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• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 23 >> His grandmother died and he became anxious his mother would also die. When his father later died, he tried to become the man of the house at the age o

While avoiding medication, helpful approaches have included counselling, self-help books and alternative therapies (e.g. re-birthing). These approaches have helped reduce negative thinking and anxiety.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 17 >> Was worried and sickly as a child, and then when he went into secondary school he was bullied and called names, which really hurt him.

Current medication includes Seroxat, Zyperxa (olanzapine), Lamactil (lamatrigine). Is grappling with building friendships and what he wants to do in life. He has found one kinesiologist in particular to be very helpful.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 40-54 >> Interview 22 >> At university she was dealing with grief from her father's death when she was 3 years old.

Is now managed by a skilled team in the NHS, which includes long-term therapy. Therapy is addressing her distorted thinking patterns and difficult past. She now understands she can move beyond depression.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 55-64 >> Interview 25 >> When she was a child she thought she was going into a children's home as a punishment because she was born with cancer and was too much trouble.

In recent times, has fared better with a new supportive husband, a caring GP and Prozac (20mg/day). She continues to struggle against feeling to blame for things outside of her control.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 29 and under >> Interview 02 >> At a similar time her parents broke up, her best friend left, she moved to middle-school, and she was hurt by negative reactions in class to her often

Effective approaches include medication (currently Efexor 75 mg/day), hypnotherapy and counselling. Was finding it difficult to find therapy in the NHS.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 04 >> He initially thought therapy was for the mad upper classes and anorexic girls, but then found he liked therapy, expressed his deep emotional pain, a

Has responded very well to Prozac (20mg/day) and cognitive behavioural therapy.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 55-64 >> Interview 24 >> It took until she was 19 to be diagnosed with depression. Yet she has come to the conclusion that she was suffering from depression as a child.

Helpful approaches have included medication, self-help books and tapes, and personal development courses. Received long term therapy on the NHS. Recently discovered she had dyslexia, explaining many of her difficulties.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 26 >> She links her current day anxiety to the unpredictability of her parents arguments and father's violent temper, and her resulting 'fear of what might

Not currently on medication, has found the best approaches to include counselling, self-help books, alternative therapies, and adopting a more authentic lifestyle (including enjoyable voluntary jobs).

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 65+ >> Interview 13 >> Feels better at the age of 69 than he has ever felt before, and recalls life was grey from childhood, yet he was actively interested in being healthy

Has only recent seen himself as getting better, being helped by therapy (eg. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Gestalt), a clairvoyant therapist/doctor, the learning of meditation techniques, and medication (Effexor 75mg, Lithium (400mg/day).

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 29 and under >> Interview 15 >> Gets angry with people who complain about relatively minor problems with their families because of the physical abuse she suffered.

With the help of a caring GP, her counsellor, private hospital treatment, Efexor (150mg/day) and self-help books, she was feeling better and is keen to continue her healing and help others. She has written a book: Saving Samantha: A Young Woman's Escape from Childhood Hell (isbn 1401910300) about her experiences.

• Mental health >> Depression >> Age 30-39 >> Interview 08 >> She found a psychiatrist's manner off-putting, so she put up barriers and denied that she had any problems in her childhood, which was not true.

With the ongoing care of her GP and ongoing counselling with a skilled practitioner, she has been in recovery since early 2003. Not currently on medication.

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• Mental health >> Depression >> Childhood & life before depression >> Childhood & life before depression

Childhood and life before depression