Even in persons with full-blown depression, such alterations of negative life patterns can be helpful. Although "depression can be treated in a variety of ways," either with antidepressant medications or counseling, "most people benefit from a combination of the two. Some studies have shown that antidepressant drug therapy combined with psychotherapy appears to have better results than either therapy alone. ("Major Depression," 2006, Medline Plus Encyclopedia) The most common medications include older tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and some newer antidepressant drugs. Tricyclics and MOIS have severe side effects, which tend to cause most therapists to prescribe SSRIs, but even these newer remedies have risks, particularly increasing the danger of suicidal tendencies in children. Therapy can take a variety of forms, including cognitive behavior therapy to minimize negative thinking in the patient, therapy specifically designed to cope with stressful life circumstances, or other forms of one-on-one or...

Ultimately, there is no silver bullet or magic cure to either the treatment or prevention of depression. But the sooner the person is treated, the less likely the negative thinking and life patterns will continue in the sufferer, and become a self-fulfilling life prophesy, putting the person at risk for more years of disturbed mental and physical functioning, or worse, put them at greater risk for suicide.
Works Cited

Major Depression." (2006). Medline Plus Encyclopedia. Retrieved 6 Dec 2006 at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000945.htm

Willemse, GRWM, Smit F, Cuijpers P, et al. (2004)."Minimal contact psychotherapy reduces the risk of major depression in people with sub-threshold depression Minimal-contact psychotherapy for sub-threshold depression in primary care -- randomized trial." Br J. Psychiatry. 2004; 185:416-21. Retrieved 6 Dec 2006 at http://ebmh.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/8/2/39.pdf