I was diagnosed with depression at age 13, which has been exactly half my life. Because I was so young and had little support at the time (and the therapists and medication I used were minimally helpful), I never developed good coping skills. I was able to graduate high school and college and hold down jobs, but only if I turned to other things to "manage" the depression, such as self-injury, disordered eating, and various forms of substance abuse. I tend to rotate between these things, and don't feel like I can function in life without turning to one of them. I have okay coping skills for regular stress, but those strategies don't help with depression. For example, reading and video games can be a good escape from regular stress, but when I'm feeling depressed it's too hard to concentrate enough to stick with the book or game.

How does everyone else cope with depression without turning to self-harm or substance abuse? What gets you out of bed every day? How do you force yourself to concentrate and get things done during the day? How do you push through the emotional pain and/or total apathy? I don't even have a clue where to start, other than to keep doing what I've always done.