Process - Physician - Fraser Health Authority

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT DEPRESSION?MAJOR DEPRESSIONIn addition to the actions described previously…■ Definitely see your family physician if you thinkyou might be this depressed. Major Depression is aserious problem and should be diagnosed by a familyphysician, psychiatrist or psychologist.■ Antidepressant medications are the most commonlyprescribed treatments for Major Depression and areusually effective.■ An equally effective treatment for most cases ofMajor Depression is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT). CBT is a talking therapy that teaches new skillsfor thinking and acting more effectively. This guide isbased on CBT methods.■ Yet another effective treatment is interpersonaltherapy (IPT), a talking therapy that teaches newskills for dealing with partners, friends and family.■ For long-lasting or recurrent depression, the mostpowerful approach is to combine antidepressantmedication with one of these kinds of talkingtherapy.Learning and practicing the antidepressant skills in this guide is likely to help in overcomingMajor Depression. BUT remember that the skills taught in this guide will not be enough bythemselves to fix something this serious. If you have a Major Depression, you should seekprofessional help.SELF-CARE DEPRESSION PROGRAM15 ANTIDEPRESSANT SKILLS WORKBOOK