hi. me again. If apathy is a problem, you might want to talk to your doctor about something outside of the ssri or snri groups. That's just been my experience...I now avoid SSRI and SNRI drugs because they work on anxiety and tension and such, but after a while...I feel like a zombie. not worth it over the long haul, for me at least.

I will warn you that drugs for depression are not all that great. In big studies, the antidepressants seem to have an advantage over placebo in more severe depressive states, and some critics have argued that even then the advantage isn't much. Having said that, some people respond very well to standard antidepressants, often for a long time.

There are other drugs, too. Lamictal is an anti-seizure drug that is approved to prevent depression in Bipolar I. Its used in other mood disorders, too. In big studies, using lamictal reduced the frequency (and I think severity, too) of depression in those studied. Most people seem to tolerate Lamictal well, although there can be very, very serious adverse effects. I just mention Lamictal because it seems to be gaining popularity as an additional drug in treating all kinds of mood problems, from Bipolar I to unipolar depression that keeps coming back.

A lot of doctors prescribe the newer, "atypical" antipsychotics with antidepressants for depression. Some of the "atypicals" are approved for this use, some are not. Although this approach sometimes helps, I'd personally steer clear, if you can. I say this as someone who takes an "atypical" every.single.day for a severe mood disorder. I think they're better than the older drugs for severe problems, but still not exactly ideal drugs. If you --can-- avoid any major tranquilizer, old or new, I think you'd be wise to do so.

Buspirone is also used as an add-on. Its generic and should be cheap(ish). It sometimes helps improve response to antidepressants. Some people find that it helps anxiety.

Other than that, I don't have a lot of info for you, lol. I know it sounds terrible and jaded of me, but do try to keep your expectations fairly low when it comes to psych drugs. With mine, I'm one of the maybe 1% of America that needs psych drugs daily to keep serious problems (that, thankfully, respond to psych drugs) at bay. I'm just saying this because it makes me sad to see people become --less-- able to function because of psych "treatment" that goes overboard.

I hope things work out well for you and your wife.