Mmm.I found that the meds helped a little but it was not until i tried different things on my own did i see the biggest improvement.Writing daily or all most daily in my ds journal helped me.I started to realize what triggered my change in my emotions.What brought on my depressed moods verses my high anxiety.Sometimes I let my self mope for a day then I will say ok 2morroow I am going in town and have a hot dog and soda and watch the boats.Or go get my hair done .Or it could be having a hot cup of tea and watching a sitcom I have not seen in a long time.I dont know if any of these ideas help but start by being kind to your self.

i think you are right about doing things on your own; i think finally i have decided i need to take the reins myself and stop trusting the mental health/drug industry to fix me.

what is sad is i think i was fed messages very early on by therapists and doctors extolling the virtues of treatment and drugs. 'people can change', etc. even if this is true people have to decide to change completely on their own, but i thought therapy would bring about this change. i feel that i was encouraged to depend on therapy and drugs to feel better, so i just waited for it to happen. it never happened. so i have to forge on without feeling better or expecting to feel better, and just live with my depression as a fact, like my height or eye color.

i want to bring about changes in my life, i just haven't learned how yet. i am angry because i think i missed a lot of life lessons waiting for therapy to cure me. i thought all the stuff i wanted to do with my life, i could finally do it once the treatment worked. i would start feeling motivated and start functioning again. maybe i am just blaming others but i don't know where else i would have gotten these ideas. i think that mental health professionals are at least partially responsible for how their patients interpret what they say.

anyway, sorry for sounding off. it's funny you advised being kind to yourself. i actually took a workshop on self-compassion, and i do feel like it worked while i was doing it, it 's just hard to integrate techniques like this into your everyday existence. maybe i will go over my notes from the class again.

spiky,
I was told by another person that it is not good for your body to go through different drugs because it causes more problems than make the situation good.

I hear you loud and clear. Suffered all my life, med's don't work, therapy, It's that very hard things keep happening to me either physically or in my family. I need courage now to press on but so much for so long I am just to beat up. Was In the hospital before christmas due to stress making my body physically sick. I need to keep going but feel to weak with no motivation. Even though that's how I feel I am falling into a slump and have to go forward and for me its accepting the things that have happened , having courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the differance. Stuck at the courage part, can't take anymore loss right now but must believe that God is in control of everything that is happening for a higher purpose. I have to grab hold and let go of the fear that keeps me down.

I am one of those "I think it is a chemical disease" but writing does help. I also try to find humor in life. For instance, I don't watch sad movies, listen to sad songs, etc,etc. I just really don't see how people expect to feel better listening to dark and dreary music. about how sad and horrible the world is. Of course we can relate to it. But, listen to happy music, read or watch a funny movie. Get involved with a hobby. STOP hanging with toxic people In your life. If something in your life sucks...CHANGE IT. Just get rid of the negativity in your life.

I don't claim to be well by any means. However, it helps me to cleanse myself through writing. . It does not cure, but helps me understand depression better and how to do things to make it livable.

It is painful, very painful, but I know it helped me to get better. I can look the world in the eye again. I am also not implying that this is how you feel but speak for myself and hope that maybe you can relate to just a little of it.

You can also try meditation, art therapy, imagery, read books, join support groups or what ever will keep you strong. I truly believe it is a chemical disease. And, I do know it screws my life up over and over. However, there are things to make it easier to deal with such as the suggestions above. I wish you well in your life.

I also am struggling with medications and therapy not working. I feel for your frustration and discouragement. i hope we both find some help through this site.

SK