Well I am not sure how much help I can be as you do seem to have tried alot but as a fellow australian & this being a.N.Z.A.C. Day I must at least try!!

i too have been through the wringer with meds & drs of all types & I suspect that in my case it is more not prepared to put in the work then unable to get out of the hole!! If this is you too then all I can say is that we will both still be leading depressing unsatisfying lives 15 years from now unless we do act.

In that vien though I do have a couple of suggestions, a psych I know is very holistic & into natural cures so here is his advice - you need to choose what you feel a) might be of benefit (all potentially) & b) what you are willing to actually try for at least 6 months as natural therapies are not instant cures;

i) take a 30 - 60 minute walk around dawn as at this time (even if overcast) there's something in the rays of the sun which alters the brains chemistry to reduce strss/depression,

ii) natural meds eg, valerian, viatmin b, sam-e (200-400mg), dhea (25mg), 5htp (trypophan) - these last 2 you have to order from overseas as they're not sold here & dhea you need to find a dr who has government approval to get it,

iii) yoga - especially good if you do it with the meditation component which helps relax/destress you,

iv) cbt (cognitive behaviour therapy - only if you're willing to do the homework/exercises) available at some hospitals & universities (cheap/free),

v) consider what is lacking in your life (hobby, fun, study etc) & do something positive to fill the gap.

Hope this is of some help.

Thanks purple333,
hope your enjoying your long weekend,

did the natural therapy do you any good?

A

It helped my daughter immensely (especially the walking at dawn, the 5htp & just not feeling drugged etc or like she was a nut case!!) - I have not been on them long enough to give a definitive answer but others I know have found natural therapy to be a great answer!!

The problem is (like prescibed meds - pharmaceuticals etc) that
a) you have to keep trying to find what is right for you &
b) natural supplemants etc take longer than drs meds to kick in so patience is needed.

Hi andrew,
i don't know if this will help at all but its a shot. I have suffered from bouts of depression and anxiety for many years along with other recent medical problems. I have found treatments that help but nothing with longevity. What I have found is this:
#1 our bodies change constantly and we have to adjust our treatments constantly. What works one month may not work the next. We have to learn to listen very carefully to our bodies. Sometimes, even when we think we are listening we may be missing important clues to finding the right treatment for ourselves. That is why I keep a daily diary. For my medical purposes I record everything from how I woke up feeling, how I felt through the day, what I ate, how I slept and if there were any major events that day. You may see a pattern in your journal that you never would have realized otherwise. A journal is also a good way to vent feelings.
#2 thinking outside the box can be the key. For years I was taking wellbutrin to treat my depression and anxiety. It wasn't until other problems began, (weight gain, overwhelming tiredness, intolerance to cold) that my doctor suggested I see an endocronologist. It turns out that I have an autoimmune disorder that effects my thyroid. Some of the side effects of this disease are anxiety and depression. All these years I may not have been plain chemically depressed, my depression may have been caused by my thyroid. Now my point isn't that maybe you should see an endocronologist, it is that we, the patient are often times the first line of diagnosis. We say, I am depressed so I am going to see a psychiatrist. So we see a psychiatrist and get anti-depressants because that is they line of treatment with that type of doctor. If I had explored other deeper possibilities with my depression I may have found that I didn't need to be on anti-depressants, I needed to be on thyroid hormones. Do you see my point. Sorry, its been a rough morning so I hope I am being clear and that maybe this helps a little.