Hello all, I'm a 70 yr old man that unbeknownst to me lived most of my life with dysthymia. Throughout most of that time I self medicated with alcohol and cannibas but I lived most of my life always believing the grass was greener on the other side - it was a side effect of the mild depression combined with alcohol misuse. In 2007 it was discovered (again unbeknownst to me) that my now ex wife had embezzled money for over 14 yrs. to the amount of over 7 figures. This trauma catapulted me into major depression and I was at the lowest point in my life. My pcp started me on my first antidepressant to no avail. My spiral continued downward until I was hospitalized, all the time self medicating still with alcohol & cannibas. The birth of my 2 granddaughters gave me some new hope and purpose in life but my depression/anxiety were still present and all the different antidepressants prescribed provided no relief. I was fortunate to be able to take a mindfulness based stress reduction course and learn the benefits of practicing mindfulness. This alone has allowed me to better manage my depression and anxiety and I strongly encourage all to investigate and learn what you can about the benefits of practicing mindfulness. Insight Timer is a free app and a great place to start.
I'm doing better and I'm accepting the fact that my depression/anxiety are a part of who I am and most likely will be forever. I truly hope this helps someone, it's always going to be a challenge and we all need a big toolbox to help us meet those challenges. Thanks for reading, much love and warm wishes ❤️