The sorts of antidepressants a psychologist would prescribe tend to be problematic in terms of side effects and success rate, so be sure to investigate low-risk options first. Some cases of depression correspond to micronutrient deficiencies; these can be tested for and addressed all at once using a large-dose multivitamin (the sort which has many times the recommended daily value for all the things that don’t have overdose risk). Also check for insufficient sleep, severely insufficient exercise, and caffeine abuse, all of which can make people miserable in ways that antidepressants won’t solve.
If none of that helps, then try the chemical antidepressants. But don’t stay on something that isn’t working; being depressed makes it hard to upset the status quo, even if that status quo is a medication that isn’t helping or is making things worse. As a defense against this problem, either schedule a particular day on which to reevaluate, or designate a trustworthy observer other than the prescribing psychiatrist. (And if it’s not working, then raising the dose is almost certainly not a good answer).
The sorts of antidepressants a psychologist would prescribe tend to be problematic in terms of side effects and success rate, so be sure to investigate low-risk options first. Some cases of depression correspond to micronutrient deficiencies; these can be tested for and addressed all at once using a large-dose multivitamin (the sort which has many times the recommended daily value for all the things that don’t have overdose risk). Also check for insufficient sleep, severely insufficient exercise, and caffeine abuse, all of which can make people miserable in ways that antidepressants won’t solve.
If none of that helps, then try the chemical antidepressants. But don’t stay on something that isn’t working; being depressed makes it hard to upset the status quo, even if that status quo is a medication that isn’t helping or is making things worse. As a defense against this problem, either schedule a particular day on which to reevaluate, or designate a trustworthy observer other than the prescribing psychiatrist. (And if it’s not working, then raising the dose is almost certainly not a good answer).
What you say sounds plausible, but I don’t see how to evaluate it against conflicting advice.