has merits by itself, but those multiply when combined. The most popular combination of treatments includes using antidepressants in conjunction with regularly scheduled visits to a professional. This allows for the drugs to aid in improving the mood between visits, while the visits teach the person how to cope with any cognitive distortions that may arise. The biggest challenge when treating depression is convincing the patient to stick with any type of therapy. Patients become stubborn and quit taking their medication or visiting the doctor as soon as they begin to feel better. This is a huge mistake because it will only cause the individual to fall back into the old patterns and problems. Depression is one of those conditions that can return if proper preventative measures are not taken. Patients need to understand that depression can return at any time and certain precautions must be taken. The individual needs to continue drug treatments in conjunction with doctor visits to have the highest rate of recovery. A study done by Dr. Reynolds showed that 3 years after being treated for depression, patients who used drug treatments and continued regular visits to the doctor only had a 20% relapse rate. Those who did not continue their medication or doctor visits had a 90% rate of relapse. Dr. Reynolds states, "Our results demonstrate the importance of adding just one counseling secession a month to a medication regimen (March 1999)." It is important to treat depression as early as possible because once the patient passes the age of 70 it becomes difficult for any long-term results. Depression is no different from most other medical problems in that the earlier the problem is detected the better the chances of a successful recovery. Elderly individuals have many potential reasons to be depressed ranging from society's perception of them to their own self-opinion. The health of a person also begins to decline as they age which reinforces th...
