain chemistry that predisposes people to periods of low mood. You are at a greater risk of experiencing another episode of depression in your life if you have a history of depression. In this sense, we can’t say that depression can be cured, as it can recur. However, it is not guaranteed that you will have a depression again. When someone is experiencing depression, the goal is to help their mood recover so that the episode of depression resolves. 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. If you are having thoughts of suicide, there is a national helpline you can call for immediate assistance: 1-800-273-8255.