According to various reports as many as fifteen million Americans suffer from depression. The sad fact is that only a third of those Americans will ever seek help for their affliction. The age old stereotypes associated with mental illness influences many to avoid admitting they suffer from depression, and seeking out the depression treatment medications that will help them.

A few days of feeling sad or depressed does not mean depression. Depression can last for years, and it’s a serious illness. Depression is a progressive illness. Without depression treatment medications it will take over your life. Ignorance in this case isn’t bliss.

A variety of factors, and even combinations of these factors, lead to depression. It can be biological, genetic, physical and emotional. The day to day life of the victim may even have a role. Detrimental factors such as stress can lead to it. It takes a lot of knowledge to address a complex issue like depression.

We also recognize the intricacy of the human mind. To learn how the mind works, doctors and researchers are studying it each day. We know that many cases of depression are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. More about the way this process works is learned each day. The phrase is “learning is half the battle” and when it comes to depression treatment medications, knowledge is power.

This disease can be treated with a host of depression treatment medications. Of course the market is full of ‘quick fix’ antidotes. Clinical tests to prove something really works in treating depression are required. There was a time in our history if you were afflicted by anything that was associated with mental illness you were thrown into a mental ward and lost in the system. Fortunately that has all been changed. In 1988 the anti-depressant ‘Prozac’ first hit the market in the United States. Although it has side effects it is widely used and it is effective.

Since then a new class of anti-depressants has become popular as well. The SSRI or (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) like Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, and Luvox are all being used as depression treatment medications today. These work even though they too show some side effects.

There are also numerous natural herbal medications available on the market. The majority of these that have been proven to work as well as the anti-depressants contain the St. Joh’s Wort extract ingredient called ‘hyperforin’. Some herbal remedies don’t contain this ingredient in the proper strength so they don’t work.

Research and information are your friends when it comes to the right depression treatment medications.