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.

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.

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.