Hi Annie... gee I guess I could take offense here but I'd rather believe that was not your intention.

I guess my words did sound pretty condesending but that was not my intention. I was relating to your search for alternative solutions to an on going and life threatening condition. I know the pain intimately and I know the desperation intimately as well. I continue to seek help for myself and I'll look pretty much anywhere I'm led that offers a thread of hope for me.

That being said, it seems the journey always goes full circle. No matter the course of treatment the best medicines are still good food, good rest, good outlook on life. For me I can see a lifetime of neglecting those basics, or short lived efforts have contributed to the severity of my illness. I know intellectually that those are part of the solution yet the illness seems to have escillated to the place where making the choices required to improve my diet, regulate my sleep, exercise regularly, think positively are harder and harder to do on my own. Like you said.... if I had all that going for me I wouldn't be sick. There in lies the dilema for me. What will help me consistently improve those things I know will help me.

At the end of the day I continue to search for a holistic approach to my wellness. Physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Finding the right, healthy balance in my life to make healthy choices for my life. I still don't feel as though I'm winning the battle. The depression makes it so much harder to do what I know rather than what I feel like doing.

For some psych meds help give them the added push they need to make the choices that will improve their wellness. For some herbal medicines can do the same. For others its talk therapy and a strong support system that helps them realign their lives. And for many a spiritual awareness serves to strengthen their resolve and energize them with hope.

The thing I've learned is that whatever the path it must balance the circle. A healthy life is a balanced life. How we get there is a determination of our own resolve and resources.

Good luck to you as you continue on your search. I'm not discounting anything, any course of treatment any of us explore. I wish you success. To enjoy one less day fighting depression. Take good care.