How do you know if a depressive episode is ending? what does it feel like, or what does it look like?

Lifting of mood: Some of my patients have described it as the lifting of a heavy blanket that was holding them down for months. The fog lifts; energy returns. The person becomes more interested in other people and activities. S/he may initiate interactions & call friends, after months of not returning phone calls. S/he may become less hard on self, and see more possibilities than limitations. Appetites normalize.