For the information of people who may not know it CLINICAL DEPRESSION is an illness, like diabetes, or kidney disease. you wouldn’t tell a diabetic to focus on the bright side, you would tell him to keep his insulin levels steady . you would tell someone with kidney disease to take his meds and watch his liquid intake,etc. the point i’m trying to make is ,there is a very big difference between someone who is down in the dumps because of a hard life, being spoiled, unrealistic expectations or a bad attitude and someone who suffers from the illness of depression which needs competent medical care, and competent therapy. To those sufferers. listen IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, NO LESS THAN IT IS MY FAULT FOR HAVING BAD Teeth OR SOMEONE ELSES FAULT FOR HAVING A HEART CONDITION. certainly fresh air, a healthy diet, exercise and a support group are good things, but the main thing is good medical care and of course lots of tefillos. a Talmid Chochom once told me. Every time you feel like you have to cry or sigh make that into a tefilla by adding “please Hashem help me”.
There is light at the end of the tunnel!!!, I have seen seriously depressed people who got better, but it was a long difficult journey.With Hashem’s help it worked out.on the road to recovery there were lots of incompetent therapists, and medicines that didn’t work or made things worse..
One of the best doctors in the world for this is DR. Lebowitz in n.y. world famous, excellent in diagnosis and tops in prescribing the right medicine. Only drawback is that he is extremely expensive. on the other hand, within a few visits to him he can sort you out (3-6) and then your local doctor can take over and work with him. if you are not able to get to ny or can’t afford him , it is important to be in touch with one of the many RABBONIM/ASKANIM WHO REFER PEOPLE TO THE BEST DOCTORS, THERAPISTS IN THEIR FIELD. (i don’t know their names or numbers but if you put it out there you will get the info i’m sure.)like any other illness the difference in getting a good doctor is literally life and death.
Unfortunately an additional burden for the sufferer of depression and other so -called mental or emotional illnesses is the lack of knowledge and the stigma attached to these conditions which make it difficult to get proper treatment and or support from the community. The person who “lo oleinu” needs a transplant will have people working worldwide to help him , but the person suffering from these types of illnesses is afraid to tell anyone for fear of being stigmatised, shidduch, etc. i wish i had an idea of how to deal with that. May Hashem send everyone a complete Refuah. And send us all the Geula b’korov.