What really are antidepressants? Medication is one major aspect of treating depression, though its role is to alleviate symptoms and doesn’t directly address the cause of depression. Medication is also a long term commitment. Finding the right medication and waiting for the medication to work may take weeks or even months, but alongside psychotherapy it can serve as a highly effective treatment for depression. In order to make a better educated decision on the matter of antidepressant medication, read about them in the WebMD article linked here.