Question: I have depression, and it is taking years to clear up. What is this illness, what can be done for them, and what is the long term prognosis?
There are many different types of depression. Some forms are a reaction to stresses in your life such as loss of a job or a death in the family, while others are caused by biochemical imbalances in the brain that occur for no apparent reason. Sometimes it can last for just a few weeks, while in others it may recur, or persist for years. Psychiatrists will attempt to determine the type of depression that is affecting you before starting any treatment, but this is often very difficult, as there are no blood or other tests that can help the doctor, and s/he must depend on his/her clinical skills.
Once the diagnosis is made, the correct treatment will be started. This will usually involve the use of one or more medications, counseling, psychotherapy, and occasionally shock treatment.
There are some cases that can be cured, but others may only have their depression controlled. There are many diseases that cannot be cured, but are effectively controlled, and good examples would be diabetes and high blood pressure, where medication must be used life long.
Provided the patient is prepared to carefully follow a doctor’s advice, the majority of cases of depression can be cured or controlled, so that the patient can lead a normal life with minimal side effects from the treatment. Only in cases where there is poor compliance with treatment, poor family support or other adverse factors does the patient face a life of continued depression and risk suicide.

Question: Can depression be caused by an incorrect balance of the hormones ?
Depression is a common problem in women who are passing through the menopause, and can become extremely distressing to both the woman and her family. Hormone replacement therapy is designed to do what its name implies— replace the hormones that are lost during the menopause, and therefore prevent the complications of the menopause.
During menopause women suffer from hot flushes, irregular menstruation, breast tenderness and loss of libido as well as depression. The lack of female hormones after the menopause leads to an increase in the incidence of osteoporosis, heart attacks and strokes.
Every woman’s hormonal balance is different, and sometimes it takes a considerable time, and numerous changes in both the hormone form and dosage to get just the right balance for a particular woman.
If depression is a continuing problem, it may be that the hormone replacement therapy you are taking is not quite the right balance for you, or you may require some specific anti-depressant medication. Write down exactly how you feel regarding your depression, and how the menopause is affecting you, and take the list to your general practitioner to discuss it further. Almost certainly, you will be able to receive furthet assistance with your problems.