Ixodon,

I have been exactly where you have been, and am pleased to report that there is a way out.

For me it came through prayer and working closely with a man who has major problems in his life but no depression. He modeled how to parry and riposte against depressive thoughts to me.

There are two things that depressed people do not know how to do, and once they learn these two things, they can experience victory over depression.

1) Maintain a sense of worth even when things are going badly.

2) Practice good thought hygiene.

If you can continue to allow yourself to maintain a sense of worth and practice good though hygiene, you can rule over depression. If you cannot do these two things, then it will rule over you.

There is no in between and no middle ground. Depression will either rule you, or you will rule it. You can never be friends or move away from depression. It is always there seeking to rule over you and destroy you, but it doesn't know how to adapt or create new weapons.

Once you learn to parry depression's various attacks, you'll know how to parry them for life. Depression only uses a limited set of weapons to attack you and will never change them.

Learn how to parry and riposte against depression and you will master it.