Definately they can be a hormone thing. To determine that you must get a calender and every day mark down you moods. I did this when I thought I had a major case of PMS. You mark down your emotional state, happy, sad, angry etc. and you mark down your physical state, headache, cramps, body aches, fatigue etc. and you mark down your monthly cycle. You do this for 3 months. If you see a cycle, like everything is dandy until about halfway between periods and then things rapidly go down hill as you get closer to your time of month then you have PMS which you can get help for through your gynecologist. She will guide you on dietary changes and may even have you get on the pill or something. If it isn't a obvious cycle it probably is something else. I would advise you to get a good check up to make sure it isn't some sort of physical problem like thyroid or anything like that then seek a therapist.

As far as do those things help, definately YES! They really do when I remember to do them. The relief is almost immediate. I will still feel sad but the anxiety level within the sadness goes down dramatically making it easier for me to pull myself out of the depression. There is a measure of choice when you are depressed. You can choose to allow yourself to slip into the depression or you can choose to work on pulling yourself out. Either way you are depressed as all get out but when you choose to do something about it you gain a measure of hope. You are no longer the victim of depression but the conquerer and you can take full credit for beating it. Then every time it comes back you will feel more confident that you will beat it again.
Carrie

<font color=green>Not knowing when the dawn will come, I open every door.--Emily Dickenson