Separate. I developed depression several years after I got sober (due to diagnosis of a terminal illness). Working with the doc, I got medication which curbed the depression for as long as it took for me to deal with the causes. Dealing with the causes took a bit more help, research and things I learned in AA. There is nothing wrong with using medicine to alleviate mental heath issues - always under medical direction. I also let my sponsor know. I'm sure that if I started acting weirder than usual, he'd have told me...

Hugs,
Dennis

Hugs,
Dennis

Seperate. I am on medication for the depression (which started from a different medical problem). My depression is much better & managable by not drinking but definitely not cured. If I drank however, my depression would get back to the point of me seeing suicide as a viable option.

Wow, you mirror my thoughts exactly. I suffer from depression, have since I was a child and the booze makes it worse, although you're correct they're two different issues...but together for me they are deadly. My thoughts of suicide all came when I was drinking...numbing the pain as it were...it only made it worse and the thought of going back to that shit keeps me sober. Going on year #3 of sobriety...depression like the anxiety comes and goes but I am managing it. Peace to you

I have been battling depression for most of my life. I tried to self medicate with drugs and alcohol but, like you said, they just made it worse.

When I first quit drinking and drugging, I had horrible feelings of loss and isolation. I felt disconnected from the world around me.

My doctor prescribes Pristiq for me which helps alot! It's not the perfect cure, but then again, I have been on just about all of them at one time or another but found Pristiq is the best one for me.

What I get from the 12 steps is the rest of what I need to live a happy life.

God Bless!

I had a major depression 5 years sober, it was awful. I put off the drink or the shotgun sometimes by saying "not yet"
The main issue for me was and is anxiety which I think lead to the depression and after battling it for 20 years I finally realized that I needed an anti-depressant to help with the anxiety which lead to depression. Talk about a circle!
However, that was only the begining of the actions I have taken. Step work, dieatry changes and letting go just for today, physical activity and time outdoors are all vital parts of why now, at 53 I'm feeling as good as I can remember feeling. If anxiety plays a role for you at all, I'd also recommend the book "The Worry Cure"
The older I get and the more time I get without a drink, the more I realize that action is the key. If I've thought about it and I can act today I try to do so and if I can't I try to turn it over for today. Life is kinda that simple, however I learned long ago that simple does not mean easy.

Thanks Don....I will check out "The Worry Cure". Anxiety comes with getting sober...I think it is all a part of the fear we have to face.
I experienced panic attacks when I first got sober. Wow, talk about wanting to drink. I am doing better now. I educated myself on how to deal with anxiety and practice those steps whenever I feel it coming on.
A.A. taught me to face my fears no matter what. That is what I have to do in order to stay sober.
Hope you are doing well...

I think you'll enjpoy the Worry Cure , it has a definite face your fears head on mentality.
That whole life on life's terms can be a bitch, but it works.. if we work it

Depression goes hand in hand with anxiety, in my experience. I have had 2 episodes of Major Clinical Depression and also have a chronic condition. I worked for years with many psychiatrists (by this time, sober many years) as an RN.They told me that once I had Major Depressionn in adulthood, it would continue to happen. Hence, the word Recurrent is added to the diagnosis.

I was able to address most fears within the Steps. For anxiety, I worked diligently with a psychologist for 2 1/2 yrs to get to the root cause. The therapy enhanced my program. It did not replace it. I haven't had an anxiety attack since '96, although I have had moments of anxiety prior to diagnostic exams (colonscopy, mammogram). But no more than a normal person.

Boy oh boy, I am a textbook alcoholic. Never a pill taker. I almost was committed in '04 because I refused to take an antidepressant. I showed them. I ended up in near psychosis. From that experience I learned that there are 2 wrong ways to take medication:

1. To take it when you don't need it.
2. To not take it when you do.

Please talk to your doctor. If you are in a depression, it needs to be treated. Quality of life means everything to me today. I hope it does to you too aka. Hugs, Dianna

I agree Dianna....quality of life is everything. I plan on doing whatever it takes to beat this depression....just like I do whatever it takes to stay sober.
I am a fighter.