Depression is more than sadness or feeling depressed for a few days.  A serious condition that can last months or even years, that’s depression.  Studies have show that around 15 million Americans are affected by this illness each and every year.  The sad fact is that only a third of those Americans will ever seek help for their affliction.  The age-old stereotype associated with mental illness influences many to still avoid admitting they suffer from depression.  Depression is a progressive illness.  It will get worse without treatment or depression medication.  It cannot be ignored. 

Depression is caused by a variety of factors.  Physical and emotional problems, chemical issues, even DNA all play a part.  It can be given birth by the very environment that the victim lives in.  It can be caused by stress brought on by even more detrimental factors.  Depression is a very complicated disease.  As well, the human brain and its workings are quite complex.  The medical profession is working steadily in an attempt to study the mind and how it works.  We know that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.  We are learning more every day about how the whole process works.  The more we learn about depression the better we can treat it.

There are a variety of depression medications available to treat this illness.  Of course the market is full of ‘quick fix’ antidotes.  Make sure the treatment has been studied and scientifically proven to address depression.  There was a time in our history if you were afflicted by anything that was associated with mental illness you were thrown into a mental ward and lost in the system.  It’s good to know that’s no longer the case.  In 1988 the anti-depressant ‘Prozac’ first hit the market in the United States.  It has bee proven effective and is still in use today although it does come with side effects.

Since that time more and more use has been made of a new class of anti-depressants.  The SSRI or (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) like Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, and Luvox are all being used to treat depression today.  All have been proven effective but come with varied side effects.  There are also numerous natural herbal depression medications available on the market.  The majority of these that have been proven to work as well as the anti-depressants contain the St. John Wort extract ingredient called ‘hyperforin’.   When this is present in the proper quantity it is a winner.  When seeking depression medications that work ask questions, do your research, and know the facts.