Riding out depression

[Rodge]

Has anyone ever suffered from clinical depression but instead of taking anti-depressant pills with all their nasty side-effects, just recovered from it naturally, by 'riding it out' so to speak?

I have read that 4 out of 5 people will recover from clinical depression within 6-9 months even if they take no action.

Has anyone out there ever taken this path, and if so how long did it take, and was the recovery gradual or sudden?

[crete]

dont wish to give too much away but if diagnosed with depression keep taking the tablets and be patient

[jiggy-gb]

I'm doing pretty much that at the moment Rodge. I suffer depression on and off and the last time i took anti-depressants, i am of the opinion that they just mask the symptoms and obviously do nothing to help you get to the root cause.
I have good days and bad, sometimes i feel i can't leave the house at all. I'm awaiting counselling and i really think this will help far more than chemicals ever could.
Good luck if you're planning on taking this route, it's not easy but i hope it'll be worth it x

[mycats]

I went for the "riding it out" approach for years before I finally went to see a doctor for tablets (I was diagnosed as clinically depressed at 14) and you can kid yourself that you are getting better and dont need medication. But you arent really. I would feel really bad (honest it was crippling) for a couple of months, then start to feel better, at which point I convinced myself that I was "ok now". Then I would feel ok for a while, so of course I thought I didnt need to go for tablets. After a couple of months the whole thing would start again.
I did eventually get anti depressants, (which took a couple of months to work) and felt good for about a year. Saying that I am now getting back to the start of the whole cycle again.
I think people make the mistake of thinking that "feeling down" for a reason is the same thing as being "clinically depressed".

[boobesque]

i suffered severe depression and was very reluctant to take anti depressants, i did have counselling though but it took me 3 years to come out the other side. I have been free of depression for about 3 years now and have to keep an eye on myself as its easy for me to slip back, and i have to see my health visitor regularly when i have had my baby as i am a prime candidate for post natal depression.
I would say that you can come through it without pills, but you need something and for me counselling helped, but everyone is different.
Pills dont help everyone, my mum is a severe depressive and has been on anti depressants for 13 years and has had psychotherapy for 18 years and is still not recovered, we doubt she will ever be free of it.
If you have been given pills then i would strongly suggest giving them a chance to work and dont just stop taking them as its the worst thing you can do.

[Ethel]

Clinical depression is caused because your body does not produce a hormone that it should - serotonin.

It is not your fault - it is just the way you are in the same way that diabetics cannot produce insulin in the way they should.

Reactive depression is different - this is caused by a life event such as bereavement or disaster in one's life. This can be 'rode out' without medication, perhaps with counselling.

[gill3891]

I haven't ever been diagnosed as having clinical depression but I went through a really bad patch in my life where 'I think' I had depression. Couldn't really see it whilst feeling that way but once I came through it, I knew it must have been some form of depression.
Anwyays, to answer your question, I just rode it out. I'm not trying to say that everyone can do this but I found that changing my life completely (dumping my loser ex and taking a whole new view about things etc) did the trick. It wasn't an over night recovery, no where near, but once I took control of where my life was going I found that I could look at things differently and in a more positive manner.
I never wanna go back to feeling that way so anytime I feel a bit down, I just think of what it was like to feel that bad and it makes me 'want' to be happy.
Obviously it takes time and it's not for everyone but I would suggest any other method than anti-depressants first! Hope your ok!