Emma has had depression since her late teens. Generally she describes having a reactive type of depression that has occurred in response to difficult life events. She feels that antidepressants have helped, but that it is important for people to learn to deal with their problems through talking therapy. She has found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) useful in the past. Emma also takes medication for a neurological condition that was diagnosed a few years ago. Coping with the effects of this has exacerbated her depression at times.

Peter first experienced depression when he was a teenager but he did not seek help from a GP until he was at university. He was initially prescribed fluoxetine which wasn't entirely effective. After trying this for a while he self-referred to see a family friend who is a psychiatrist who recommended a change to venlafaxine, which he finds works well to alleviate depressive symptoms.

Charlotte first experienced depression when she was 16. She didn't understand why she was feeling a persistent low mood. She had begun self-harming. She eventually saw a GP when she was 19, as a friend had suggested she should talk to a doctor about how she was feeling. Her GP diagnosed depression and prescribed an antidepressant but she experienced severe side effects and it did not appear to improve her mood. When her doctor changed her to venlafaxine it seemed to lift her mood almost immediately. Since then she has taken venlafaxine intermittently when she has had bouts of depression.

Lucy first experienced depression as a young teenager but was not prescribed antidepressant medication until she was older. She continued to feel depressed intermittently but muddled through' for a while. During her first year at university things began to feel intolerable and she sought help from the GP. She was prescribed Prozac (fluoxetine) initially but didn't find it effective. She now takes mirtazapine, which she says works well.

Dina first experienced symptoms of clinical depression as a postgraduate student in 1991 and was prescribed an antidepressant. She took the antidepressant medication for about a year. For a number of years Dina felt relatively well but in 2008 she experienced a severe depressive episode and felt suicidal. She was eventually admitted to hospital under a section' because of concerns about risks to her safety. In hospital she took a combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics but her depression persisted. More recently she was she was prescribed lithium, a mood stabiliser. She noticed a dramatic change in her moods, her motivation and her ability to cope with life.

John first experienced depression when he was in his late thirties. He had been feeling overwhelmed about his job and persistently on edge. He couldn't understand what was wrong with him. Eventually he made an appointment with his GP who prescribed Valium (diazepam). He took this for some years, but eventually became concerned about relying on it and decided to stop taking it. He attended a support group to help him, and after that only took diazepam occasionally. He was offered psychotherapy but found it unhelpful. In the last 5 years his current GP prescribed fluoxetine, which he takes daily.

Colette first experienced depression as a teenager but didn't seek help from her GP until she left home at age 19. Her GP prescribed fluoxetine. She took this for a short while, but did not find it helpful. She has tried a several antidepressants at different times but has decided not to take them again and prefers to use other strategies like exercise and diet to improve her mood.

Flora was first diagnosed with depression when she was 21. Since that time she has tried a number of different SSRI antidepressants but had problems tolerating side effects and did not find them helpful. After a severe crisis she spent a short while in hospital. She currently takes tranylcypromine, an MAOI antidepressant and has found it to be effective, and also takes an antipsychotic medicine to help relieve anxiety.

Simon has experienced repeated depressive bouts since he was a teenager. He tried several different antidepressants before he found one that worked best for him. He was initially a bit erratic about taking them, and felt ambivalent about whether or not they were useful, but more recently has begun to take them regularly. He feels that they keep his mood stable and help him cope more easily with life.

Tim was diagnosed with depression two years ago. He had been feeling overwhelmed about work, and one day things reached a point where he felt he couldn't function any more. He was offered CBT and decided to try that before thinking about taking antidepressants. Although it was of some help, he went back to see the GP and was prescribed sertraline. Tim later had psychotherapy, which helped him gain a sense of self awareness and understanding. He recently stopped taking antidepressants.