I know people do recover from depression. But right now I really need to see some assurance. There are not many successful stories online, I guess people stop posting once they recovered? 
Can anyone share your experience if you have walked out depression and living a good life now ? How did you achieve it? What meds did you use? How long does it take ? How do you notice you are getting better?
Thanks for sharing!
Hi there, I'll probably not give you the answer you want....I've suffered with depression and anxiety for the last 19 years on and off. Some episodes have been worse than others, triggers in the main have been the same. I think has time goes on you become able to manage the condition rather than the condition control you. What's helped me is a mixture of medication (sertraline), talking therapies and being surrounded by family and friends.
I don't think you can put timescales on getting better. We're all different. What works well for one person, may not work for another. Through experience you'll find what works well for you. Don't put pressure on yourself to be 'recovered'. Recognise that there are moments in your life, when it's mentally and emotionally tough.
You can get better! I had depression for years when I was younger (30's) and didn't even know I had it. This was 30 years ago when meds weren't available and therapy (I live in the States) was not covered by insurance. I just thought I was a negative person who had been dealt a bad hand at birth. Then things began to get so bad I considered driving off a cliff, so to speak, and sought medical help. I had two young sons and could never ruin their lives by taking my own but had to somehow get better. The first psychiatrist I had was very compassionate and it was such a relief to be able to talk about EVERYTHING that had taken place in my life. He thought we should do both talk therapy and meds. This was back when Prozac just came out and so that was the med I took. Between the talk therapy, where I realized i had legitimate reasons to feel blue and sad most of the time, and Prozac, which unclogged my brain, things really began to change. It took about 6 weeks but I found I had a brighter outlook and could engage better with the people in my life. I had more energy for my sons and was better able to be there for them emotionally. I also found the mental strength to make some serious changes (divorce) which gave me the feeling of having some control over my life and not feeling victimized all the time. I cried less and slept better.
A lot of water under the bridge since then. I'm in my 60's and things are still not easy due to circumstances I can't control and though I've tried to get off the meds, I found my depression rearing it's ugly head each time. I've accepted that in order to keep from drowning in the sludge I must stay on the meds. I've also found that engaging in talk therapy with a trusted therapist is a must at times. I don't like bringing down my family and friends with my anxiety so talking to a neutral, objective person really helps. Frankly, I don't know if I'd still be around if I hadn't sought help.
An important thing to know is the meds available have side effects - some awful, some very minor. You may have to try more than one before you get it right. I gained 40 lb.s on Prozac - this was before studies had been done on weight gain. I changed meds and the weight slowly came off without lifestyle changes. Another drug (can't remember because it was so long ago) made my heart race so much I thought I would faint. Buproprion (may have another name in the UK) has worked for years but now I think its effectiveness is wearing off. I don't want to change meds, but since I feel the heaviness and tearfulness returning I know I need to do something.
The point is you can absolutely feel better. You don't need to stay sad and hopeless all the time. Life can feel great once you've unclogged the neural networks and found a therapist who understands you and what you're going through. Don't wait another day! Get on the phone and make an appointment with a therapist and keep it! And, be patient - don't give up if things go slowly. They probably will but you must be willing to try!
I found that being able to unload to a therapist really helped, it honestly did feel like a weight coming off my shoulders right after the session. I was also advised to find something to work towards as I felt lost and unfocussed in my life. But I found a new hobby, joined a meetups community to make new friends and set myself some goals to work towards. I found that I didn't need anything other than unloading to someone through counselling and on here, which gave me the motivation I needed to make some changes that helped further.
It took me weeks and I am still worried I am just in a good phase and may sink back into a depressive mood but I am still working on staying happy.
Hi There, I would say that 98% of depression can be beaten. The 2% is left out as the way our minds function which is no different to any animal in the wild. our mind hold onto pass bad memories that if triggered in a situation can induce stress and anxiety and this can elevate given the social environment we engage in. Animals don't have a typical social environment like ours so their natural instinct/behaviour is to run or defend.
The last remaining 2% can be overcome by teaching ourselves how to react differently in those situations that make us stressed out or heighten our anxiety.
I've done a blog on what I did to overcome my depression. It's not to say it was a walk in the park, It has challenged me in many ways and helped me see things differently in life to help me understand myself my weaknesses and the world better.
on a conscience level, all i know after depression is that just like forces in the universe are all balanced to co-exist with one another (like earth with sun or sun with jupiter, earth/moon or 2 stars orbiting each other) thoughts in our minds are an element of force that pull or sway us. recognising these forces' strength, what induces them, respect them within their limit (every force has a limit) and balancing them out to lessen their effect is key. Given the life you choose to live some thoughts or their forces can be made non-existent over time but practising to recognise them before they overwhelm you is key - like bereavement, overtime you know you have to let go but not letting go and it's feeling can take control. When depression hits, our lack of ability to control anger, hatred, sadness can become too much, our lack of ability to socially co-exist with others is an element of an imbalance in our mind caused by lack of skill or a bad experience left un-dealt with. just like the bond between the earth/moon and sun, it took time and a hell of a choppy ride to achieve that right balance to support life and in a similar way it will take time to get that balance in our lives right so that we can move on and come out of depression.
Yes, depression is an illness and science tells us what happens when we are in that state and this trait exists in all living creatures, big and small so you're not alone.
After depression, some key things I have noted are:
- treat antidepressants as a temporary fix until you feel you are confident in yourself to move forward in your life.
- any changes in lifestyle or mind takes time, never rush to make a change, as it may back fire and you may end up hesitant to make any changes in fear of it backfiring. learn from it and be confident to try again. just like you first learnt to walk or ride a bike, you fall but you try again and succeed.
- CBT/counselling are a good move forward, consider private if you can't wait for NHS waiting list.
- recognise that you are the key enabler to make changes in your life and these changes will take time.
- find activities to do to occupy your time and space, think of your mind as a muscle it needs to a good work out. start small then small at a time step it up a gear to build your confidence.
- make positive changes in your body to support a positive mindset, like food health and fitness.
- above all, all experiences in life good or bad are invaluable and part of growing up. these will make us wiser and allow us to help others.
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I could go on and never stop so sorry for the waffle
I know I am on the way to recovery and I feel great at the moment. I have been fighting depression for 2 years now and I am assured by my doctor that I will be taken off my medication as soon as he's happy that I have fully recovered. I've worked hard on doing courses and adjusting my life so that I feel better and stronger than I have done for many years.
I for one believe that you can recover and that with a careful eye on not slipping back into old habits that I will not have another bought again in the future. 
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