Will I get depressed again after I have recovered?

Many people who have a major depressive episode go for many years without another episode of depression. Remission is defined as the absence of or presence of only
minimal symptoms with normal functionality. Once remission has lasted for more than 6 months, it is considered recovery. If full recovery has been achieved, a subsequent episode of depression is considered a recurrence. The risk of recurrence drops with increasing time since the index episode.The risk for recurrence is highest with in the first year after recovery. The risk for recurrence is also affected by the number of episodes of depression that you have had. The greater the number of episodes that you have had, the greater is your risk for becoming depressed again.

Response to a treatment is defined as a significant improvement of symptoms,but without being completely free of symptoms.Another term for this is partial remission.It is important to remember that although many effective treatments for depression are available,response and recovery may not occur with the first treatment intervention.Less than half of depressed persons achieve remission with a trial of a single antidepressant.Keeping this in mind,it is very possible that another medication will need to be tried
or that your physician will recommend other strategies.Current research efforts are geared toward facilitating complete remission of depression in most persons.The potential consequences of failing to achieve remission include an increased risk for relapse and later treatment resistance,impaired work functioning,and an increased cost of healthcare.