Hi lilwings. Welcome to Psych Central. So sorry you are suffering from multiple challenges. Glad you turned to Psych Central.

Many people here at PC find they can share these feelings and what they are going through with the confidence that people go through similar things and can empathize. So many forums are offered as well as Chatrooms (after you have 5 posts or comments on others posts). Depression chat meets on Thursday night at 9pm EST and Anxiety Friday at 8PM EST.

You can also be an active member in other ways like supporting others in their questions, reading articles and posts http://forums.psychcentral.com that are applicable to your area of concern.

Please feel free to private message me or any of the Community Liaisons by left clicking on the name in blue to the left of their post) for questions or just to share.

For me lifestyle changes fit big in my recovery hopes.

I have to watch what I eat because foods I eat can stabilize my moods or exaggerate them. A high protein low carb diet with snacks or meals every 3-4 hours will over time reduce my swings. I also avoid alcohol and recreational drugs because those can really increase depression. Oftentimes I was near panic and I took a scheduled break and had some protein and voila I could cope so much better at work.

Other lifestyle changes that help me are doing yoga, exercises, mindfulness, calm music, and being active on Psych Central.

Meds treat the imbalances in the brain. Some have only minor side affects. Combo of meds and talk therapy are a good option for some people. It may help if you are in free online support or therapy and taking meds to help. A psychiatrist if available might offer more expertise in med treatment programs. If not just keep your doc informed of any side affects or if med not helping.