9 years and no respite

A month or so from now will mark 9 years since I was diagnosed with clinical depression. They put me on Lexapro and Xanex, and eventually switched me to Cymbalta as Lexapro wasn't handling the physical symptoms and took me off of Xanex as it becomes addictive.

Yet with years of drugs and therapy, I still feel like I am clinically depressed. All the drugs and therapy seem to do is help me to get by and live my life, but rarely can I say that I am "happy".

I was hoping some folks who have been(or had) suffering longer can tell me if it gets better or goes away. Or if I am stuck suffering from now until I die.

I'm not really looking for medication advice, I trust my doctor. I am more looking for stories that can either give me hope that I'll get over it some day, or share ways of dealing with unceasing depression

 

In your diagnosis of clinical depression, were you told you are unipolar or major depression recurrent or was the diagnosis simply stated as clinical depression?

I'm diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder Severe Recurrent. I used to facilitate a depression and manic-depression support group for about two years. We had members with many more diagnosis as well.

Most every member had to try different medications before the right one was found for them. It's a trial and error process that is frustrating. The fifth medication that I tried worked very well for me.

Medications are not 100% but they lesson the symptoms. The goal is to get a significant reduction in symptoms. Anything more would make a person a zombie, in my opinion.

Any depression that occurs while on medication should be less intense and of shorter duration.

Eating healthy meals, avoid fried foods, eat vegetables daily, will help your overall health which has an impact on how you feel. Drink some plain water each day, medications can be dehydrating. Also, try to keep a regular sleep schedule.

As far as living life with depression that has a great many variables. How much is a result of physical and bio-chemical structure of the brain and how much is from life events.

I was diagnosed with depression when I was 15. I worked for over 30 years and I raised two children. I had to reach deep inside myself to get going at times and then I started to pray to God for help to see me through it. There have been a lot of bizarre events in my life.

Even so, there have been some wonderful times. I was able to do some things on a regular basis that I enjoyed.

I have learned to look for the good in each day and to leave the rest behind. I'm more successful at it now than before because it takes some practice to train myself.

I hope you feel better soon.