Can one go to psychiatry to remove depression and then stop medications when it is all gone?

Antidepressants: There are a number of possible approaches to treating major depression. When antidepressant medication is used - it is usually recommended that it be taken for 6 to 12 months after good med response before being tapered off . Then it is usually stopped. People with repeated episodes of major depression or bipolar depression may need life-long meds. Take care.

Antidepressants: I agree with dr. Fowler's sharing of recommendations to stay on antidepressants (if they are needed in the first place) for 6-12 months to avoid relapse. Then they can be tapered. I have seen many people who stopped medications without telling their doctors, because they thought "it is all gone" (and relapsed). Psychotherapy, good nutrition & exercise can help you stay in remission for longer.

MOVING EARLY: Wat i read in professional journals is: keep your patient on whatever meds resolve his depression for 12 - 18 months after you reach a dose that stops a depression and keep that dose. This is the way I do it. Depressions have a nasty habit of recurring. Don't be in a hurry tostop the meds.

Generally, no.: Major depression is a life long, recurrent, relapsing illness, more like cancer than a cold. There are many people who do very well with a twelve month treatment of an antidepressant, taper off and stop, and are fine. But many more find that they relapse, and getting well again becomes more and more difficult with each additional relapse. My recommendation to my patients is stay well, meds or not.

Depression treatment: The answer to this depends on the severity of the depression and what the suspected triggers to the depression were. If depression was very severe or it there's been a history of depression before, recurrence is much more likely and often recommend staying on medication (possibly at lower dose) to prevent recurrence. If depression was less severe and/or triggered by specific event, can often stop.

No: It is not a good idea to have treatment and abruptly stop. Chance of return of problem would be very high.

Maybe: Depression is a combination of how one processes information and their biochemistry. By changing one, the other is changed. It is possible to take an antidepressant for a limited time, but some people will need to be on medication all of their lives.

YES: Most importantly, focus on the doctor-patient relationship. If you and your prescriber decide together, going off a medication can be a fine choice. Treating teens who have a good response to a moderate depression, I might advocate remission for 6 mo to a year then attempt gradual taper. Considerations include the number of depressive episodes, their severity, and current illness severity.