When Antidepressants Don’t Work

We often see people who don’t respond to, or even feel worse, on antidepressants. Fortunately, there are many other options, from specialized psychotherapies to natural treatments to alternative medications. In fact, there are as many “non-antidepressant” medicines that treat depression (and bipolar depression) as there are antidepressant options.

An accurate diagnosis is the first step in identifying which treatments are right for you. In his new article in Psychiatric Times, Dr. Aiken details several common causes of depression that have a chance of getting worse with antidepressants:

• Bipolar depression
• Depression with mixed features
• Depression with short duration hypomania
• Borderline personality disorder
• Children, adolescents, and young adults (under age 25)
• People with genetic differences

Many people in those categories will improve with antidepressants, but they are all reasons to watch carefully for worsening of mood.

Read more in the slide show