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If your symptoms include thoughts or plans involving harming yourself or another person, detachment from reality (psychosis), or excessive use of alcohol or drugs, contact your health professional for help right away.
Many people with depression delay seeking medical advice and treatment because they believe depression is not serious or they think they can get through it, or even beat it, on their own. Sometimes people who are deeply depressed feel that nothing will help. But like other major health problems, depression cannot be overcome without treatment. In fact, untreated depression can worsen, cause other health problems, and may last years or even a lifetime. It can have a serious impact on both you and the people you care about.
With treatment such as counseling and medications, the symptoms of even major depression can begin to improve in a few weeks. The choice to seek evaluation and treatment is an essential first step on the path to feeling better. For more information, see the topic Depression.
Adapted from: Radloff LS (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurement, 1(3): 385–401.
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| Last updated: | October 24, 2005 |
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| Author: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Reviewed By: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Terrina Vail |
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