For me, I'm not so sure "beaten" it is an accurate way to frame it. Perhaps more fitting is "effectively managing" it. I've actually had many bouts over the past 35 years and always recovered. Up until I was 36 the recovery was primarily a result of the episode running it's course, though I think a significant contributing factor in a couple of cases were major (positive) life changes...in one case a move and in another a new job. I was never on medication until I was 36. Since that time Zoloft has been quite effective at keeping the depression at bay. The problem has been that I haven't stayed on it consistantly, but everytime I've gone back on it I achieved stabalization. I will share however that most recently it took some time because I was taking the Teva Sertraline generic and for me it seemed to take considerably longer and was less effective than the brand name Zoloft. I asked my Pdoc to write me a rx for the brand name Zoloft and within days I felt the "shift" that I had been waiting for with the generic and that I had been accustomed to in the past.

I'm glad you are having the blood workup. If your TSH level is anything above about 4.0, ask for further Thyroid testing if it's not offered to you. You might want to consider it no matter what. Also...I have read that even if one doesn't have Thyroid issues, sometimes hormone supplementation is used to augment anti-depressants.

Good luck to you!