Technology May Lift Severe Depression, but Full Recovery Takes Time | MIND Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network

Technology May Lift Severe Depression, but Full Recovery Takes Time | MIND Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network: In studies of DBS in depression, success is generally measured by the lessening or lifting of symptoms such as sadness, low energy, insomnia, poor appetite, poor concentration and suicidal thinking. But declines in those signs do not necessarily provide a full measure of recovery, if by that we mean a smooth reintegration into life. To me, the most amazing part of watching these patients get over severe depression after DBS is that some would re-engage in life quickly upon improvement of their mood while others would sometimes take years to achieve a relatively normal quality of life. After years of living with severe depression, it appeared that a period of “relearning to live normally” was required