a different POV

I am a counselor in training. I also am struggling for mastery over major depression. I accept responsibility for myself, my life, my actions and my mental health. Part of that acceptance was the willingness to try medication. I tried therapy without meds. I *REALLY* tried therapy without meds. I believed if I changed the way I thought and acted my depression would end. However, I discovered all the talk therapy in the world wasn't going to lift my depression. My med gives me a base of support to work from.
The 'work' part of recovery was/is still up to me. I had to change my thought patterns and behaviors, but IMO I never would have made those changes without the help of the med (and a very good therapist). I tried. I treid hard to improve without meds. In retrospect my lack of success without the med actually fed my depression - I believed I'd failed at one more thing in life, which meant I was a failure - again.

I dislike it when people use their diagnosis as an excuse for their behavior, but please don't 'throw the baby out with the bathwater'. Actually I dislike using any reason to shun personal responsibility. Some of us need meds to function. We aren't using the meds or the dx as an excuse any more than an insulin dependent diabetic uses insulin as an excuse. Don't disparage the use of meds - disparage the misuse of meds.

Replies:

Re:a different POV, by MOnica, 09/25/00

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