Silly Depression Surveys

I have filled out a couple depression-related surveys recently. They both started by asking the usual questions: "How long have you been depressed?" "At what age did you first become depressed?" "How long did your depression last?" "How many months did you go between depressive episodes?" In both surveys, there were several questions regarding the periods of time during which I was not depressed. There was not an option where you could say that you never get over your depressive episodes. When I told my doctor this about a survey she had me filling out for some research study, she said, "Just do your best in answering the questions." I said, "Why...my correct answer is not there; so the results of the study would not be valid." I said I could not finish the survey. She looked frustrated with me. It seems to me that if they develop research surveys like this without all the possible options that people experience, it is no wonder that research does not advance more quickly. Grrrrrr!

My question is: How would you know if you were not in a depressive episode if you are on medication? I am always depressed. Even when I am on medication, I know that I am depressed. Does depression actually lift for some people? I could understand this if they were only depressed temporarily due to a specific situation, but everyone I know who is depressed virtually never gets over it. I guess maybe I only know people who (like me) have treatment-resistant depression, so their doctor keeps switching their medications around every several months. Maybe I am just blowing off steam since my doctor had me filling out that most recent silly survey last week.

It happened to me 3 years ago when I wasn't yet on therapy. I woke up a day (yes pretty "traumatic") and I realized that I was better, I even went back to school but it didn't last many weeks...

I have been diagnosed with dysthymia which is basically a very long term depression. My psychiatrist reckons I have been depressed for 28 years but to a varying degree. I have had times when, by being aware of my attitudes and thinking patterns (combined with medication I have been able to have quite a good quality of life.
It's more difficult at the moment and currently medication doesn't seem to help, but there is hope that we can find ways to make more of our lives in the future. There's a lot of research going on into meds and therapies.

You mentioned maybe you only know people who are more long term affected. That is likely as, while the majority of people do indeed make a recovery from a depressive episode, you won't find them much in places like this or support groups as, by definition, they recover and move on so we're all more likely to meet the minority who don't recover so well.

I'm sorry to hear of your struggles and wish you the best of luck and wisdom as you try to find a way forward.

I'm beginning to think that the people that say the meds are helping them is because they've decided to do all the rights along with taking the meds. They might have gotten back in to working out for instance, eating properly, sleeping more, less stress, etc. There are so many things that go along with depression I could be here all day. I'm like you. Since my first experience being depressed (around 32) I've tried all different antidepressants and really none of them work. Also I never get happy I'm always very down. I don't know what to do at this point. I get this way and then I make it ten times worse because I don't exercise which really bring me down even further. It's a catch 20 situation. The one thing (exercise) that would possibly make me feel physically better I can't do it because I'm too down. I wish I had a person to help me move. I don't have any siblings but tons of cousins. I love my cousins to death but its not the same thing as having that person that you trust no matter what. I feel if I had a person that I could do things with we could motivate each other. I don't know anymore.