Therese Borchard has written an excellent post on her Beliefnet blog, describing her 12 step program for staying on top of depression. It is one that she devised herself but is similar to the 12 step programs that addicts use.

One of her important points is that it takes an awful lot of work to get better and then stay well. I agree wholeheartedly. It seems that those who actively participate in their treatments have the most success in returning to and maintaining good health. They are active in learning about the illness, in locating resources, in finding the right treatments, and they are determined to pull things around. It doesn’t help to be passive about depression.

Therese’s experience of nearly giving up on traditional medicine rings true. For the first few years of being treated my family doctor experimented with various drugs with little success. I was fortunate to find a great psychiatrist on my first attempt, but it involved a good dose of my own research. When my doctor suggested a psychiatrist I declined and asked him to refer me to the one I had chosen. I know that most people don’t have the time or inclination to do this, but it was important for me as the point in which I became active in my treatment. I had been labeled “treatment resistant” for too long.

I would point out that when medicines are used it is not just about finding the right drug or mix of drugs, but also making the right diagnosis in the first place. This sounds very basic but misdiagnoses are very common. It is awful being treated for the wrong mood disorder.

Therese has developed her system very purposefully. Remaining healthy requires a plan; much more than passive acceptance. I definitely suggest you try her 12 steps, with some shaping to suit.