phillygirl, it's so great to read of your success with depression and in life. Way to go! It sounds like you have learned some good coping skills to ward off the depression if it tries to return.

I read an article recently about backsliding after depression has been beaten. This was for people who used to have major depression but no longer do, and are not on anti-depressants anymore (if they used to be). They found that occasional psychotherapy sessions really helped the person from backsliding and could also help keep them from returning to meds. For example, people who had therapy only once a month (or less) had significantly less depression relapses than those without the therapy. It was almost like going to see a therapist occasionally was preventive medicine, similar to going to the dentist to get your teeth cleaned.