Depression affects everyone differently. For some people, it comes and goes. For others, it can feel almost constant. You might experience one episode of depression, or it might be a lifelong struggle.

It’s hard to predict what your experience with depression will be. But the more severely depressed you are, the less likely it will go away on its own—and the more likely it will come back.

Fortunately, there’s no need to sit around and wait for depression to go away on its own. Like other mental illnesses, depression is treatable. You can seek professional help from a doctor or therapist, or you can work on your mental health on your own.

Start by learning more about depression and how it’s treated. Then pick a treatment you feel comfortable with—it can be something simple, like writing in a journal. Stick with it for a few weeks, and see if you feel better. If not, try something else.

Working actively to improve your mental health feels better than waiting around for things to change on their own. And many of the treatments for depression are just good, healthy habits to have anyway. It may take you a while to find a combination of treatments that works best for you, but that’s okay—finding ways to improve your mental health is a rewarding experience, with benefits that go far beyond just keeping your depression under control