Does depression worsen with age?
I was first diagnosed with depression almost 30 years ago - I was a teenager at the time. Once the diagnosis was made, my family and therapists then began to suspect that I had probably suffered bouts of depression as a child as well, but it may have been misread as extreme timidity or sensitivity.
Anyway, I've been on and off countless anti-depressant meds over the years. Seems like one will work for a few years, but then it is no longer effective, so I have to try something else. Does anyone else go through this?
I've been hospitalized three times, and have been through hundreds of hours of group and individual therapy. I have read self-help books. I have learned all that I can learn about depression, and recently stumbled upon a book which said depressive episodes can increase in frequency as one ages. And, once women start menopause, that can be a trigger as well. I'm in my mid-40s, so this is of great concern to me - if I feel this lousy now, how bad will I feel once I hit menopause?
Depression has had a huge impact on my life. It has cost me relationships (I am single, never been married). It has prevented me from ever feeling stable enough to have children (which is a constant heartbreak to me now that I am too old). It has caused me to switch jobs several times because of the shame of repeated leaves due to my depression. Reading that my episodes may become more frequent and perhaps even more severe and/or longer in duration terrifies me. Is this really how my life is going to continue - just getting by in between depressive episodes, always knowing that the next one is lurking around the corner?
sadsack
