Is There Anything I Can Do if My Depression Hasn’t Gone Away with Antidepressants?

Depression treatment often takes time to work, and you might find yourself feeling frustrated when nothing seems to be changing. Antidepressants are designed to help even out your mood so that you get more satisfaction out of life, but you might not feel the effects right away. When you find yourself wondering what you can do if your depression hasn’t gone away with antidepressants, you can feel good knowing that there are ways to begin to feel better.

The first thing to remember when you have medication-resistant depression is that the things you put into your body affect your moods. Right now, you may be tempted to use drugs or alcohol to numb your feelings of sadness. You might even be dealing with a relapse or fully immersed in addictive behaviors. Drug and alcohol addiction can impact how well your medication works, and they can make your depression symptoms worse. Figuring out how to feel better and stay sober is easiest when you create a network of support that addresses all of your mental health conditions.

Understand How Antidepressants Work

Antidepressants are not a magic pill that can instantly make you feel happy. Instead, they are designed to help balance out certain chemicals in your brain that influence your mood. For some people, this process takes a long time before the effects become noticeable. Your doctor may recommend that you wait several weeks to see how your mood changes over time. In some cases, you might need to switch medications.

Never stop taking your medication without your health care provider’s approval. This is because quitting certain medications abruptly can generate undesirable side effects. If you visit a rehab program, then make sure to let your treatment team know about the antidepressants that you take. This way, they can help you continue to follow your medication schedule. They can also stay alert for symptoms that could indicate that you need a different type of treatment or medication.

Get Counseling to Address the Underlying Causes of Your Depression

Depression can sometimes be caused by events in your life that are hard to overcome. Situational depression sometimes occurs after a traumatic event such as the loss of a loved one. Losing a job, moving to a new location and experiencing a major accident are a few common causes of this type of depression. Clinical depression is another type that sometimes occurs when situational depression is not addressed early on. You may also be clinically depressed due to genetic risk factors that make it harder for you to cope during difficult life events.

Being depressed places you at a higher risk for developing an addiction. Your counselors can help you identify why you feel extreme sadness for prolonged periods of time. They can also help you to find positive coping methods that help you stay off of drugs and alcohol. During your treatment, you can benefit from these services that all help you to begin the process of healing.

  • group therapy
  • intensive one-on-one counseling
  • assistance with medication monitoring
  • recreational therapy

Develop Healthy Lifestyle Habits That Promote Happiness

Using other strategies to treat your depression can help your medication to work better. Getting sober is an obvious way to even out your moods. Your treatment can also include cultivating new habits that promote better wellbeing. Exercise is frequently recommended for anyone who is dealing with depression. Taking a walk, lifting weights and playing sports can all help your body to release endorphins that generate a happier mood. Your diet can also play a role in how you feel mentally. Cleaning up your diet can eliminate things such as mood swings that are caused by too much sugar or caffeine.

One of the healthiest habits that you can develop while you are treating depression is the ability to turn to others for help when you need it. Depression and addiction treatment focuses on helping you to make new sober friends who understand what you are going through. You’ll also learn how to identify the early signs of your depression getting worse or coming back. This makes it easier for you to seek treatment in the early stages before your depression or addiction get harder to treat.

Are you concerned that your antidepressants aren’t working like they should? If so, we can help you figure out what is going on. Give us a call today at 772-266-5320 to take the first step toward feeling better.

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