Major depressive disorder: Treatment

A patient’s doctor may have to change the antidepressant taken, adjust the dosages of medications, or try different combinations of antidepressants before finding the most effective option for the patient; response rates to the first agent administered may be as low as 50 percent.[36] It may take anywhere from three to eight weeks after the start of medication before its therapeutic effects can be fully discovered. Patients are generally advised not to stop taking an antidepressant suddenly and to continue its use for at least four months to prevent the chance of recurrence. For patients that have chronic depression, medication may need to be continued for the remainder of their life.

Major depressive disorder

Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, clinical depression, or simply depression, is a psychiatric disorder characterized by a pervasive low mood, loss of interest in a person’s usual activities and diminished ability to experience pleasure. The diagnosis is made if a person has suffered one or more major depressive episodes. The onset is usually in early- to mid-adulthood. Diagnosis is based on the patient’s self-reported experiences and observed behavior; there is no laboratory test for major depression. The course varies widely: it can be a once-in-a-lifetime event or have multiple recurrences; it can appear either gradually or suddenly; and can either last for a few months or be a life-long disorder.

Alprazolam: History

“[The public often] underestimate the extent to which certain disorders affect the general populace. When you treat them, it can make a tremendous amount of difference in their lives.” (David Sheehan, first discovered alprazolam’s efficacy in treating panic disorder.

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