[delcyphr]

I did a lot of reading and research on my own, as Garrocha suggested, but you need to see someone about it if the depression feels at all serious or persistent. I saw a therapist for several months; I learned some coping skills from our sessions that have been very helpful. It's important to find a therapist that you feel comfortable talking with, and who seems to be really listening to you. Occasionally, you have to try more than one such professional.

In the end, I realized that depression was a biochemical fact of life for me. It didn't mean that I was helpless; rather, it meant that in addition to valuable coping skills I'd acquired and attempts at exercise, I had to get over both my reluctance to take antidepressants and my irritation over feeling as though I had to ask some medical authority for permission to obtain such medication. I tried Prozac for several months, but the effect seemed to plateau. The same thing happened with the over-the-counter herbal supplement, St. John's wort. Some months ago, I began buying another OTC supplement, SAM-e (s-adenosylmethionine). It seemed to help, but again the effect seemed to hit a plateau.

About a two months ago, I realized that the dosage recommended by the SAM-e manufacturer (400 mg/day) wasn't nearly at the level used in clinical trials that had reported positive effects (1600 mg/day). Feeling that I had nothing to lose, I began taking 1600 mg of SAM-e daily. It took about three weeks for me to realize that clouds had greatly lifted from my mood. The most telling change for me is that my usual daily craving for cigarettes (I've been trying to quit for years, with fitful success and a lot of backsliding) is greatly reduced, and most days nonexistent. I haven't felt this free of the desire to smoke since my first experience with Prozac, many years ago. (Antidepressants like Prozac and Wellbutrin - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs - are medically established as helpful in smoking cessation. It seems to me that a sufficient dosage of SAM-e is just as helpful in quitting smoking as those drugs.)

It's hard to explain what normal feels like when you haven't felt that way in a long time. The change in my emotional state is like night and day, and I believe the increase in the SAM-e dosage has everything to do with it. It's also a great positive that SAM-e can be purchased right off a grocery store counter, no prescriptions required. SAM-e does have a drawback, though - it's expensive, especially at 1600 mg a day. Still, it's worth it to me.

That's my experience, and I don't mean to pitch SAM-e like a salesman! I do believe that seeing a professional is really important; do that for certain, no matter what else you do. Good luck to you!

P.S. - I'm sorry; you asked about hypnosis, and I forgot to answer. I consider myself highly suggestible, but I was not very responsive the only time someone (a psych grad student) tried to hypnotize me. I've never tried it for clinical matters.

P.P.S. - I meant to mention this before, since I went on so long about s-adenosylmethionine. It is strongly advised that people supplement with B-complex vitamins if they are taking SAM-e. Although s-adenosylmethionine is a natural substance with many positive qualities, it breaks down into homocysteine, which has been strongly correlated with heart disease if it is left to build up within your cells. As I understand it, this is where the B-complex vitamins come in, particularly B-6, B-12 and folic acid. These apparently work to prevent homocysteine build-up by converting it into other, more benign substances. At least one supplement company I know of won't sell SAM-e without including B-complex vitamins for free with the order. Just something to keep in mind.