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.

Greg has three episodes of depression where he has taken antidepressants. He didn't respond well to fluoxetine, but found citalopram was more effective at improving his mood, although he experienced side effects with both. He feels it can be difficult to know whether improvements in mood can be attributed to the drug itself and how much the passing of time and changing circumstances have played a part. He sees antidepressants as a useful crutch to help you get back on your feet, but doesn't feel they are a long-term solution.

Melanie struggled with some difficult life events for some time before finally seeking help from her GP. She was offered counselling but there was a waiting list. In the meantime she was prescribed fluoxetine and at the time of interview had been taking it for around 4 months.

Steve has experienced bouts of depression since his teens but didn't acknowledge it or seek help until recently. Over the past 10 years he has sometimes used alcohol and/or drugs to try to mask the problem, but has reached a point in his life when he would like to get things more under control. He was prescribed citalopram two months prior to the interview, and is on a waiting list for counselling.

Lucy experienced depression for the first time when she was 15. Although she got help and was prescribed Prozac (fluoxetine) she found it was difficult as an adolescent to be able to have a say in her treatment. When she began university she experienced another episode of depression, and this time found that the university doctors were far more open and understanding. She was prescribed citalopram which worked much better for her, and continues to take it on an ongoing basis.

Sharon was diagnosed with post- natal depression after the birth of her second child. Since then she has experienced episodes of depression periodically and has tried a number of different antidepressants. She currently takes Prozac (fluoxetine) and feels it helps keep her mood stable, although she now also finds other ways to cope with difficult times.

Emily broke down at work one day, which she found enormously embarrassing. She went straight to her GP and was diagnosed with depression. She was prescribed citalopram, and also had counselling through a scheme at work. She took citalopram for about a year. Since that time, she feels her life has changed for the better.