I. What is depression? Depression is a psychiatric disorder that makes the patient depressed, but this depression is different from the usual sadness. Depression can cause difficulties in work, school or daily life for the patient. Problems with neurotransmitters in the brain can trigger affective disorders Figure 1 Affective disorders, such as: depression and bipolar disorder, an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain can occur in depression and bipolar disorder. Medication for the disorder can work by regulating the brain’s neurotransmitters. Second, how to recognize if you have depression? People with depression feel depressed for most of the time for more than 2 weeks. At the same time, at least one of the following symptoms may be present: sadness, depression, hopelessness about losing interest in things you used to enjoy doing, or being grumpy almost most of the day. People with depression may also show the following symptoms: weight loss or gain, insomnia or increased sleep, feeling tired or low energy, self-blame or feeling worthless, poor memory or feeling that your mind is spinning, feeling hopeless, or even negative thoughts or behaviors. If you think you may have depression, consult your doctor. Only a mental health professional can diagnose whether you are depressed. Third, if you experience thoughts of self-harm or suicide, seek help immediately! If you feel you may be hurting yourself or others, seek help in any of the following ways: call your doctor or nurse and tell them the situation is urgent; call an ambulance (120); go immediately to the emergency room of your local hospital for help; call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Fourth, how should depression be treated? Depression can be treated as follows: medication, psychotherapy, physical therapy. Combining both medication and psychotherapy, most patients with mild to moderate depression can improve their condition. Some patients can be combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Patients with very severe depressive symptoms need to be hospitalized and, if necessary, treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which doctors call ECT. v. How long will it take for my condition to improve? Both medication and psychotherapy require a certain amount of time to take effect. Many patients improve within 2 weeks of taking the medication, but it can take 4-8 weeks for the medication to take full effect. After a few weeks of psychotherapy, many patients will improve, but it will take 8-10 weeks for patients to benefit more from psychotherapy. You should inform your doctor if the first treatment does not work, but do not give up. Some patients will need to try other treatments or a combination of treatments before they can finally find a treatment plan that works for them. Your doctor or psychotherapist will work with you to find a treatment plan that works for you. They will also help you find the best treatment plan and teach you how to cope with the problems you may encounter while waiting for treatment to take effect. How do I determine what kind of treatment I should receive? You and your doctor will discuss treatment options with you together. Medication works faster than psychotherapy, but medication has side effects and some patients do not like the idea of medication. On the other hand, psychotherapy requires you to talk about your feelings in front of a stranger, which can be difficult for some people, and some types of depression do not respond well to psychotherapy. 7. Is adolescent depression the same as adult depression? No, it is not. Compared to adults, the symptoms of depression in adolescents are different. Some adolescents feel moody or upset a lot of the time, which makes it difficult for them to express when they are really depressed. Adolescents with depression often seem irritable, they are easily “bothered” or “annoyed,” and they may even hit someone. Moreover, parents often prefer psychotherapy to medication for adolescents with depression. This is because of the concern that antidepressants may cause adverse reactions in some adolescents. Even so, a proportion of adolescents with depression need to receive medication. The consensus of most domestic and international experts states that antidepressants are safe, and parents should abandon their prejudice against medication for adolescents with depression who do need antidepressant treatment. VIII. What should I do if I plan to get pregnant while taking antidepressant medication? Some antidepressants may affect the fetus, but untreated depression during pregnancy can be equally problematic. If you are planning to become pregnant while on medication, do not stop taking the medication. Please inform your treating physician so that you and your physician can discuss the most appropriate plan for pregnancy and childbirth.