Constantly Depressed - Advice?

[2much2early]

Has anyone ever felt depressed consistently for a long time and recovered? What was it that you found was causing the depression and what did you have to do to get over it?

 

I went through a really bad breakup over a year ago and felt completely over it a few months ago. By fine I mean I was depressed 20% of the time and fine/happy 80% of the time. Started dating a few girls since then and I'm back to being single again. But now I feel depressed 80% of the time. I didn't really develop an emotional connection to these new girls...and I can't imagine it's my old relationship from over 1 year ago. So what's going on lol? Why can't I snap out of this. I constantly feel anxiety and depression and it's preventing me from living my life and having fun.

 

I'm doing all the typical things to fight this off: gym 3x a week, eating healthy daily with vitamins and fish oil, going out every Friday and Saturday with friends and family, I work daily on new projects with a promising career.

 

I've even started seeing a therapist to maybe deal with some lingering issues from my last relationship or something even deeper. It's going okay...but it's not helping with the depression yet. I booked a doctors appointment to see if they can find something.

 

If the doctor can't find anything the only other things I can think of are:

 

1) No passion/purpose: I'm just not that interested in my work anymore and im not as passionate as i was a year ago

 

2) Not giving back: i dont do any kind of volunteering or helping out.

 

3) No real hobbies: i dont do much outside of work, party and gym.

 

the conclusion of the above 3 points leaves me with nothing to look forward to...perhaps this is causing it?

 

Also, how do you know if a therapist is right for you? I think mine is, but I havent seen any results yet. I know I shouldnt compare him to a mechanic but I hate getting ripped off lol.

[tresqua]

4) Could be a bit of a chemical imbalance, maybe you've got a touch of that bipolar thing going on.

 

Meds have their place.

[chels023]

It sounds like you can't really attribute your depressed feelings to anything... And that's okay. Over-thinking the "cause" of it probably will not help you. Continue seeing your therapist. It takes time to get to underlying problems that may be causing the depression. So be patient. If you and your therapist don't "click," it's worth it to explore other ones.

Also - have you considered anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication? You say you've been having a lot of anxiety, and that could be the cause of your depression. Maybe see a psychiatrist and see if there's a medication that's right for you, if you feel it might help.

I had depression last year; I know it's an awful feeling. I didn't seek help for months, but eventually saw a therapist and started taking medication. It took 6 months of patience, hard work, and determination, but now I'm happy as ever.

Good job with being pro-active about it, and good luck with everything!!

[Living Well]

Hi 2Much,

 

It seems like a bit of a blip that you will get over given how your mood can change depending on how well your life is going.

 

I found your post because I googled "depressed 80% of the time". I know of no one like me who has to manage suicidality 40% of the time, deep depression the other 40% of the time and normal/hypomanic moods 20% of the time.

 

Your post is nearly a year old and I hope that in that time you have found peace and wellbeing. I just wanted to thank you for expressing how you felt a year ago.... I can't help it was the way you felt but it's made me feel a little less alone. (See, you gave something without even realising it!)

 

Thank you.