Sometimes, antidepressants don’t work, at least not yet. In my experience treating depression over the past many years, the most common reason they don’t work is it hasn’t been long enough or the dose isn’t high enough. Sometimes it’s just not the right one.

One of the biggest difficulties is having made the decision to seek help, you want help now, but the medications just don’t work that way. Often improvement is insidious, and others notice you’re improving before you see it. The markers can be quite subtle.

Medications aren’t the only answer and not the answer for everyone. The process can be painfully slow. It’s frustrating for you and for those of us who provide this care.

Keep hanging on to hope that tomorrow will be better than today. Listen to your care providers.

You’ve taken the most difficult step. The next ones may be slow. They may be two forward and one back. But bottom line: You don’t have to feel the way you do.