If I Have Suffered From Episodes Of Depression, Am I Likely To Experience Future Recurrences?

— -- Question: If I have suffered from episodes of depression, am I likely to experience future recurrences?

Answer: Some people have only one episode of depression in a lifetime. Most people who have an episode are likely to have another. If the depression comes early in life, one is more likely to have another depressive episode. If an individual has already had more than one episode of depression, another episode is more likely. The good news is that most episodes of depression -- including repeated episodes -- do respond well to treatment.

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