Depression-fine one week and horrible another?

Hi. I've been diagnosed with depression in the last year. It came on after a very stressful event and never lifted. I'm a bit at the end of my rope. One week (or 2) I'll feel perfectly fine and function normally and then I'll go into a funk for a few days where I'm soooo tired and sad and frustrated. I may not even leave the house during those days.
I've seen 4 doctors, and they just keep wanting me to switch around antidepressants. But I feel maybe it's more than that, because why would my medicine only be helping me halfway?
And I'm finding that I drink too much, just to dull the frustration.
I know the obvious reponse there is stop...
I am worried becuase only a short while ago I was perfectly fine. Has anyone had this type of depression before, and how did you help yourself? I'm not someone who just wants to die, in fact I want the opposite and to just feel better.
Thank you.

Well it could be that your medicine is not working at all and you are still experiencing periods of being ok and being depressed as if you hadn't taken anything. Unfortunately it is usually a process to find the best medicine for each person because we are all different. Some things you might want to try and consider:

1. Stop drinking - drugs and alcohol are depressants and it will only hinder your treatment. You are also bringing a whole new problem to the table if you continue to increase your drinking.

2. Eat healthier and try to exercise - that will make your mind and body work better which will naturally fight off the depression. Some foods contain neurotransmitters (Acetylcholine, Dopamine, Serotonin) that help your brain work better. Acetylcholine rich foods include: egg yolks, peanuts, wheat germ, liver, meat, fish, milk, cheese and vegetables (especially broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower).
Dopamine rich foods include all proteins (meat, milk products, fish, beans, nuts, soy products). 3-4ounces of protein will help you to feel energized, more alert and more assertive.
Serotonin rich foods are carbohydrate based e.g., pasta, starchy vegetables, potatoes, cereals, breads. Drink lots of water and keep coffee, cokes and tea to a minimum.

3. Keep a journal of your activities, what you eat, what you watch on television, what you listen to on the radio, anything and everything also when you start to feel depressed and when you start to feel better. After a few months you might be able to look over this and spot things that trigger the depression.

4. If you have a doctor that is only interested in prescribing medication you might want to find one that will not only provide medicine but therapy also. This doesn't mean you would be spilling your guts about your childhood, etc. It could just be in-depth discussions about the stress in your life right now and dealing with the depression episodes. An over-all wellness program. Too many doctors now are quick to say "here's some drugs, you'll be fine" and that's it. Look for and demand better treatment.

Hope this helps, good luck.

You might want to look into being bipolar, mainly because if you switch between fine and not fine.

I have the same problems but I'm not on anything. Meh, I hope it works for you.

Find a doctor who wants your goal to NOT be on anti depressants...Especially if you know that the depression was brought on by a particular event.
Try talk therapy or cognitive therapy with a GOOD therapist..if you find you are feeling victimised in therapy, get a new therapist.
Also, I know it is hard (have been relegated to the floor in a heap many times myself), but you really need to push yourself to get up and get moving...even if it is a walk. Get a support system so that when you are feeling this down you can text them and have them take you out for coffee.
You can do it...knowing how you feel is the first step...the meds only help with the chemical inbalance...By all means take them in the interim to get your chemicals on track, it helps so much with the other therapies.
Also try vitamin E, evening primrose oil, and vitamin B1...I sound like a drug pusher tonight...lol..but it seriously has helped me so much over the past year.

I'm bipolar had it since 3rd grade and now I'm 38 and i tried suicide once a week till i was 30 i decided it was dumb
but when i was 29 i got drunk but not wasted and someone made me mad but because of my condition magnified by alcohol i took a knife and tried to stab me it barely poked me it hurt but sliced my shirt so i ended up madder till i sobered up then decided i can never drink again and i take no meds either for it but I'm on ssi disability because i cant work

Well the first thing you need to do is stop drinking. Alcohol is a depressant, and it will make you sad & make your depression worse.

If you are on an anti-depressant and drinking, the alcohol is going to cancel out the affects of the meds.

I've struggled with anxiety and depression the majority of my adult life. I rejected the idea of medication until I was so bad off a year ago that I could not leave my house. I went on Lexapro, and it has been a life saver for me. Literally.

I also recommend a good therapist. Therapy will help a lot with depression. Good luck. Its a hard thing to go through and break out of.

I think it's possible for life circumstances to bring on depression. It's one thing to be sad or frustrated about things that are happening, but the mind is an odd thing because it's so easy to get fixated on these things and work yourself into depression. Depression is hard to beat the longer you have it. For someone who gets into depression and seems to be perpetually stuck there that person might have good days or even good moments in a bad day, but something needs to be dealt with. Don't give up on the meds just yet because they are a good temporary aid (to a point). Whatever issues are weighing you down and triggering depression need to be dealt with. If you're not seeing a counselor you should really consider it. I recommend taking a proactive approach to getting to a better state of mind. There are distractions and coping mechanisms you can use to get your mind off the stress or depressing thoughts so you don't work yourself in deeper. However, you don't want to spend all your time avoiding problems, but for the times you just can't handle what life throws at you and you're feeling bogged down by the issues that still need work, here are some suggestions.

coping mechanisms/distractions:
-affirmations "I can get through this." "This, too, shall pass." "It might look bad now, but things will get better."
-confide in a trusted friend
-call a friend to talk about anything other than what's bothering you (as a distraction)
-take mental inventory: are you tired (15-20 minute nap), hungry, stressed? Take care of immediate needs.
-mental stimulation: reading, word search, sudoku, crossword, jigsaw puzzle, cryptograms, riddles, Scrabble
-watch comedies on tv or a humorous movie
-long walk to clear your mind or to think about your problems
-spend time with people who lift your spirit
-if you know someone funny spend time with that person and allow yourself to laugh
-take 15-20 minutes to work on a project you've been putting off
-creative outlets: dancing, art, playing a music instrument, photography, scrapbooking, journaling, singing, daydreaming
-go somewhere quiet and talk aloud to yourself to sort your thoughts or journal
-random acts of kindness for others: walk the neighbor's dog, cook something to take to an elderly person and sit with that person a while, volunteer in a soup kitchen or a food/clothing drive
-list the problems in your life. Brainstorm. Set short-term and long-term goals detailing how you can break these problems down and deal with them in manageable pieces. Celebrate little successes. Allow yourself to feel good about them. Avoid expensive rewards, food rewards, gambling, alcohol, and drugs.
-build your self esteem
-ignore criticism, weigh constructive criticism and decide what to apply and what to ignore, and internalize compliments

Even when things look horrible, keep hoping for better times and setting yourself up for positive results. It is possible to get out from under depression. I know, I had depression just about all my life, most likely from circumstances which caused low self esteem.