I need to start something for depression. I spend half my time wishing I was dead, crying, or staring at the wall. I've waited long enough and been through therapy. I don't know what else to do.

Hi, Did you do Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)? Are you getting enough real sunlight?

Exercise helps immensely. I don't have any unique suggestions, but I wish you the best, I know the misery.

I did emdr. No not enough sunshine to be had where I live. Nearly wheelchair bound unable to move arms of legs mich at all.

thomas has a point. i can't remember what the lites are called but there are lites you can sit near for something like 30-60 min's that are like getting real sunshine. i tried it and it seemed to help.

the cognitive therapy is also what i did many yrs ago. it really helped give me tools to deal with the depression and the negative little voice in my head telling me i was worthless.

with the help of medication it all turned my life around mentally. i'm so much healthier now. i've tried several meds. sometimes you need to make a switch. and, sometimes you need to try one, give it a chance, and switch to another if it doesn't work. but, once you find one med that works for you it's like you can see the forest for the trees.

right now i'm on lexapro. i do well on it.
keep us posted.

A combination of CBT and meditation, done daily, works for me.

I was on an antidepressant but, supervised by my psychiatrist, I weaned off it a few years ago.

CBT would probably benefit me, as would the right meds. I am inclined toward a "self-taught" approach with CBT, but do realize a professional would be a valuable help.

I took citalopram for a while, and it did help, although SSAs was a deal breaker.

I'd like to try wellbutrin, from what I have read this med might be right for me. But, I doubt that my Dr. would let me 'pick and choose' my medication.

I went for CBT and EMDR...helped tremendously! But I still need help with depression so neuro put me on lexipro. It is a very mild AD.
I also have a light, but I wasn't strict about using it. It might help in winter months if you actually use it

I also thought that I couldn't get any exercise... I mean I have a bulging herniated disk and fractured vertebrae in my lumbar, a bulging disk in my neck, a torn rotator cuff in my shoulder, torn ACL's and MCL's in my knees, tearing and degeneration to 6 tendons in my ankles, severe muscle spasms that only increase the stronger the muscles get... exercise! yeah right!!!

But then I happened to find 2 programs that were sensible and that had exercises that could be done while sitting down completely through the entire thing. One can be found on YouTube it's Mister Motivator, he's a bit cheesy but it's actually a lot of fun. It really inspires you to move along. And they even have video of others stories with their MS and how they cope and how they've coped with doing the exercises. The warm up is a great place to start.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz0cr3gueBU

Another one is from the MS trust which is a British version of the MS society here in the States. But in addition to needing someone over in England to order it for you if you're not there, it's not quite as good. I mean it is still a great program, but it's seems more quickly paced and it doesn't give you the time between exercises to gather what you'll need to use next and it doesn't go through all the reps of the exercises with you unlike the Mister Motivator videos.

The exercising has definitely put a lot more pep in me and reduced my stress values a quite a bit. I still have to use the wheelchair for any long distances and still use my AFO every day. I'm not really any stronger than I was a year ago, and it hasn't made my symptoms disappear. It's just made me feel better in the soul if not in body if that makes sense.

I hope it will help you out as well. I know I spent a lot of time far more depressed then I would admit to. I mean I actually had plans, good ones, for how to end things. And my fair share of notes to my family members as well already drafted up. And would often curse the mornings that I woke up finding myself undead. And no exercise hasn't been a magic cure-all, it's just placed my plans on hold for a bit for now and has me cursing a few less mornings. And I still can't do anything more than the warm-up exercises though it's been a few months , but hey I did lose 5 lbs.

Gardening has been another great 'therapy' we'll say, even though I had a severe back spasm that may or may not have led to more problems in my lumbar spine, but made it so I couldn't plant our garden this year but had to watch my husband do it. But still, I get the little walk around our yard checking out our roses, our bulbs, flowers, herbs and veggies as they make their way into the world. And I can sit and watch the little geckos as they do bug control, and the birdies feeding from feeder and occasionally poking around the garden for some buggies and worms.

It's getting to be hot as Hades here to where my outside time becomes greatly reduced, but I can still enjoy the early morning trip through the yard a nice little sit down among the flowers with a cup of tea before heading back inside for the day. Where books become my obsession.

Now if that's not your particular cup of tea. I would say find something that is, make yourself a little nook that is filled with what you love, what makes life a bit more likable to you. Do a few simple exercises after breakfast and then retire to your little place. A simple comfy chair, maybe a smart phone playing some favorite music and a small hobby; painting, making models, building kites, reading, writing...etc... Give yourself a good half hour to an hour "time out" with things you love, plus a bit of exercise and you might feel a little better with out taking meds or 'talking out your feelings'

Hi ker0pi, nice to see you back on again

Talk to your Dr. about your depression and go on the medication he suggests. Antidepressants work differently for each person, what works for one doesn't for another. It can also be a trial and error approach to find the one or a combination that works best for you.

I have originally Dx'd with Fibromyalgia and my neuro is revisiting MS. My PCP started me on Cymbalta to help with the Fibro pain (it did not help with the pain in my muscles but it did help with my mood, depression and seemed to help prevent my migraines). My neuro increased it from 60mg to 90mg to help with the migraine prevention, instead of increasing the Topamax from 300mg to 400mg. I am seldom severely depressed, but my migraines are coming back. lol I do hear that Cymbalta is horrible to wean off of, so it is something to seriously consider and talk to your doctor if he/she decides that you should consider it. Cymbalta is an all or nothing drug, either you do well or you do horrible with it.