Dude, I'm 30 and depressed for the last 6 years. I know why I am depressed. I have been trying to fix it. Do you know why you are depressed? Find that out and then take steps to fix it. Do not take medication. It only masks the problem. Dig deep...find out what the reason is.

I could have written that myself ..I suffer from depression and anxiety as well. It's ruining my life more each day .
Feels like I have no control .Along with extreme trust issues
and low self esteem it's a losing battle .Ive tried therapy drugs RX nothing has helped .
I wish I would go to sleep and not wake up .

2 miles a day, every day. Try it for 6 months and report back. What have you got to lose?

Depression sucks. Have you considered trying ECT? It's one of the most effective methods for treating depression. (They don't do it like the olden days! I've watched it and helped carry it out). They put you to sleep under a general anesthetic and induce a small seizure which lasts for about a minute. They also give muscle relaxants and they measure the seizure waves on a ECG. When I first watched it, I didn't even know a seizure took place... it just looked like the patient was sleeping with some minor foot twitching. It's a safe, short outpatient service and I've seen it make a huge difference in people's lives. A lot of people get nervous about the idea of it, but I would really recommend it if you haven't tried it already. Anyways, take care!

If one doesn't work, try another. Maybe you have already done this. Also, different doctors have different approaches so doesn't hurt to get more opinions. I am so sorry to hear of your illness.

Google it. Worked for me.
Also, ECT is not as harmless as they lead you to believe. Was going to try it but psych advised against.

ECT? Blech.

Walking is a good idea, but if you don't have proper nutrition, walking won't do much good. So, download the IOM tables and eat according to them---you might want to eat a little more protein, a little less carbohydrate and a little more fat, but other than that, they're a pretty good idea.

One other thing to read is the IOM report on boron---people get between 1 and 4mg a day, typically, tho intakes can be variable depending on diet, and we haven't researched much at all into the psychiatry of boron deprivation. It's cheap to buy, 6mg a day will cost you like $8 a month if you take it as a supplement. Some places like Tuscany have loads of boron in the water...and an interesting fact is that it was widely used as a preservative from the late 1800s to the 1950s, which strongly coincides with the period when people got a lot smarter, happier, fightier, then in the 1950s with the rise of international communism, they banned it as a preservative, and since then we have been on a downhill slide.

As for pills or ECT, maybe try those once you're eating 100% IOM, walking two hours a day if you still feel like crap. But if you won't eat right and exercise, you prob. deserve to feel like crap.

I know about depression as well, as I have suffered from it my whole life. I am 34. Medication has helped, but not enough to enjoy life, but to go along with it.
Depression is an evil illness, but talking about it and meeting other people who have it is a major help as well

And I have a podcast recommendation that helped me feel hopeful and not alone: Mental Illness Happy Hour.

Maybe give an episode a listen while on one of your walks?

Best wishes.

The problem is that a lot of people go through periods of depression and they think that they can relate to you; but it's different if you have it for your whole life. These people actually make me angry, because a lot of them have jobs, families, and other things that are out of reach to most mentally ill people. I have found that 2 things help me: Prescription medication (SSRI + mood stabilizer), and marijuana. If I didn't have access to pot, I would have committed suicide in my teens. It is the only thing that makes this ugly world bearable... for an hour or two, at least.

I've never been offered ETC as an option... but I'm only a type 2 bipolar, and I've only attempted suicide twice in my life.