Years ago I experienced a number of serious Depressive episodes triggered by repeated stress. I spent seven years doing intensive pyschotherapy and have been on medication for the last fifteen years.
I spent a great deal of that early time looking for THE answer or THE explaination for my Depression, as if that knowledge would give me a permanent handle on my suffering.
I learned a few truly simple things that were very helpful to me and may be to others.
1. Depression is rarely only one thing.
In my case I had 'learned' to have a depressive response to situations that bothered me. Much of my Depression covered anger and/or anxiety and with assistance I learned to recognise the TRIGGERS that led to my depressive response and I could intervene.
After that had been done, I was shocked to find that I 'also' suffered from generalised anxiety and biological rhythms that were incredibly difficult to live with. They did not respond to talking therapies or behavioural modification so I decided to do a medication trial ( after seven years of therapy).Second effort was amazingly powerful. I felt HAPPY for the first time in my life and my high functioning persona now had a pleasant work place!
2. Many people working in the field are very poor communicators. You need to be working with or be supported by someone who you feel treats you with respect in every way. I have met many mentally or emotionally sick people who somehow think that they are not ENTITLED to disagree with or question so called EXPERTS because they are sick. This attitude is WRONG. You must always fight for yourself and if you really really can't at the moment, you should get an ADVOCATE/friend/family member/ lawyer etc to do this for you. Someone needs an overview.
Never engage in treatment that has not been properly explained to you, don't trust people who don't or won't give you a ball park idea of whats wrong with you, and never stay with someone who 'forgets' about you or what you have said.
And if, when you disagree with something, someone tells you, you are wrong because you are sick and they are not....run for your life and keep going.