gosh- for me at least - i think depression is a normal thing to deal with.
i once took antidepressants but stopped a few years ago as my health was significantly improed and i was back at work and even working out lightly. anyway- i have relapsed and am struggling with sad often. i am taking SAM-E , a natural supplement, which has helped a lot. took about -6 weeks to feel more up beat. i take 800mg per day. if you try it- take your time- start wtih a low does- i started at 100mg because it caused a lot of stomach upset!
staying social helps me too- i make sure i meet friends for lunch or just water for me each week. i go to the YMCA almost daily for a sauna or steam and that ritual and social connection helps a lot.
i do very gentle yoga- and that is a tremendous mood lifter. i highly recommend you look into finding a place to go on a regular basis- talk to the instructor about your condition as they will help you fidn the right class and also - how to adapt for your body within the class .
i think any time i can get "outside" of myself and symptoms helps me not think about it and be more positive. i keep a journal of how i feel each day so when there is a good period in a day - i can be grateful in it.
i have joined this to help too- just joined last week so don't know if it's a good thing for me or not.
i also try to take one day at a time- that sounds hokey but it does work- because when i look ahead and overlay how i feel on that- it bums me out- so i just try to focus on today.

boca, thank you for your post. It was helpful and I appreciate you taking the time to post.

It seems that alot of people who post are no longer working. I am a single mother and work as a dental hygienist. I pray to get through each work day so I can pay the bills. I am social outside of work abit but then wham .......... get crushed. Trying to find a pattern but maybe I'm more afraid I won't be able to work then anything. Anyway, thanks for the ear and advice. Will check out the SAM-E.

Blessings, PJ

This may not all apply to you, but I have to consider that others may quietly come in to read who do need it.

If you feel like harming yourself or others call 911. (Or the emergency service in your country.) Do not hesitate or put it off.

Clinical depression often includes an imbalance of chemicals or hormones or something that needs a prescription to set things straight.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is caused by not getting enough vitamin D from sunlight. Your moods can be affected from low vitamin D even if you don't have SAD. Try getting 10 minutes of sun (without sunscreen) daily and take a multi vitamin that includes 100% vitamin D. I can't do that in cold weather. I was told that sitting in a sunny window is better tnan nothing. Remember your milk, it's fortified with D.

Even if you don't have clinical depression (doctor's have criteria for this, I am not a doctor) you can feel depressed. There are many things you can do that can help. Try as many below as you can. Especially if you think it's silly and wouldn't work, for the simple reason that you are less likely to have tried it.

1. SELF TALK This is how you think inside your own mind about/to yourself. Negative self talk can be a challenge to change or even be aware of. For every thought you have about yourself, think of a nice way to put it. For a long time you will have to think the nice thought after. Think of how you would say it to someone else that you care about a lot. Instead of "I am so lazy!" "Sometimes I just like to relax." Instead of "I can't do anything anymore." "There are still a lot of things I can do." Instead of "I hate myself." "I hate it when I make this kind of mistake." Not "I'm so stupid." Instead "I forgot" or "I didn't know that" or "I just learned something new."
2. GET DRESSED TO SHOES Why? I'm not going anywhere, no one is visiting, etc. Because if you dress like you will be seen in public it will effect your mood. This is a treatment for depression in some live in facilities. Just getting a comb through your hair every day can make a big difference. This is from www.flylady.net. She had a personal experience that she shared.
3. POLLYANNA When things are bad look for the one thing that went right, no matter how small, then hang on tight. This can work for tasks as well. I often find the cleanest area in the whole room and ignore the rest. Focusing on the stuff that is messy sucks the energy and makes me down. By focusing on the best spot it can help me to work a little on the rest. Same can go for other things like fussy kids (at least they are sweet when they sleep), a job you hate (I still get to go home) and cfs (at least it isn't blank - think of an illnes that is worse).
4. Think of something you love to do. Make yourself do it. (Not to cause a crash though.)
5. LAUGHTER Sometimes when you just can't smile something funny will touch you somewhere inside. This is still good. Don't give up if you just can't laugh right now.
6. PEOPLE Good time to avoid people who make you feel miserable. Also a good time to be around those who make you feel good.
7. CRY Sometimes having a good cry helps. It doesn't have to be about your problems. You can use a book or movie that makes you tear up.
8. TURN IT OFF Sometimes turning off music, t.v., etc, just for awhile can give you the peace you need.
9. SLEEP Depending on what it's been like for you, going one way or the other can help. Perhaps having a day to just be in bed can help you want to get out of it. On the other hand, forcing yourself out of bed and doing ordinary every day things may also help. Going through the motions can be therapeutic.
10. CHOCOLATE You know, to keep away the dementors. (Harry Potter joke) Seriously there is stuff in chocolat that can help. If you are feeling like you need excessive amounts, limit yourself to a tiny piece at a time and try to space it through the day. (Like m&m size)
11. MUSIC THERAPY Find music you identify with and plug yourself in. It can really help. At some point switch over to happy songs.

Every one of those 11 I have tried at one time or another. They help not only with depression but for any hard time in life. Like cfs!

Hi 4everyoung1. You are not alone! Yes, I also notice that when I am completely fatigued, depression seems to get worse. I think it's just all part of it. I also believe that we are hard on ourselves and feel more depressed because we are sick and not as healthy as we used to be - absolutely!

I am blessed to be self employed and work only when I feel strong enough to do so. But my wife and friends are all out there working full time, then they keep going into the night without any issues. This makes me feel worse because I can't keep up with the "normal healthy" people (and as you said, I feel like a loser and a failure).

