Hi blue angel,
I'm a person who has been on several different antidepressants over many years only to find that they lose their efficacy after a period of time. Different periods of time for different meds. With some the doses were increased almost to maximums and still didn't stay effective for me.

Everybody is different. Anyhow, over the years I had read about cognitive therapy and it always sounded hopeful to me. I've looked for therapists who would use it for 10 or 12 years. I was in therapy for a few years, but not w/cognitive therapy. We moved out of state for a year for a husband job and I found a good therapist there, though not cognitive.

Then we moved back home and I started w/a new therapist here. She was originally from the East Coast and was more familiar w/cognitive therapy. Eventually she proposed I try DBT, dialectic behavior therapy. I agreed. With my record of not much improvement on meds, I felt as if talk therapy was my strongest hope for life w/depression under better control.

I'm finding that to be true. I went through the Marsha Linehan program and am still meeting w/my DBT therapist, but less than before. I'm off buproprian (wellbutrin) and weaning off venlafaxine (Effexor). So I'm happy w/this. My diagnosis has been changed from major depressive to dysthymia. I feel as if the weight of the world has been lifted off me.

Hang in there. Remember each of us reacts differently to meds and therapy. Be encouraged that this has worked for me and keep up the trek.