has any one fully recovered from recurrent depression?

Question

has any one fully recovered from on going and recurrent depressions....how did they do this....or can it just be managed...

Answer 1

Some people recover completely and others have depression that never seems to go away.

I had treatment for depression for a year or two in the 1980s. I felt a lot better, and I asked my doctor to take me off the medication, which he did.

About 10 years later I had a really stressful job and I started having anxiety and depression symptoms again.

I have been taking medication for depression and anxiety since then. I tied getting off the medication twice but wound up going back to the doctor and taking it again.

Now, I stopped taking my medication for the last week and I feel pretty good; I'm not sure if I'm going to need to take it again or not. I'm going to ask my doctor to give me a new prescription but I'm not going to start taking it unless I feel like I really need it.

My brother has bipolar disorder, so it probably runs in the family. I also work for a mental health agency.

Answer 2

I saw on the Discovery Channel a story about this man with recurring sever depression.He went thru a process called Vagus Nerve Stimulation.He said that his depression after this got better and better.Now he isnt experincing any problems with depression.I found some great links about it with tons of info.Problem is Im not sure if most inusrances will cover it.

On April 4, 2001, Donovan had the vagus nerve stimulator implanted in his upper left chest. Over the course of several months, with preset stimulation to his left vagus nerve, Donovan went from seeing no hope of anything good happening to him in the future to being only occasionally pessimistic about his future, believing that for the most part things would get better. Gradually he began to have an optimistic view of his future, and now he says his life is normal, full of joy and genuine happiness.

Answer 3

Ive never really been totally cured
Its been made manageable or "shelved" for a few years with therapy

Son is a manic depressive (diagnosed age 15) and has been on prescribed meds with therapy ever since
With depressive situations, he increases the amount of the therapy sessions

Answer 4

I don't believe there is actually a "cure" for depression. It's like diabetes, if you take care of yourself, you might not have any serious episodes but it will always be there. It's part of your chemistry. Medication and therapy are the best treatments. With the right combo of those two, you should be able to lead a "normal" life.

Answer 5

nope. I haven't and I don't know anyone who has.