No longer are most depressions treated with long and expensive courses of psychotherapy. Practitioners known as psychopharmacologists, who are experts in using medications to treat chemical imbalance, now treat depressions, panic and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, attention deficit disorder, alcoholism, and additive disorders. The concept of depression has been expanded to include more than a blue mood or suicidal thoughts. It is now the standard treatment for manic-depression and many other forms of depression, and it is used by most psychopharmacology specialists throughout the world. Lithium has helped patients and their families avoid untold weeks and years of disruption and emotional suffering. Surprisingly, some mood disorders can be at times highly beneficial. As I pointed out in the first edition of Moodswing, there have been throughout history and are today many highly productive and creative individuals who suffer from manic-depression or depression. Today the outlook for a patient suffering from depression is bright, for he or she is experiencing a treatable biochemical imbalance. No one needs to live with depression. Most depressions are curable with the right treatment.