I think we are awesome people to think this way though because it shows we care about ourselves, life and others. It shows we want to be strong and healthy and to play a part in life with others. Although for now, we just have to admit and accept that we have a health condition that can be debilitating and depressing. Also to know that we will get better.

For depression: Natural supplements - Fish Oil and the cheaper version of Sam-E is called TMG (Trimethyglycine). Do not be afraid of that "big" name. It is natural and derived from beets. It works so well for depression and low energy. I take 1 in the morning and 1 with lunch. It is affordable and you can buy it at any vitamin store or online.

Psychiatry: I suggest it as well. Lexapro and Abilify works best for me but not for all. Everyone is different and you will need to see what works best for you. If an antidepressant makes you tired, then take it at night. If it makes you energetic, take it in the morning. I hope all of this helps

franksacco and flyingchicklet - thank you so much for your suggestions and kind words. I am grateful for you taking time to respond to my post. I feel so understood and cared about. I am going to try some of these things. God bless you !! PJ

I've been told by two different counselors who have experience working with the chronically ill that what we have is not clinic depression aka Major Depressive Disorder. It's something called situational depression.

Situational depression is entirely the result of circumstances, not some imbalance in the brain. The proof is in the fact that people who go into remission for their physical illness see their depression disappear very rapidly.

I would suppose that the treatments for both types of depression are similar, even though their origins are completely different. It seems to me that both are dangerous and should be dealt with, since either one can lead to suicide or other self-destructive behavior.

A simple way to put it is this: the chronically ill are depressed because they are sick, not sick because they are depressed.

The bad news for me at least is that I don't have too many highs and lows...just a constantly low state of mind that rarely lifts. But I've found help in a lot of things to some degree...regular habits, good diet and exercise, spending time out-of-doors, finding something to occupy myself other than just being sick, having something like gardening to help me forget how sick I am, etc.

I try to do something every day that will make my life a little better somehow, even if it's something very small like vacuuming the carpet in my house. Things like that really do help.

Thank you Richie. Sometimes I can't remember the right words. I like how you explained it, it's very clear and easy to understand. You also reminded me of something.

I was at an informal party this year where people were talking about how they can never finish their to do lists and it is so discouraging. I mentioned that I like to pick just one thing for each day. I can feel good about getting it done, and if I'm up to it I can pick something else. It was like everyone's light bulb went on at once. I could see it in their faces. These are people who don't even have cfs.

I like the small goal Richie. I often do that too.

I also like tht unlike a paid job I always get to try again. So if I can't start a load of laundry, I can have as many chances as I want to do it. No one gets fired from housework. Oh darn! I take it back. I want to be fired from housework.

yes- the post on the 2 types of depression is correct, but it is possible for situational depression to turn into clinical depression. i think it was explained ot me that during situational depression your brian is making less of the happy hormones:dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, etc, and then it gets into a pattern of making less and less so it becomes clinical depression- that is why antidepressants can be so useful- they provide us with the happy hormones to lift our mood when we aren't and keep the body processing them so it may head off clinical depression or at least keep it from being really bad.

i definitely am much more down when i feel lousy because i am mad/frustrated that i can't do/enjoy things that i want- or work and feel productive. and i feel that is "normal" as many chonically ill people struggle with depression. so the self talk i use is- this is how i feel today. things seem hopeless or particualry bad for whatever the reason is that day, BUT- this is only how i feel today. it will get better and if i still feel this way tomorrow then i will deal with it!

i find this site helpful because i feel less alone. waht is hard for me foten- is that i fell like no one in my life really gets it- how hard it is- how bad i really feel, etc. so on this site i hear other people with the same concerns and emotions.

This is such helpful advice!! I used to feel guilty for feeling down, but the chronic fatigue is the cause. I set goals in my tired day for each hour and do what I would do if I felt well, and take a break each hour or have a sleep, which sometimes revives me. Hope this helps. isabelle1954

I agree with Ritchie you need to try and get outside at least for a few minutes a day in the sun. Sometimes when I am so sad I just want to cry I make myself sit outside for a while or tend my plants and it helps. A good cry occasionally works too. I try to walk as much as I can when I can but don't overdo.

YES, YES, YES. It's so frustrating; doctors will try and say you're feeling tired/painful because you're depressed, when really, I'm depressed because I'm so tired and painful! I think it's completely natural to be depressed when you feel like crap every day and you've got this disease.

I'm currently seeing a really wonderful therapist and that has been helping. The trick is finding one you click with. I'm on Pamalor, an anti depressent, although I started it for pain control and I think my dose is low enough that it's not considered to be therapeutic for depression. I am also on Klonopin, an anti-anxiety, which I take as needed for when I'm getting really bad.

Frankly, the best thing for me seems to be having a good talk with someone I trust and who cares, whether it's my hubby, a friend or my therapist. After that, I do find that doing super gentle, relaxation-themed yoga can help a lot, as well as guided meditation. But some days we're just going to feel like crap, and that's ok. We're sick, we've got a lot against us... it's just human to be upset about it. But it's also miserable to be depressed every day, so I hope you find something to help you come out of it.

Oh! One other thing. Periodically I get REALLY depressed and I'll email the people at Samaritans: http://www.samaritans.org/ They exist just to help you through rough patches; they're so nice and caring and are a really excellent, non-judging shoulder I lean on from time to time :)

I haven't started it yet, but I just got this book which I'm very excited about; I don't know if it would be of interest to you: http://www.amazon.com/How-Sick-Buddhist-Inspired-Chronically-Caregivers/dp/0861716264/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357697359&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+be+sick

Good luck! And know that you are NOT alone :)