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Your doctor will decide on the best course of action for you by trying to establish what is causing you to feel this way. There may be a specific reason or there may be no reason that you can think of. Either way the doctor will use this information to help you.

Your doctor may decide to start your treatment by giving you medication. Many people are wary of taking pills to treat depression because they believe that once they start taking it they will be on it for the rest of their lives. This is not the case, doctors are just as cautious about prescribing medication as you are about taking it. They know the potential risks and will carefully monitor you whilst you are taking the pills and find an appropriate and safe time for you to gradually stop taking them.

When you start to take the pills you may begin to feel impatient because you want the pills to make you feel better immediately, but unfortunately they don't work like that. They can take anywhere up to three weeks to have any significant effect on the way you are feeling. But you must persevere with them, don't give up just because you don't feel back to your old self after a week. These pills need time to work, these feelings didn't turn up overnight and they won't go away overnight either.

After a few weeks you should gradually notice a positive change in your mood, but if after six weeks you still feel no different then talk to your doctor again, they may decide to increase the dosage or they may be able to find another form of medication that will work better for you.

I am not going to lie to you, many of these medications have side effects that can put people off persevering with them but don't let the side effects beat you because they are only temporary and it's definitely worth putting up with them in the long run.

If you find the pills are disagreeing with you badly then consult your doctor again, different pills work for different people, it's a case of trial and error to find out which ones will work best for you.

During this time when the pills have not quite taken effect you may begin to feel vulnerable and scared, this is quite natural but remember there is nothing to be scared of, what you have done is a very brave and incredibly positive thing. And even in your darkest hour you need to remember that despite what you may think at the time, you do want to survive, you do want to live. You sought help and this means that you want to find a way out.

It's well documented that during the first few weeks of taking anti depressants many people will experience dramatic mood swings, feelings of anxiousness and feelings of deep depression. Do not ignore these feelings talk to someone about them, there is always someone to help whether it is a friend, a family member or a help line there is always someone to talk to.

Therapy.

Your doctor may decide that the best course of action is for you to see a counsellor or therapist. Many people are reluctant to take counselling or therapy because they think it's only for "crazy" people. But talking to someone face to face that will not judge you and knows how to help you work out all of your confused feelings can be so helpful.

Unfortunately it is not as simple as your doctor referring you and you getting an appointment within the same week, it doesn't work like that. Since resources are so limited many places have waiting lists of up to two years! But your doctor will know where to send you to get you an appointment as soon as possible.

If you don't know what to expect from therapy or counselling then don't worry, these people are there to help you, many people think that therapists are judging them on every little thing they do, but this is not true, they are simply trying to figure out the best way to help you solve your problems. And don't worry about being made to lie on a leather couch, you can sit down, stand up or walk around the room, it is entirely up to you.

Your counsellor or therapist can not force you to talk about things, if they tried it would be very counter productive but it really is best to try and talk things through with them. You may find it hard at first and any therapist will know that you may not be up to baring your soul in the first few sessions. But you should gradually find yourself building up a relationship of mutual trust with them which will make you feel more comfortable.

As I have said before, having someone to talk to that you know will not judge you can be incredibly helpful for anyone suffering with depression, so if your doctor suggests it, give it a try, you have nothing to lose.

If your doctor has recommended that you see a counsellor and take medication, don't be alarmed, this is a good thing, the pills can help you use the therapy more effectively.