Howdy @Former-Member, I second what @Silenus said about the addictiveness (or not) of medication prescribed for depression. The SSRI and SRNI class of medication are not addictive. The benzodiazepines class of drugs are addictive. It would be very rare to have a Benzo prescribed for depression. Perhaps check with your Pdoc (prescribing doctor) as to the class of drug you are on. I have found a site called Crazy Meds very helpful in regards accessing information about particular types of meds, their expected effects, their efficacy and other info - each type is also linked to the manufacturers information sheets. Knowledge is power.
When I am in deep depression, a long lasting one, one of the things I do is in the mornings, after the brain synapses are firing (I admit to a caffeine addiction and have to have 3 cups to fire on all cylinders) and during this time I try to get a grip on my thinking - I purposefully come into the present (letting go of the overthinking stream, struggling to the surface into the day, into life's day), I sit quietly and look around the room (or the garden) and I NAME the things in front of me and he sounds I can hear, with purpose and focus.
There = Here Now
"There : The photo of my partner when we were in Zimbabwe"
"There: The carving of the warthog"
"There: The DVD set of HArry Potter"
"There: The rainbow on the rug caused by the crystal in the window"
"There: The magpie singing across the road in the tree".
"There: My sleeping dog."
ie. The things in your room, one item at a time with a description in your mind as to what they are.
I do this as long as it takes to stop the river of sound and rushing thoughts, it is a practical way of coming into the now. Then with purpose I think of what I am going to DO next, even something as simple as shower & dress, or do the dishes. And I apy attention to what it is I am doing, calling my mind back to the present.
Now: rubbing my body with soap.
Now: feeling the water running over my head.
Now: drying, feel the roughness (or softness) of the towel.
Now: applying deodarent.
Now: Pulling on pants
or
Now: Filling the sink with soapy water
Now: washing the cutlery
Now: Rinsing the cups. etc
ie. Describing in brief exactly what you are experiencing or doing at each moment as you do it.
These Being Present to the moment thoughts practiced often, help me to be able to get a grip of my runaway thinking, I CAN stop the river of despair if I pay attention to the moment.
Then, <OMG!> it all goes to hell in a handbasket again, because that is the nature of our illness, but the great thing about practicing something like I have described above often, it becomes a tool in the toolkit of living as well as we can today and like any craftsperson the more we practice a craft the better we get at it.
AND! The beautiful thing is while I am practicing the craft of calm mind I am in a nuetral state, and what a relief that is ~ if only for a little while.
Anyways - I know the things I share work for me, honed over a lifetime of wobbly mind and seeking peace, I share them in a spirit of solidarity and as always, please take what you want and leave the rest.
Peace is possible - sometimes.
