What is The Link Between Depression and Multiple Sclerosis?

When you have a condition like multiple sclerosis, it’s vital to pay close attention to the physical symptoms and limitations of the condition. Things like difficulty walking, changes in vision, and increasing fatigue all have a significant impact on daily life and can provide signals of disease progress. Because patients and doctors alike can be… Continue reading What is The Link Between Depression and Multiple Sclerosis?

How to Treat Major Depressive Disorder

Feeling sad or down is a normal human emotion. It’s natural to feel negative feelings like sadness or depression when facing a life challenge, such as losing a job, the passing of a loved one, or facing a serious illness. These are usually short-lived and don’t interfere with daily living. But when these feelings become… Continue reading How to Treat Major Depressive Disorder

Key takeaways from a recent study on antidepressants

antidepressants

The World Health Organization reports 300 million people live with depression, but less than half receive effective treatment. A recent study in the journal The Lancet has been making headlines for comparing the effectiveness of antidepressant medications — information that is often lacking for patients trying to make informed choices about their treatments. They found that all of the… Continue reading Key takeaways from a recent study on antidepressants

Can ketamine help when antidepressants don’t? A closer look at the off-label drug that’s in the spotlight

You may have seen ketamine making headlines recently as a promising drug therapy for treatment-resistant depression, or “TRD.” (What’s TRD? Health care professionals define it as receiving at least two different antidepressants– for at least six weeks in a row, and at an adequate dosage – but experiencing less than a 50% improvement in depressive symptoms.) So,… Continue reading Can ketamine help when antidepressants don’t? A closer look at the off-label drug that’s in the spotlight

Is seasonal affective disorder real? Some call it “folk psychology”— others say it’s legit

Mental health experts first recognized seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — or depression that follows a seasonal pattern — in 1987. Some recent research has called SAD into question. What’s with the clashing theories? What do U.S. healthcare experts say, as of today? And how do people treat SAD? Read on. Questioning SAD Both culturally and… Continue reading Is seasonal affective disorder real? Some call it “folk psychology”— others say it’s legit

Light therapy for depression: What is it, and how does it work?

Bright light therapy is a treatment that’s become increasingly common for treating seasonal affective disorder, a condition that impacts many during the winter months. We sat down with our in-house research specialist to discuss light therapy – what it is, how it works and if it can help treat other types of depression in addition to… Continue reading Light therapy for depression: What is it, and how does it work?

Mike Wallace, Depression and Me

In honor of Men’s Health Week, we are pleased to present a guest post by PatientsLikeMe member tiredoftired, a young man who has been living with major depressive disorder since 2007.  Don’t miss this moving essay about how Mike Wallace’s passing earlier this year impacted and inspired him. As I was driving to therapy on… Continue reading Mike Wallace, Depression and Me