I've suffered from depression (typically major depression) for as long as I can remember, and something I've found out in the last year is how often I respond to depression with fantasy -- in order to help myself feel better.

When I'm feeling depressed and overwhelmed by the world I slip into a pattern that says "Everything is really okay." Some of my triggers are money, health, insurance, thoughts of career and future, etc. When "everything's really okay", I "don't need" to pay attention to the stuff that sets me off; and this can have some unpleasant reality-based effects.

When I was single, it was bad enough, but now that I have a house and family (and am the "bread-winner"), my instant-comfort method really doesn't work.

This escape is so basic to my "self-medicating" my depression that I'm having a very hard time telling when this reflex kicks in.

How can I get better at recognizing when this is happening?