Depression isn't a weakness, and it's not an issue of willpower or laziness. In many people, it's biologically based. If you've been beating yourself up, comparing yourself to others, and wondering why you can't fix this and move forward, read on.

You wouldn't react that way to diabetes, or a thyroid condition. You'd treat it. It's no longer debated that structural changes in the brain occur during prolonged depression and mood changes - shrinkage actually.

It's time to take the moral judgment out of depression, and begin focussing on treatment.

As you review the section on symptoms of depression, the question may occur to you - how can depression look so different from one person to another?

Think of it as an opportunistic condition, one that exploits the vulnerabilities of each individual. Depression amplifies an individual's existing vulnerabilities, whether it's anxiety, panic, concentration, physical pain, anger, low self esteem, or fatigue.

Although the subjective experience of those suffering from depression is varied, depression treatment options have been, unfortunately quite narrow.

A lot of people are misdiagnosed with major depressive disorder, when in fact, their mood swings show a kind of bipolar disorder. If that sounds heavier to you and more worrisome, it shouldn't.

Unipolar depression is associated with major depressive disorder, and bipolar depression describes itself. Regarding one as being less acceptable than the other, is as arbitrary as saying that it's inherently better when a pendulum swings in a circle compared to an oval. Since depression is most often the dominant feature in bipolar disorder, depression treatment is very important there as well. The approach however, is usually different.

If you've been undergoing depression treatment with medication for some time without results, it may be time to explore the possibility of misdiagnosis. Many in the medical community assert that treating bipolar disorder with antidepressants, actually worsens the condition. Most people are prescribed antidepressants by their primary care doctor, and could greatly benefit from consultation with a psychiatrist.

There are other effective ways to approach treatment, besides, or in addition to, medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidenced based practice (that means it's effectiveness has been proven) that can be an adjunct or stand alone treatment. There are ways to do this as self-help treatment, or with a therapist who specializes in CBT. In fact those with moderate depression may be more likely to recover using CBT, learning to change the automatic thinking patterns which lead to suffering. Yes, believing cognitive distortions causes misery. Albert Ellis, one of the modern pioneering founders of this approach, looked to the teachings of the Buddha to develop his Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.

This guide is meant to help you find your way to the depression treatment that works best for you. Knowing the most important natural mood stabilizers, and maximizing them wherever you can, is very important for positive outcomes. You're welcome to explore and participate in this guide, and to find your way through to healing.