Treatment Depression is usually treated with a combination of antidepressants and therapy. Antidepressants are drugs used to regulate mood by raising the level of chemicals in the brain that have been affected by depression. Therapy is usually used in conjunction with medication. People may speak to a therapist alone or with a group. This kind of therapy is usually aimed at helping people with depression build a positive support system and eliminate negative beliefs that may be contributing to their depression.
There are other treatments for depression, but they are rarely used--usually only as a last resort. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of these. It creates brief, powerful seizures that for reasons unknown to psychologists helps some people recover from depression.
