Depression is the most common mental illness that has the tendency to engulf humans. Ever since the existence of mankind depression has been affecting friends, families and many loved ones. It starts with a sense of sadness and feeling down low. Usually this feeling or phase passes but many people become a victim to prolonged sadness, which is termed as clinical depression or chronic mental disorder. Through medical research health practitioners have learnt how depression can take over a person's life causing problems in the work place, in daily life and lifestyle and even in relationships.

Depression, according to medical dictionary, is described as a prolonged feeling of sadness, loneliness, low self esteem, despair which results in withdrawal from social contact, insomnia and agitation in phases. There are usually different types of depression, which are termed as major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, psychotic depression, postpartum depression, SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and bi-polar disorder. According to research there are different reasons that cause these depressive disorders. As the results show, these can run in genes, can be triggered by huge loss or trauma and also physical & drug abuse. Many people try to fight these disorders on their own and some choose to opt for a depression therapy.

Many health practitioners and meditation experts have studied these disorders and have developed depression therapies. A depression therapy is a series of medication and counseling or a combination of methods to counter the mental disorders prevailing in people. Depression therapy can be used to treat chronic disorders and depressive conditions that have become very serious.

Since these disorders are treatable, even in their worst stages, health practitioners conduct a detailed diagnosis before recommending the best depression therapy for a person. Prompt treatment of these disorders is very effective and helps in reducing chances of reoccurrence. Once a detailed examination about the history, lifestyle and activities of the person the medical expert can offer a suitable depression therapy.

One common depression therapy is medication,also known dubbed as antidepressant. Different kinds of antidepressants exist in the market , which are prescribed with consideration of the minimum or least damaging side effects. These drugs work to stabilize and neutralize the neurotransmitters in the brain that are responsible for releasing chemicals that control the spectrum of moods. Many precautions need to be taken with this kind of depression therapy as the antidepressants can have a variety of side effects when mixed with some kinds of food and drinks. Usually doctors advise against consuming alcohol, dairy or sour products while on the medication.

The other most opted for depression therapy is the psychotherapy. This involves a series of counseling sessions that employ healthier ways to fight depression. The counseling sessions are conducted by trained psychotherapists and are accompanied by exercises and meditation. One effective depression therapy in this section is the mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) program. This MBSR program has evolved to become complimentary to medicine to treat people with depressive disorders. This program focuses on moment-to-moment realization of life and feeling in order to make each person more aware of their body's callouts and requirements. Spanning over 4-8 weeks, these sessions enable people to understand their breathing and become more accepting towards their emotions and needs. This depression therapy is based on ancient healing methods and incorporates meditation and yoga along with counseling.

One effective depression therapy in this section is the mindfulness based stress reduction and MBSR program.