Hi Urban

I am so glad that you are in the process of making your life right. I went through depression, without meds, therapy only, but I had situational depression, not chemical. Chemical depression without medication can carry on for ever. With meds it can help you to manage your life more. Each person is different, for me to get through situational depression it took me 2 years.

Trace

You haven't actually quit drinking as wine still contains alcohol and still influences depression. I'm in recovery and know the fallacies of having one drink means I've stopped.

You are taking some good steps towards healing: therapy, meditation and exercise. If you do have a chemical imbalance in your brain, medication is the only way I know of to correct it. The body naturally produces serotonin, norepinphrin and dopamine; however, if the levels are too low, medications can correct them as long as they are taken daily to maintain the proper levels necessary.

I didn't seek professional treatment until my late 30's. I always wondered why I would go from what I considered "normal", extreme down periods and other times so much energy that I thought I could do anything. It took literally months of treatment before I was accurately diagnosed as Bipolar. I was put on several different meds which appeared to be working as I felt fairly "normal." The pdoc I was seeing was very controlling, I did not like her from the get-go, and after 2 bad episodes regarding medications, I quit taking them. I did ok without meds for about 6 months, then "crashed and burned." I'll be on meds for the rest of my life.

We're all different with our mental health issues. For some, it's temporary and short-lived; for others (like me) it's not temporary and requires long-term intervention. Have you talked to your therapist for feedback on how long she/he thinks you will need treatment?
Sheepwoman

Considering I was drinking a bottle of wine and more each day, I consider getting down to no more than two glasses a week a success. Without the Paxil, I really don't have the urge to drink.

My therapist is mainly concerned now with getting enough from my health insurance to keep meeting for the next couple of months.

I'm hoping to avoid going back on medication; I managed most of my life without any.