Living with depression can feel like a constant struggle. Starting treatment with medication and therapy can help you start to feel more like yourself again. Your doctor may suggest psychotherapy (talk therapy) — such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — antidepressants, or a combination of both.

However, it can take several weeks for these medications to begin working, and sometimes even longer to start seeing improvements from therapy. So you may be wondering, “How do you know if you’re recovering from depression?”

If you’ve had depression for a long time, it can be hard to imagine what it’s like to feel better. You might feel tired all the time, have lost interest in your favorite activities, or get easily angered or irritated in your daily life. These symptoms of depression can feel like they’ll never go away.

Everyone experiences depression differently, and your symptoms will probably be a little different from those of other people. However, it can still help to have a general idea of what you can expect during the recovery process.

In this article, we’ll discuss six signs that your depression treatments are working and you’re on your way to recovery.

How Long Does It Take To Recover Fully from Depression?

Recovery from depression can look different for everyone, and the timeline varies widely. Some people may start to feel better within a few weeks of starting treatment, while for others, it may take several months or more to see significant improvement in their mental health.

Factors like the severity of symptoms, underlying causes, and access to support and treatment can all play a role. It’s important to remember that recovery is often gradual. You might need ongoing support even after your symptoms improve.

People who have supportive family and friends, access to a doctor, and time to take care of themselves may start to feel better sooner. But for those who don’t have access to healthcare, live in stressful or unsafe environments, or are facing challenges at home or in their community, recovery may take much longer.

How Do You Know if You’re Recovering from Depression?

Although everyone’s experience with depression is different, and recovery doesn’t look the same for everyone, there are some signs that can help you recognize when your treatment is working and you’re starting to feel better.

Noticing even small improvements in your daily life is important. Here are some key changes to look for as you move forward in your recovery journey.

1. You’re Able To Get Things Done

Depression can interfere with your ability to function in your everyday life. Completing simple tasks can seem nearly impossible. You may have a harder time getting out of bed, keeping up with your personal hygiene, and completing daily chores.

When you’re recovering from depression, you may notice that some of these tasks start to become easier. You start to wake up on time, you begin showering more often, and taking out the trash doesn’t feel as overwhelming as it used to.

When you’re recovering from depression, some daily tasks become easier: You start to wake up on time, you begin showering more often, and taking out the trash doesn’t feel as overwhelming.

While these changes don’t happen overnight, you’ll slowly notice you’re getting better at juggling different aspects of your life. Soon, you’ll be able to handle more or nearly all of the daily activities that you once could.

Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to get back to how things were before. Setting small goals for yourself like showering every other day or doing the dishes three nights a week can help you feel accomplished without getting overwhelmed.

2. Your Appetite Has Returned to Normal

Some people living with depression experience either a loss or an increase in appetite. Depression can also cause extreme tiredness or fatigue and a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. Some people find it too difficult or tiring to cook food, or they simply lose interest in eating. If you love cooking or baking but are experiencing depression, these activities may suddenly seem too overwhelming or uninteresting. Some people who lose their appetite may also experience weight loss.

Others turn to food to get them through a depressive episode. You may struggle to stop eating even when you’re full, or you may not feel satisfied after eating. Some foods can activate the brain’s reward center, which is why some people eat to cope with their emotions.

Signs of recovery can include getting your appetite back and, if you enjoy cooking, looking forward to making meals again. If you’ve lost weight from not eating, you’ll start gaining it back. Or, if you’ve stopped overeating, you may start losing unwanted weight.

3. Your Mood Has Stabilized

Feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and emptiness are common in people living with depression. Some people also experience mood swings, including outbursts of anger, frustration, or irritation over small things that normally don’t bother them. And some people don’t feel any emotions at all.

As you recover from depression, you’ll notice that your mood begins to stabilize. You may still feel sad or down from time to time, but these feelings no longer interfere with your ability to get up, go to work, and live your day-to-day life. You begin to find more joy in things, and you’re generally in a happier mood. If you used to get angered or irritated easily, you’ll start to have more patience.

Your thoughts impact your mood — if you’ve been attending therapy sessions, you may also start to notice changes in your thought patterns and behaviors. Therapy helps change your way of thinking to avoid negative thoughts or destructive behaviors that may be contributing to your depression. With a more positive outlook on life, it’s easier to be in a better mood.

4. Your Relationships Have Improved

Depression can put a strain on relationships with your partners, family members, and friends. Depression often causes changes in mood, which can affect how you communicate with others or make it difficult for you to be around them. If you’re frequently irritated or angry, your friends and family may begin to avoid you, which can make you feel isolated.

During therapy, you’ll learn new coping skills to help you regulate your emotions and better handle conflict. Problems that once seemed too big to handle will become much more manageable. One type of talk therapy is interpersonal therapy (IPT), which helps you work through depression caused by a recent life event. Through IPT, you can learn new ways of interacting with others and cope with life changes.

As you recover, you’ll start using the new knowledge and skills you’ve learned in therapy to make positive changes in your life. Your relationships will become less strained, and you’ll find it easier to communicate your needs and set healthy boundaries. These tools will help you even after you’re feeling better.

Your relationships will become less strained, and you’ll find it easier to communicate your needs and set healthy boundaries.

5. You Have Fewer Depression Relapses

Studies estimate that up to 60 percent of people who have had an episode of major depressive disorder (MDD) will develop depression again. This is known as a relapse, and depression treatment focuses on preventing them.

If your treatment plan is helping you recover, you’re less likely to experience a relapse. Sticking to your treatment plan is the best way to make sure your depression continues to improve while reducing your risk of relapse.

6. Your Therapist Changes Your Diagnosis

As you continue treatment, your healthcare provider will check in occasionally to see if your symptoms are improving. They may have you fill out questionnaires where you score your depression symptoms to measure how they’re changing over time. On most scales, the higher your score, the more severe your depression.

When you were first diagnosed, you may have been experiencing several symptoms. As your medications begin working and you progress through therapy, your scores should drop, and your doctor or therapist may change your diagnosis. This is a sign that you’re recovering from depression and your symptoms are improving.

Talk to Your Doctor About Your Depression Recovery

If you’d like to learn more about what recovery from depression should look like for you, talk to your medical team. Your doctor or therapist can help you better understand what to expect as you begin feeling better. They can also adjust your treatment plan to improve your overall well-being and make sure you are on your way to recovery.

It’s important to note that recovery from depression isn’t always smooth. It’s normal to have ups and downs. But, with the right treatment, you should generally be feeling better as time goes on.

One MyDepressionTeam member shared, “Yesterday I started to feel unwell in the evening, and today I’ve felt upset and lost my appetite. I’ve been great for four weeks with no problems at all. Does anyone experience these little setbacks?”

Another member replied, “I think we all go through setbacks. It’s as though one goes two steps forward and then one step back.”

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyDepressionTeam is the social network for people with depression and their loved ones. On MyDepressionTeam, members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with mental health conditions.

What signs have you noticed in your recovery from depression? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.