I'm Still Human: Understanding Depression With Kindness (Expanded Edition - 2021)

medication. This is usually due to various unfavorable factors: long
duration of untreated illness, poor compliance with medicines and
therapy, abusing substance (e.g. cannabis, alcohol), poor social
support, unconsciously wanting to remain sick for attention, having
more than one psychiatric illness. So, if you wish to recover quickly,
seek help early and follow the treatment plan – you’re already
halfway to recovery.
Your chances of full recovery also depend on whether you follow
the treatment plan, which generally consists of four parts (just like
a car that needs four wheels to move):
1. Medicines
2. Family support
3. Counseling therapy
4. Healthy lifestyle
For those with severe depression, the two most essential
components in the early treatment phase are medicines (page 40 &
116) and family support (page 107 & 147). The reason is that the
person is often too sick for counseling and lifestyle changes. Let the
medicines and your family support you first. When you’re stronger,
then it’s time for you to be more proactive in your treatment –
counseling (page 32) and a healthy lifestyle (page 122, 123, 128,
130).
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