Is Depression Curable Or Is It A Chronic Condition?

Dr. Pollack answers the question: 'Is Depression Curable Or Is It Chronic?'

ByABC News
November 20, 2008, 4:00 PM

— -- Question: Is depression curable or is it a chronic condition?

Answer: Well, when we say chronic condition we get the sense that you never get better. Most people who sustain depressions get better. Most people who are treated for depression get better and often stay better, although it may be necessary for them to stay on-and-off in talk therapy or on medication.

So in that sense, it's an illness that we have to watch out for throughout our lives. It's an illness that we may sustain more than one time during our lives, but it's not something that can't improve. So, it's something between what some people call "chronic" and what some people call "curable." But getting better? Absolutely.

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