[taylodl]

You may be suffering from depression caused by a neurochemical imbalance. My daughter similarly suffered. It took a frustratingly long time to get everything sorted out but they eventually determined she had a neurochemical imbalance and then it took a frustratingly long time to develop a chemotherapy that worked.

That was a little over a two years ago. Now you wouldn't recognize her because she's so happy and vibrant - very far from when she was found unconscious alongside the road as a result of an attempted suicide and taken to the hospital by a Good Samaritan.

But it hasn't been easy and she couldn't have done it herself. You need friends and family to help you through this and you need to be brutally honest with them. Mental health is the least understood health issue. You're correct that thinking happy thoughts won't make the depression go away. You're correct that thinking positive thoughts won't make the depression go away. You're sick and you need medical help. It's no different from having cancer or an abscessed tooth - you're sick and you need medical assistance, and you need a patient advocate because mental healthcare in the United States is appalling.

Good luck and remember you're not alone. Many people have beat this illness and you can too!