So do you seriously believe that it is the 18 months of therapy that have caused this depression in later life?

I'm not going to state my age but I do work with older people. Many people find CBT to be helpful in addressing the hopeless and worthless feelings. Writing a list of triumphs through out your life and the challenges that you have conquered can give you a different view. You can also examine what other things you would like to do in the future. Just because you are older does not mean you are finished, it means you have the experience to enjoy more!

Try not to use 'substances to fog your way to death' that just buries the things you should be dealing with. Often we think challenges are going to be a problem and so we try to ignore them when infact the process of facing that challenge and dealing with that challenge can actually turn out to be a good experience.

Regards, Pegs