I think that there are two kinds of depression maybe. Some people have one major depressive episode and then don't have another for years and year or maybe never. But others of us have them over and over. I have no idea how many I've had either, but a lot. I figure it's always going to be something I have to worry about. It's a chronic condition for me like diabetes or high blood pressure.

For me managing my disease means paying attention to symptoms of it getting worse and having a plan for if/when it does. I don't see getting off of medication any time soon. I don't go to therapy every week all the time, and there have been some long stretches where I didn't go at all. However, I kind of like having a therapist that I trust that I can see if I need to. I was down to about every 6 weeks, but then some things came up so I'm talking to someone more frequently right now.

I guess maybe the key is to try to enjoy the time between major episodes. And I have learned some things that keep them from getting as bad or coming up as frequently as they did 20 years ago.