Traditional talk therapy didn't do anything for me. I was depressed. I was miserable. It wasn't situational -- even when I felt like I was unhappy "about" something, I could tell it was out of any sane proportion. And talking about being miserable did not make me less miserable.
Drugs, on the other hand? Worked. It took a little experimentation to find the right med (citalopram, an SSRI) and the right dose (10 mg, actually less than standard), but yeah. I feel infinitely better. I can feel happy, as appropriate (instead of, y'know, never) -- and sad, as appropriate (and not, say, all the time.)
I still have low energy, and trouble moving -- not physically, but as if my will is disconnected from my body. And it seems to be slowly getting worse. Maybe a separate issue, maybe not... I have some appointments coming up, and I'm doing my own research in the meantime. I'm still a hell of a lot better off than I was.
Depression makes you feel like there's no hope. But there is, if you can just get out of the depression. If my movement problems turn out to be the first symptoms of a progressive neurological disorder (unlikely, really, but it's certainly something I've thought about)... well, that's still better than being depressed.
My biggest regret is that I wasted as much time as I did before getting to a psychiatrist. So, if you think you might need to see one... then yes. You do. Make an appointment. Also, since I know some people do have good results with therapy... if you're trying to choose between them, "both" is a perfectly good option.
Good luck.  |