Is Medication Effective for Depression?

Many of you have probably heard of a recent medical study finding that medications are no more effective than a placebo (a sugar pill) in treating mild depression. I really worry about how most social security disability applicants are going to interpret this recent news.

It has been my experience that most people who have a severe physical problem suffer from depression and/or anxiety, and its usually more than just "mild". But I have also observed that most of us have trouble acknowledging mental health problems and seeking help for them. And often times when we have lived with feelings of sadness or anxiety for a while we don't realize how bad those feelings have become.

So my worry is that people that are very depressed and anxious, thinking their symptoms to only be mild, will think of this study when offered a medication that could help them, and decline the offer. So I encourage all my clients to take a good look at their mental state, ask the opinion family or friends who often see more of our moods than we are aware of, and consider whether depression/anxiety medications could be helpful.