>
>
> I've found that depression often involves a cycle. For example: you
> know that exercise and proper eating would help, but while exercising
> you become very tired very quickly and eating the "wrong" stuff may be
> one of the few things which gives you pleasure. In this type of
> situation, both patience and perseverance are needed. In other words,
> you need to be easy on yourself when you just can't bring yourself to
> do what you should. At the same time, you must recognize that only you
> (with the help of God and the support of friends) can break the cycle
> and you will remain in it until it is broken. With this information,
> you keep trying to do that exercise and proper eating and eventually,
> some opportunities when you feel well enough with present themselves
> and you will make use of them and begin the path out of the cycle.


I completely agree.. It's sort of a gordian knot problem.  But if you can
keep at it, and pull on it in the right places, just the right amount, then
you can make progress.

But don't underestimate the difference that a few milligrams of the right
chemical can make.
The chemical that works for one person will make another person worse, and
have unacceptable side effects on a third, but a fair number of people
respond very well and do very well on even a very light dose of the proper
drug.

In some cases, people are then able to repair things in their lives and get
to a point where they don't need the drug anymore, or something changes
inside, and the drug isn't needed anymore, and that's wonderful.

What I think all this is telling us, is that there may be a number of things
going on under the blanket label "depression", which may need different
solutions.  Our knowlege of these conditions today may (I hope!) seem
laughable in 20-50 years.  But, we have to do what we can, with what we have
today.
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