There are many people who know very early that they suffer from depression. Perhaps as pre-teens you where a little melancholy but no one paid attention. You were young. Then you became a teenager and everyone thought you were just a little annoying, and just being a sullen teenager. Next you go to college or begin life in the workforce and people think that's just your personality, or maybe it's the stress of change. A new environment.

But you are beginning to understand something about yourself - you are tired, sad, listless, and often hopeless more than not. And this isn't who you are. Or who you want to be. You want to change - but you can't. You feel stuck. So finally, you go to your doctor who sends you to a therapist. You go for a while, and its fine -- but then you stop.

You go again after a 3 year relationship ends badly and you stop again. Each time you go for therapy, it's generally for the same reasons. "I'm overwhelmed by my life. I'm depressed."

Finally, the third or fourth time you visit your therapist or your physician they give it to you straight. You have been feeling this way for years. It hasn't just been one episode brought on by grief or another huge life stressor. You have constantly and consistently had depressive symptoms throughout your life. You probably need to take an antidepressant, and you need to accept that you probably will have to take it for a long while.

You panic! Do you want to be on drugs for the rest of your life? Is this who I am? Weak? I need drugs to manage my life?

Learning to accept the fact that you could be taking antidepressants for as long as you need them is a very scary proposition for a lot of people, especially people who view depression as a character flaw instead of the mental health disorder that it really is.

If you were diabetic, you would try lots of things to improve your overall health, but you would also make sure that during that process you would be okay. So you take your insulin. People suffering from depression should follow that same path.

Begin an exercise plan. Discover a hobby you are passionate about. Connect more with friends and family. Focus on taking care of yourself more. And while you are doing all of that--take your medication everyday - on time - and watch how you will finally gain control of a life that was once just a sleepwalk.

Lastly, you will not necessarily be taking your antidepressant for the rest of your life. Many people eventually slowly wean themselves off of them, once they feel in emotional control (and of course other signs that your physician will look for), and live without depression and without medication for the rest of their lives. Don't believe the anti-medication hype. For some people, antidepressants are the difference between someone just existing vs. living the best life you can live.

Related articles:
Types of Antidepressants
Everyone Gets Depressed--What's the big deal?

Related Reading:
The Antidepressant Survival Guide : The Clinically Proven Program to Enhance the Benefits and Beat the Side Effectsof Your Medication
by Robert J. Hedaya

Lisa Angelettie is an author, counselor, & coach on mental health, relationship, and other life issues for women. You can also visit her at http://www.girlshrink.com Please visit us for more discussion on this topic in the depression forum to talk about it further. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for topics in the news, new articles, website & book reviews, and other useful depression resources. Subscribe below.