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Aug 30, 2014, 01:16 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unguy
How do you live with treatment resistant depression? Lately, it seems I'm just getting worse even though I'm seeing a T. I've seen a lot of different T's and tried a lot of different therapies. I'm more depressed than ever and sinking fast. I don't enjoy anything.
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Well, I've never been diagnosed with treatment resistant depression. In fact I've never received a formal diagnosis of any kind. My pdoc just opens up the medicine cabinet, so to speak, & says: "what pill do you want?" However, if anyone did take the time to come up with a formal diagnosis, I think treatment resistant depression could well apply. I've tried therapy. It hasn't been worth the bother. I'm on one SNRI, that's all. It's not great, but it does seem to keep a floor under me, so that I seem to be only able to sink so far before it boots my sorry behind back up a couple of rungs.
I do think age has something to do with it. My impression, from what I've read & heard is, antidepressants & therapy work best for short-term depression & major depression that is caught early. In my case, I struggled with major depression for decades before I got any kind of treatment. (My own fault.) So, I think, under those circumstances, for me to expect medications & / or therapy to accomplish much is probably just not realistic. The good part of this is that, as time has gone on, I have finally come to realize I have to be responsible for my own treatment. I've had an on-again / off-again spiritual practice (meditation & yoga) for many years. Recently I began to throw this into high gear in an attempt to make inroads into my depression & anxiety. So far, so good.
The other aspect to this, from my perspective, is I've had to simply accept (& I do) there are some things I simply can't do. I can't tolerate crowds for example. So I don't go to shopping malls unless it's at a time when I know almost no one will be there. I don't go to theaters or concerts or anything like that, etc. I also don't go to parties. On the other hand, I do enjoy being out. We have dog. He & I take long walks twice a day. We frequently encounter other individuals who are walking their dogs, so we'll stop & make small-talk. This I can tolerate &, over time, I've become rather good at it. So it's all just in knowing what my limits are & what I can & can't handle.
Best wishes...
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