How long/intense is your depression usually and when did it begin?

Mine varies greatly, I've had it for as little as weeks and as long as 4 months (and counting). I've also gone from dysthymia to full-out suicidal attempts. If I remember correctly, my first experience with mood disorders was 3 years ago and started off with a very brief hypomanic episode that ended up in my arrest. This quickly threw me into depression that lasted about a month and saw me on the top floor of an apartment block. This year I've been depressed from April to early July, when I had a week-long hypomania before crashing back to the 11th floor of a building again, and I've gotten progressively better but the depression is still ongoing even now.

I find that my depression isn't the same intensity throughout and usually is at a 6-8 (on a scale of 1-10), but can spike to a 9-10 when there are environmental triggers. Some days I can even be at a 4-5, but if it does not last for more than a week I know I'm not actually on a upswing.

How about you?

Longest ever was nine months. And it was very deep the whole time.

Been having them since I was 13 years old and I am 50 now. The normal pattern the last twenty years is three or four times a year that last a month and pretty severe for that month. Recent years has been worse and longer lasting and I don't know why.

This last year it has varied a lot where I get weeks I am doing great, then weeks where I have moderate, then weeks like right now where it is severe. I dunno if this last year is because of the meds I am on because that is highly unusual for me to bounce around so much. Mainly the med has worked great since last april. Lately it is losing the battle. When it is moderate I can fight it back and sometimes win.

How long is a piece of string? I've suffered with clinical depression for years varying in degree of severity but mainly pretty severe debilitating and involving dark suicidal thoughts and feelings.

I know you said before that you meditate-has it helped much for you? Are you able to meditate when depression is severe?

I don't think I've ever not been depressed. There were times when it was less severe, but most of the time, it's pretty severe. Even as a kid, I was depressed, although I didn't have the language to describe it.

I envy people who have episodic depression. I know that's not really fair, but I'd like to know what it's like not to be depressed, even if the relief is only temporary.

I have a very hard time doing it when severely depressed. I can say it has helped me overall in my life but it has not cured my depression. It may have helped my depression I really have no way to know. I still keep getting them. It for sure has helped me with anxiety. The most tangible benefits are relaxation and stress reduction. The more you practice the easier it is to stay calm and relaxed and handle stressful situations. My anxiety is always about fear of the future and it is easier to bring myself back into the moment.