Online support for depression?

[hunter]

4. My depression comes with an extra large helping of paranoia...

... I didn't find an internet group I felt safe enough in to sign onto.

My last big slide into the darkness my doctor prescribed some heavy duty meds, and he and my wife dragged me in to see a therapist.

That was expensive. I was fairly alarmed about the price and my therapist did know of some non-profit groups which I visited, but I ended up sticking with the paid therapy with individual meetings at first, then individual meetings and group therapy, and then just the group therapy. The non profits were run a lot like I imagine AA meetings are held. The place is provided by a non profit. The two meetings I sampled were held in churches, but explicitly non-religious. They weren't nearly as directed as meetings with my therapist, but not disorganized either, and worthwhile just because getting out may help with depression.

When I'm depressed it's entirely chemical. When my meds work, they work, even if I complain about side effects. But I often dig some deep muddy holes when I'm in the dark place and therapy helps me climb back out and clean up the mess.

Good luck! If you go on meds, some of them don't work right away. But if they start to make you feel worse, that's not good. Funny thing about meds is that one of my siblings has the same symptoms I do but meds that work for him make me feel worse, and vice-versa.