Sarah, I also know that at times like that, it's a good idea to get a general medical check up to make sure that things are okay on the physical level. Low functioning thyroid, for example, can contribute a lot into how we feel emotionally along with other things like hormonal imbalances, adrenal fatigue, lack of essential nutrients, anemia etc. It also works the other way around, by the way - a prolonged depression can cause physical imbalances..So, one way or another, it's a good idea to find out if there are any medical issues.

I will not express my opinion about psychiatric drugs for depression and such. I do have an opinion, but I always leave it up to the person to decide if that's something they may benefit from. The only thing I would suggest is to get yourself well informed about that, to do your independent research and to read all the pro- and against- arguments before you make your decision. Keep in mind that most anti-depressants take 4-6 weeks to kick off and then, if you decide to stop taking them, you won't be able to do that at once (to go "cold turkey"). You would have to taper yourself off them very slowly over a long period of time. Also, I'd recommend doing a general physical exam first and, if it shows any medical issues, to take care of them first, to implement some life style changes instead of going straight to the psych drugs. Some basic self-care practices and medical treatment (if needed) may be enough to make you feel better.

I didn't take anti-depressants even at the darkest times of my life, but I recognize that everyone is different and what worked for me may not work for someone else and that for some people psych drugs might be needed. In any case though I do believe that one has to do some serious research before they take any drug that directly affects brain functioning in quite dramatic ways, which anti-depressants do.