If Depression Goes Untreated, What Happens?

Progression of Untreated Depression 

Depression (and the distressing feelings it can cause) often becomes more intense when it's left untreated. It can even become chronic and last for years or a lifetime. Depression doesn't only affect mood and emotions, either. Depression also causes physical symptoms such as nausea, chronic pain, fatigue, and headaches. And when it isn't treated, these symptoms persist. Sleep is affected, as well. Many people with untreated depression suffer insomnia and find it difficult to sleep. Others feel excessively tired and find it necessary to sleep more.

Some researchers believe that depression is connected to the immune system, so untreated depression may also impact your overall health or ability to recover from illnesses. Your personal, family, and work life could be impacted, too. For instance, if depression goes untreated, there's an increased likelihood of work performance decline and absenteeism.

Further, untreated depression has been found to increase a person's risk of developing drug or alcohol addiction. So, although it may be tempting to stop the search for treatment altogether, the negative consequences aren't worth it. In the long run, continuing to seek treatment will have the most positive results, even if it seems like a difficult road.

Stopping Antidepressants 

If you've found no relief from antidepressants, or if your antidepressants have had unpleasant side effects, you may be wondering, what happens if I stop taking my antidepressants? You may think it makes sense to stop taking something that just isn't working, but suddenly going off an antidepressant can have adverse outcomes. How? Put simply, antidepressants impact your brain chemistry. They work by changing the way certain brain chemicals, called neurotransmitters, affect your mood and emotion. Eventually, messenger cells in your brain get accustomed to receiving increased levels of neurotransmitters.

If you abruptly stop taking your antidepressants, you could experience serious symptoms of withdrawal—especially if you've taken the medication(s) for more than a month. Some of the withdrawal symptoms include nausea, anxiety, restlessness, trouble sleeping, nightmares, sweating, and electric shock-like feelings in your head. Altogether, these symptoms are also known as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. Antidepressant withdrawal symptoms typically occur within a few days of stopping antidepressant medication. Generally, they can last for up to six weeks. In some cases, however, the withdrawal symptoms are more severe and can last for many months.

If you want to stop taking your antidepressant medication, you should speak to your physician first. Any reduction of your antidepressants will probably be gradual—over several weeks. This way, your body can adapt better to the changes in your neurotransmitter levels.

A Different Kind of Treatment 

If you've tried multiple antidepressant medications and feel like they aren't working, there's a chance you might have treatment-resistant depression. You're not alone, though: about one-third of people with depression still have symptoms even after trying two medications. It's also possible that the antidepressant you're on works well but has intolerable side effects. The search for the right treatment can take some time, but there are other options out there that have worked for many people.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy is one such option you may want to consider. It's a safe, non-invasive treatment that is used to effectively treat major depressive disorder. TMS therapy uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific brain regions involved in mood regulation. It has successfully treated depression for many people who did not have much success with antidepressants and talk therapy. You can learn more about TMS therapy from patients reporting their positive outcomes. Whatever path you choose, remember to stay hopeful on your journey. You deserve to feel like yourself again.