· Treatment for depression lasts at least six months and often longer. · Different antidepressant medications that you might have heard of include:  Zoloft, Prozac, Lithium, Elavil, Sinequan, Wellbutrin, Nardil, or Desyrel.  Some doctors even recommend herbal supplements like St. John’s wort to treat depression. · Many depressed people don’t stay on their antidepressant medications long enough for them to be effective.  Sometimes, people feel a little better and so they figure they don’t need the medication anymore.  Or, there may be side effects that make the drug unpleasant to take.  (You can help by reminding and/or encouraging your clients to take their antidepressants as ordered.  Be sure to report any client who is noncompliant with a medication.) · Depression is the fourth most common reason that people visit the doctor—but only half the people who have symptoms of depression go to the doctor. · Some antidepressant medications increase the risk for falls in elderly people.  (Watch your elderly clients carefully and report any signs of unsteady gait, dizziness or falls. )   · Younger people who are depressed usually sleep too much, while elderly people with depression often find themselves tossing and turning all night. · Some elderly people stop taking their antidepressant medication because they are afraid of falling.   (This needs to be reported right away.  There are nineteen different medications being used to treat depression.  Your client may be able to take a different one that doesn’t cause dizziness.) · Antidepressant medications take two to four weeks to provide full relief from the symptoms of depression.   · Doctors say that it is important for people to get treated for depression as quickly as possible because the longer the disease settles in the brain, the harder it may be to treat.   · Depression costs the United States about $50 billion every year! · Too much stress can make depression worse— just like too much sugar makes diabetes worse.   (Be sure to help your clients avoid stress.  Stick to a simple, daily routine and encourage your clients to express their feelings and worries.) · Without treatment, 10 to 15% of people who suffer with depression end up committing suicide.  With treatment, 80 to 90% of these people would recover. · The average age of people with depression is about 35, but an increasing number of elderly people are suffering from the disease. · Depression hits people of all races.  However, there are cultural differences in how people react to depression.  For example, the most common symptoms of depression in African Americans are change of appetite and weight gain, and many African Americans believe that prayer is the best treatment for depression. Facts About Depression In the Know Page 4