Dear tangodream,

That is depression in its purest state. I know where you are coming from, to some degree. I didn't lose my job, but chose to leave a career as a psychologist to enter the wild world of self-employment.

Getting yourself connected with your therapist can be useful. When I was a practicing clinician, I would really welcome it when someone came into the office and told me exactly how they were feeling and told me exactly what they needed from me. If you need support for the therapist, ask...if you need to cry, do so. And if you have an empathic clinician, they just might cry right along with you. Therapists are human too...if you are not getting along with your therapist, tell them that you are frustrated. Doing that might help you regain some sense of control...

Never give up; take advantage of every social program that you can find. There must be something out there. Find a friend of your family who knows something about heating and cooling and have them put in a system for you...

With your medication, check some of the online sites to see if there is food that interacts negatively with Celexa....ask your MD if you can take the meds at a different time...

I'm in the throes of a depressive episode. The medication that I found so helpful in the past did not work the second time around (lexapro). The next medication (bupropion XL) caused tinnitus, so I stopped with medical advice...Now about the depression...it is NOT a life sentence, and it is treatable. I'm banking on that. I felt better in the past - with medication and no talk therapy...this time, I'm going to have to rely on a therapist.

But please never give up. When you feel like you are at the end of your resources, you find ways to get through. I've done it in the past - gotten through, that is...And I'm doing what I can to get through today. My mood has improved from tearfulness for no apparent reason (other than depression) to being able to at least type this message. So, I view that as progress...

Like my friends from the world of 12-step programs (groups that I used to facilitate) would say, one day at a time...and when you can't do that, then go to one hour at a time, and if it gets too bad, go to one second at a time...like all other things, this too shall pass...

I'm hoping that you find small comfort in these words. Be thankful for at least one thing...and like my cousin said to me with a short song this past weekend, "Hey, you're okay, you'll be fine...just breathe..."

Best wishes to you.