Catherine first experienced depression in her last year of secondary school and for a number of years had severe episodes of depression. She spent some time in hospital when she was younger as an inpatient. She has tried a number of different antidepressants, some of which were ineffective or had unwelcome side effects. She currently takes takes Prozac (fluoxetine) and finds that it helps to keep her mind balanced and more stable. Catherine also has a physical condition called fibromyalgia which causes chronic pain, and takes a number of other medications to help with this.

Clare has struggled with depression at several points in her life and has taken antidepressants to help stabilise her mood. Nowadays she takes citalopram regularly as a preventative measure as she recognises that her coping mechanisms aren't always very robust.

Victoria first experienced depression when she was a teenager. At university she experienced some difficulties coping, and her GP prescribed citalopram. She only took it for a few months, but has since experienced another episode of depression and now takes citalopram regularly. Victoria was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in her early 20's and the symptoms and restrictions that it places on her life have contributed to her feelings. She also takes regular medicines for the Crohn's disease.

Hannah experienced a severe episode of depression a few years ago. Her GP prescribed antidepressants but she experienced severe nausea during the time she took them, and they did not seem to help improve her mood. After some distressing events she was referred to the community mental health team and admitted to hospital. Eventually after trying different antidepressants and doses she decided to discontinue the treatment they offered her.

Stuart has experienced depression since his teenage years but it wasn't until he was in his 30's that he sought help from the GP following a breakdown. He has tried a number of different antidepressants, and currently takes citalopram as a preventative measure. He feels that medication is helpful in combination with other treatments such as CBT therapy and mindfulness.

Gerry feels he has had a tendency towards depression since childhood, but had always managed his life well until an event that happened to him when he was 29 left him feeling anxious and depressed. He struggled for a few months but eventually realised that he needed to seek help. Since then he has taken sertraline and had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). He feels that it's the combination of therapy and antidepressants that have enabled him to recover.

Stephen thinks he had been depressed for quite a while but hadn't admitted anything was wrong until a work colleague suggested that he might consider seeing the GP as he had been taking a lot of time off work over the past few months. Once he was diagnosed with depression Stephen found it easier to accept and was reassured that antidepressants could help him to feel more himself. He has taken them for four years now, and feels that they work well to keep his mood stable.

Max said he was in denial' about his depression until he was in his mid-20's when his mother insisted he went to see the GP as she had noticed things weren't right' . He was diagnosed with clinical depression and spent several weeks in hospital. He has taken antidepressants for around 10 years, but recently stopped them.

Sonia has experienced depression since she was 17. As a teenager she had problems with an eating disorder and began self -harming. She was admitted to hospital after having taken an overdose of paracetamol when she was in her 20's. Since that time she has had several admissions to hospital and has been referred to community mental health services at various times. She has tried numerous different antidepressants, but has found it difficult to find the right one for her. Some have lost their effectiveness after using them for a time, and sometimes she has experienced side effects that she has found intolerable.

Lou was first prescribed an antidepressant when she was in her 20's. She tried Seroxat (paroxetine) on two occasions but experienced unacceptable side effects, and few benefits. When she became depressed once more in her 30's she was reluctant to try antidepressants again, but sertraline proved to be a far more positive experience. She has had post- natal depression recently and felt confident to take sertraline again.