Medication changes the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, making various ones more available. There are non-medical ways to do this, the most effective being meditation and exercise. Consistent use of one or both along with a form of therapy that focuses on noticing and changing distorted thoughts would be my recommendation for someone who has not yet found a medication that works.

I and several people I know who take anti-depressants have experimented both with dosage and brand to find the right fit. I currently take a half-dose of Wellbutrin, but first I tried Paxil, Celexa, and Lexapro. Some people take different ones in combination to balance out the side effects of each one. (I.e. Wellbutrin in a small does to counter the sexual side-effects of Paxil).

It can take time to figure out what you need and what you can tolerate. Many anti-depressants act on serotonin. Wellbutrin is atypical as it acts on norepinephrine/dopamine. For me, it works well but some people find it makes them feel “speedy”. It really depends on each person. When adjusting something like biochemistry of your brain, sometimes it can take awhile to find the right approach, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find.

Oh, and side effects take getting used to. If I go off of Wellbutrin and then back on it a few months later, it takes a month or so for my sleep to be normal and for me not to feel all hyped up. But my body adjusts; sometimes you have to live through that adaptation phase.

The following two points resonated particularly powerfully with me:

“Depressed people are often some of the most generous, hardworking, resilient people you will meet. They have to be. They are battling every day just to keep living. They are stronger. Until one day when the pain is too much to take anymore.”

“Depression is like cancer of the mind.”

The stigmatisation of medication is unwarranted and counter productive. You are absolutely right. They do work. They provide the much needed calmness and clarity to begin to move forward…

Thank you for your honesty Emma.

As if depression cares how popular you appear,
how strong your personal brand is,
how many twitter followers you have,
how many facebook friends/fans you gather,
how many kids you have,
how much money you make,
how well you look like you’ve gotten your act together,
how bright your future looks,
how little this all makes sense.

Depression kills you from the inside while exposes you to demands and indignant exclamations on the outside. Victim gets victimized once more while predator finds new prey.

Having loving and supporting friends does help. However, my friends never quite understood what I was dealing with. It wasn’t until I got appropriate help that I able to deal with my depression. Now, after several years of training, education, and labor I’ve been able to to establish new thought patterns and a new way of listening to life. And I can better appreciate my friends today! It started with my commitment to get appropriate help. At least that has been my experience.