Can depression be treated without medication?
Yes, depression can be treated without medication. The treatment really depends on the cause of the depression.
However, clinicians commonly choose a combination of medication and therapy as the preferred treatment for depression.
There is something called "situational depression." So once that situation changes, the depression disappears. That is not to say a person shouldn’t seek treatment for situational depression. Depression can damage your health and well being, so it requires treatment.
Exercise is nature’s way of fighting depression because it produces the "feel good" hormones. Those hormones can reduce depression. Simply getting out in the sunlight can improve the depression in those suffering from seasonal affective disorder.
Depending on the severity of symptoms, medication is not mandatory. It may reduce suffering and can speed the progress of treatment. Severe symptoms may prevent someone from succeeding in psychotherapy without medication. Depressive symptoms can develop as side effects of some medications and from certain illnesses. It is a good idea to speak with your psychiatrist as well as your therapist if you have medical issues.
