Treatment resistant depression

@hopeseeker22 With all due respect, treatments for depression is tailored to the individual. Ketamine is not for everyone. Personally I do not care for the temporary psychedelic effect, but the results are worth it. In my case it only lasts 20-30 min. I wish you the best in your treatment journey.

@clearbean I am very happy for your success! Keep it up.

There are Natural limits to what WE can do FOR another person.
We have most control on Our decisions and behaviors only. That is a harsh fact of life.

How Much You would help another is also up to You, realizing that there will be cost, including in terms of Your health. What is fair, reasonable, sensible, or right in all these words are not of much help when we also know that each person is a Different entity, with their own strengths and weaknesses.

You say you had depression, anxiety, and ptsd for twenty years. Was it trauma that led to depression and anxiety? If so CBT is considered a first step. It is essentially sitting with oneself and fleshing out what one can or cannot do. (I used it to come out of severe anxiety attack -- my first and last -- that blocked my breathing in the night sleep some ten years ago.)

Depression, too, can be helped with CBT -- which is thinking things thru -- according to psychologists.

We can't undo trauma, but how we Respond to it depends a great deal on us.

As an octogenarian, I miss most is close meaningful connection. I come up with at least one new idea each day where I might try next if my previous ones had borne no positive result. What else the choice -- especially if the need is urgent and persistent?

But alas, friendship is Mutual -- the other must find us equally interesting. So half the time you are NOT able to do Anything about , but move on.

Just as the last lines of The Great Gatsby says.

I wish you well however you decide. And stay in touch.

I was suffering from a 15 year major depression that responded to nothing, so I can empathize w/ you.
Quite by accident, tho’, I stumbled upon an article describing a new technique coming out of Stanford. This was in 2022.
It is called SAINT (Stanford Accelerated Integral Neuromodular Therapy) and consists of 5 days of 10 successive, short (< 15 min) TMS treatments. Because of the severity and length of my depression, it was recommended that I do 10 days.
I did and it worked completely!!
There have been no recurrences!!
I had to fly to Palo Alto, CA, where Stanford is located to receive the treatment. There was no pain or side effects. At the time it cost me $26,500. It wasn’t covered by Medicare or any insurance.
I had tried everything. Earlier I had been in a very successful psychoanalysis and was doing well in life. What triggered this depression was extended sexual harassment by 2 colleagues. I sued them and won an out of court settlement, but was left with this depression.
I tried most antidepressants—especially ones that had worked before, to no avail. I tried “regular TMS” and then ECT which left me with a mild short term memory loss that has since resolved.
I can’t tell you enough about the relief this therapy provided!
About 80% of people respond to it.
The price has come down to a mere $6500, and it’s now covered partially by Medicare and some insurance.
I continued to take Effexor until last September. Stopping it caused no problems or recurrences.
It is now available in major cities across the US. It’s been approved by the FDA.
Check it out!