I'm sure quite a few people on here suffer from similar problems. I've suffered from depression on and off and I also have anxiety. This has been going on since I was 16 and I'm 21 now. My problem is, lately my medication has stopped working for me and I'm now in a dark place again, which has lasted unusually long for me. I've also had CBT/ talk therapy 3 times now. (The last one actually had to let me go, because she had done all she could but it still didn't fully work and help my mindset). :icon_sad: I feel therapy worked to an extent but its never fully got to the crux of why I'm like this. (It all came about from my teenage years in high school). I was wondering if anyone has any other forms of treatment from what I've had and if they have found it has helped them. I'm to a point where I am sick and tired of relapsing into a state where I can barely function in everyday life.
I... Am in the exact situation as you, apart from never taken and not planning to take medication. I don't have any real suggestions therefor... What helps me best is to have someone around that helps me push myself, being on my own usually result in.. Bad things. Follwing this thread for advice as well.
If medication has stopped working then that does not mean the end of medication. Your dose can be altered, or a change to another med may be appropriate. Or even using more than one med combined is not uncommon. I would suggest going to your doctor or psychiatrist to discuss your options. CBT is often helpful but it typically is run in short spells. Again, you can get advice from a therapist. If you go to the website of your national professional body governing therapists (depends which country you are in of course) they may be able to put you in touch with a special therapist who will meet for a one-off session just to discuss what sort of therapies you have tried and what has worked/ not worked and then refer you to someone they feel is most suited to you. The other thing to do is read about depression. How it works. How to outsmart it. Depression is a sheep in a wolf’s clothing.
I used CBT and I suggest you give it another shot. It's really difficult to get it to work but trying to get to the bottom of the root cause of depression is nearly impossible. You have to find solutions to avoid the depression or weaken it. As you form extended periods without depression it slowly starts to have less of a hold on you. You have to be strong and really dedicated. Medications can give you some working room but they aren't a long term solution. You shouldn't think of them as a solution.
I used CBT and I suggest you give it another shot. It's really difficult to get it to work but trying to get to the bottom of the root cause of depression is nearly impossible. You have to find solutions to avoid the depression or weaken it. As you form extended periods without depression it slowly starts to have less of a hold on you. You have to be strong and really dedicated. Medications can give you some working room but they aren't a long term solution. You shouldn't think of them as a solution.
I never really thought of medication as a solution. I was always gunna try come off them over time if they worked over time regardless. The problem is I have done a total of almost 3 years with therapy, 2 of those being CBT. My therapist determined a lot of my issues come from really bad self-esteem. She showed me "evidence" that showed that my thoughts are mostly unfounded. Though it just doesn't sink in at all with me. Sorta like I won't see infront of me because my mind is so used to thinking something else. I may go for a sort of group therapy we have here. It may help more than when it is just 1 on 1 with a therapist.
I hear you. Three years is a long time. That must be really frustrating for you. My group therapy helped me a lot with my self-worth issues. Reaching out to others in need has always made me feel better about myself, even when I am not particularly helpful to them. 30 years later and I am still trying. Treatment never really ends but there is always hope. Real hope. And that, in a strange way, makes it all worthwhile. There is a silver lining to this disease after all. You do learn a lot about yourself and about human nature in general.
