[shame]

i have major depression recurent ...
the depression is returning however i can not take any anti/D medicines .. none work - they reverse on me and make me worse.
coping skills do not work when i need them to ..
what can i do?

[splitimage]

Have you tried exercise - when I was IP we had the option of working out 3 days a week, and I found doing weights made me feel better.

Hang in there. I can't imagine dealing with depression without meds.

--splitimage

[ErinBear]

Hi Free1,

Like you, I haven't had any success with anti-depression medications, either. Have you tried counseling? That has helped me.

Distraction helps me - doing crafts, reading, gardening, going for a walk, cleaning my apartment, writing letters, playing solitaire, etc.

Visiting with friends is helpful, or family if you are close with your family.

Exercise, as already mentioned, is good. It helps me, and is a well-known aid in fighting depression.

Keeping a regular sleep schedule is supposed to help; going to bed at the same time each night, and getting up at the same time each morning.

If you enjoy animals, being around animals (yours, or somebody else's) can be uplifting and comforting. If you don't have a dog, ask a friend if you can take their dog for a walk. You'll cross two things off the list - get some exercise yourself, and visit with a pet.

Volunteer work is helpful. It is another thing which has helped me and many others. I think it helps to take my mind of my own situation, keeps me busy, and also it feels great to give to somebody else. It's another one of those established suggestions for folks who have depression.

There are also other things which can be done. You said you tried anti-depressants. Did you just try a few? Did you see a psychiatrist? There are often other medications which can be added (not anti-depressants) which can help, or sometimes they can try multiple antidepressants at the same time. It may be worth consulting a psychiatrist if you have yet to do so. There are other treatments, like ECT, which are sometimes given. I've had ECT, and for me it was not successful. But for other people it is. Depending on the severity of your depression, it could be an option for you, but you'd have to consult a psychiatrist to get advice on something like that.

Those are just a few ideas. I hope you start feeling better, one way or another!

Take care, Erin

[mysteri]

If anti depressants don't work, the doctor may want to investigate Bipolar. Alot of Bipolar II patients never really have manic states - only depressive states. They also do poorly on "unopposed" antidepressants. They need a mood stabilizer along with the antidepressant to make the antidepressant work correctly and to get their moods stabilized. I recently was started on mood stabilizer after 10+ years of variety of antidepressants with little or no effect. I now feel better than I have in years. Ask your doctor if he/she thinks bipolar II is a possibility.