DSF, I've been following this thread and I'm not sure if this is helpful or not, but I'll offer it and you can decide. I've never been on prescription meds for depression, because nobody offered them to me back when I would have trusted the experts and done what they told me to do. I had dysthymia and periodic major depressive episodes for at least 25-30 years before really losing it and deciding something had to change. By that time I wanted to have control, and not depend on someone else to regulate meds for me. Making changes in my life was a big part of it too, and three years later I'm still in therapy and not close to being done. But I haven't been significantly depressed now for 2 1/2 years.

I don't think I could have done it without some chemical assistance in addition to the rest. Since I didn't want meds, I started taking St. John's Wort. It worked. (In fact, when I overdosed I got hypomanic). I like that I can control it myself, and there aren't withdrawal effects. I can go off of it for the summer with no trouble, and pick it back up when I notice that the weather is affecting me.

I just wonder if your doctor might help you switch over to SJW if that would be something you would like to try. I'm assuming that the medical community where you are is probably somewhat knowlegeable about SJW, since the best book that I read about it was by a doctor in New Zealand. I haven't been able to find that book again in a while though.

Rap