When Does Depression Warrant Medication?
Jul 01, 2025
Depression is a serious mental health condition, one that affects millions of Americans each year. Numerous treatment options can help individuals who are struggling with depression, but finding the right fit isn’t always easy.
At Greenwich Avenue Psychiatry, a team of caring and compassionate mental health practitioners works together to deliver outstanding care and support. This includes in-depth diagnostic and treatment services for depression, one of the most common mental health issues.
Sadness is part of the human condition, and virtually no one will get through life without experiencing sadness firsthand. Numerous challenges can bring on a period of sadness, including the loss of a loved one, a financial crisis, divorce, or a job loss.
Your emotional reaction to these events can be intense and can linger for weeks or longer. Most people can move forward after a while as they process the circumstances that brought on situational depression.
However, chronic depression is different. It can linger for months, even years. In some cases, there is no apparent cause or easily identifiable contributing factors.
Chronic depression gets in the way of your everyday routines, making it hard to find joy in things and events that once made you incredibly happy.
Working with a trained counselor or psychotherapist can be an excellent way to treat depression. Your therapist can help you process trauma or grief and learn how to replace negative thought patterns with more helpful, healthy thoughts.
But not everyone can emerge from the depths of depression through talk therapy alone. Some people need additional support, often in the form of pharmaceutical intervention. Fortunately, there have never been more options available to help individuals manage depression.
Antidepressants work by balancing brain chemicals that affect mood and emotions, and they’re often most effective when combined with therapy and lifestyle changes.
Our team bases treatment strategies on your specific needs. For instance, your provider may recommend medication when symptoms are severe, persistent, interfering with daily life, or making it difficult to implement healthy responses arrived at through talk therapy.
Professional medication management is one of our specialties at Grenwhich Avenue Psychiatry, and a critical part of your drug therapy journey. Having a trusted health professional review your current plan ensures that your medications are working as intended.
This includes mental health medications as well as drugs you take to manage other health issues, like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. You already know that drugs come with a risk of side effects. But most people are not aware that many drugs can affect the way that other medications work.
Medication management involves an in-depth review of the medications you’re currently taking to determine if your therapy is delivering the intended effects. Because so many people are taking medicines prescribed by more than one practitioner, the risk of adverse drug interactions is high.
Your practitioner can also determine if there are better medication options available, or if you might benefit from adjusting your dosage, the time of day you take your medications, or whether you take certain medicines with food.
If you’re struggling with depression, know that you are not alone. At Greenwich Avenue Psychiatry, we are standing by to provide guidance and support.
We proudly offer both in-person and telehealth visits for patients in Connecticut and New York. Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment if you feel you could use some professional assistance. Simply visit our online scheduling page or call us at 475-897-5297.