Depression/anxiety long-term recovery

[Karen2005]

Has anyone suffered from depression/anxiety and has made a full, long-term recovery from it (ie is no longer taking any form of medication/counselling and has been well for a prolonged period of time)?

My husband has been going through cycles of depression/anxiety for quite a few years now and has treated it with anti-depressants (two different types - not at the same time!) and forms of counselling. However, even though he gets better each time, he doesn't stay better.

He is currently suffering from another bout and in his words is "bored" with the illness. He put off going to see the doctor for anti-depressants/counselling as he wanted to see if he could get better without intervention (after all, the drugs didn't cure him before...), but has now got a prescription.

I would love to be able to reassure him that he might get better and stay better this time, so therefore there is a point in taking medication, but our past experience suggests otherwise and it might be that some people are predisposed to bouts of it.

Any thoughts welcome. Thanks.

[Poppy]

Hi Karen,

Yes, me! I had severe depression and anxiety (the most horrendous panic attacks- nothing like the mild palpitations etc many people describe as 'panic attacks') and following an intensive course of therapy I'm now well and have been for 3/4 years! I still feel panicky at times but very,very,very rarely- and I can actually say that I'm happy (I say happy but what i mean here is 'normal' ie some happiness at times and likewise sadness- but in context to what is happening in my life). The thing that worked for me was proper psychotherapy including group therapy but it was a long process. Counselling for me was a waste of time- it was the proper psychotherapy which worked. Likewise medication- I have been on many, many types-it didn't solve any of my problems just masked them a little bit and the side effects were pretty grim.

Like your husband I thought I was cursed to always live with it and as you both know it's an incredible burden to live with- but I really am testament to being able to get well. I feel so free now and am a totally changed person- and much nicer to live with!

I'm now generally much healthier and I believe that taking fish oil (EQ- the hardcore stuff) strengthens my nervous system generally. I hope I can offer a bit of positivity anyway.
PS The thought of group therapy is very daunting for some people but to work through things with other people was invaluable- you realise that many, many people feel exactly the same as you. I saw people leave the group as they got better and always envied them- I was there the longest but eventually my time came to leave!

[Karen2005]

Thanks so much for that Poppy. I'm at work right now, so can't write too much, but it's great to know that you have got better. I guess it will take a lot of perseverence and finding out what type of therapy is best. Take care.

[China Doll]

Depressions one of those things that is sort of with you all your life but not as in you always feel that way. You kind of have to learn what your triggers are in order for it not to get so bad that you actually get depressed and also identifying what helps you deal with it when you recognise the triggers is important too. Be it the gym, counselling.. whatever.

As he's suffering a bout of depression now it might be useful as Poppy suggested to look at alternative treatments that will help him recognise triggers and again what to do when he feels himself going down that road so that it doesn't get so bad in the future.

[barniclebill]

I know loads of people that have. Some of them are on meds some of them aren't any more. I had terrible depression but I never got help from the Doc and I'm fine now. I volunteer with a charity that uses NLP and challenging team games and stuff, combined with basic communal living in a shared living space over weekends in the countryside in the highlands, and I have to say that green space and wildness is the best cure for any depression. Get him out the house more, go for walks in the country, hire an allotment, anythig like that will help immensely. I think blokes can fall into depression so much more easily these days as we've got nothing to do with our hands, we should be hunting and gathering and making things to protect you, not sitting staring at a screen for hours on end or driving cars or whatever.

[Karen2005]

Thanks for your answers, everyone. It is reassuring to know that people do get better. We love walking in the countryside so that is definitely what we need to do more of at the moment. I know that exercise in general is really important to mental well-being, but it's being able to encourage the depressed person to take some which is the problem.