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I have always been a happy and optimistic person. Always. Oh, I might be blue occasionally but I could easily get over it.

Then I hit that stage in life, 50! And with that the start of menopause. Suddenly I could NOT get over this horrible, never ending feeling of despair and sadness. My life situation had not changed much but apparently my hormone levels HAD! My doctor had to almost force me to use drugs to get on top of this depression. I fought it mightily as I do not want to compound problems with drugs. And I was strong enough, I thought, to get over it on my own.But I was desperate to feel normal again.Desperate to be able to function again. So, I took them.

It has been a great help. They are not addictive and I can stop anytime. I will do so soon.

I also have stepped up my exercise program. This has helped tremendously.

But the action I took which I feel has given me the deepest comfort, is that I turned to God. I renewed my trust and faith in Him. I study and read the Bible. I found a true measure of love and compassion there. I am learning to give Him my troubles and worries.

In other words, for me at least, it was not a single answer that has helped me but a combinations of things. And I can not believe that I have written this and posted it. I never discuss this with anyone. It is a sign of great weakness in my mind to do so. But, I hope that my experience can help someone else.

I understand your feelings but the medications are doing the same thing we use all other medications for - to correct something that our body is doing or not doing on its own.

I think one of the reasons exercise helps is that it jars the brain stimulating the receptors and transmitters that produce the chemicals necessary to process the brain's messages of well-being.

Those with depression possibly have a chemical imbalance - why not take the medication that equalizes that imbalance? Why try to suffer through and cure the imbalance with thoughts, views etc? We don't suffer through misfunctions of the heart, lungs, digestive system with encouraging talks of how to cope and "make" the situation better. We face the fact that bodies don't always process everything as intended and use the medications discovered to correct the misfunctions.

No need for different handling on miscommunications of the brain, no need to refuse medication to help the imbalances.

>>But the action I took which I feel has given me the deepest comfort, is that I turned to God. I renewed my trust and faith in Him. I study and read the Bible. I found a true measure of love and compassion there. I am learning to give Him my troubles and worries.<<

That's where I'm at with it, too. I have had a strong faith for a long time. When you say, "I am learning" I know what you mean also. It's not a quick-fix, but a process of day-by-day dependence, I'm finding out.

In many ways, my life is much richer with a "thorn in the flesh" than without.

SD