1. Getting help means first realizing that something is wrong, that there are nagging thoughts and feelings and sleep disturbances that won’t go away. It means considering the possibility that depression is present.

2. Getting help also means recognizing that help is available and that treatment works.

3. Obtaining treatment means finding someone who is skilled and experienced in treating depression and who will work with you over time. Such caregivers are often found through the assistance of friends who have wrestled with depression, through family, or through your trusted physician. This caregiver must be able to explain in language you can understand the nature of your specific depression, and what the range of appropriate treatments is. … And then it means that you and this person make a choice. You try an approach and then follow it through to make sure it is working. Unfortunately, it may also mean battling with insurance companies to make sure they pay for the coverage you require.

4. Obtaining help means staying in treatment until the signs and symptoms recede, often a period of months. Sometimes one approach doesn’t work completely and you need to try another one. (49)

This passage was taken from When a Parent is Depressed, a book written for families facing depression. When a Parent is Depressed is published by Little, Brown, and Company and can be purchased at your local bookstore, through the publisher’s website (www.twbookmark.com), or at any major online book retailer.