Stop Depression: Can You Cure Depression?

Scientists, patients and loved ones are all looking for a cure for depression. Everyone would like a medication or a therapeutic technique that would stop depression for good. Unfortunately, depression can't be cured, but it can be treated for the vast majority of people. However, lifetime remission could be thought of as cured depression.

One of the biggest barriers to stopping depression is getting adequate treatment – up to two-thirds of people don't realize they have a treatable illness. Society's stigma around depression and the treatments used to help "cure" depression also stop people from getting depression help.

It's important to remember though, while a cure for depression may not be available, depression treatment enables 70% - 80% of people to achieve a significant reduction in depression symptoms.¹

How to Stop Depression

How to stop depression is different for each individual. For some people, psychotherapy offers the best depression cure while for others, medication is necessary to stop their depression. Depression may be treated using:

• Medication (info on: depression medications)
• Psychotherapy (info on depression therapy)
• Lifestyle changes for depression (such as diet and exercise)
• Other therapies (such as light therapy or electroconvulsive therapy)

Most doctors agree a combination of medication and psychotherapy give people the best chance at a long-lasting depression cure, particularly in cases of severe depression. In cases of mild-to-moderate depression, psychotherapy and lifestyle changes alone may stop depression.

Depression Remission

Rather than a depression cure, most doctors talk about depression remission. Depression remission indicates a cessation or dramatic reduction of depression symptoms. Complete remission, where the patient no longer experiences any impact from depression in day-to-day life and has little to no depression symptoms, is the objective of treatment. It's possible to have partial remission where only some of the depression symptoms go away, but stopping depression completely is always the goal.

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