Brief Answer: medicine plus lifestyle changes will help Detailed Answer: Hello, You have put it very right in saying that it is like an addiction. Depression becomes like a balck hole and people start to feel comfortable in it/ get attracted towards it. The depressed one start enjoying the sad feeling, the sorrowness and cries associated with it. Then it is difficult to make the patient realise that he is the one sticking to agony and not vice versa. So, a good begining is half done. Now you are awarevof the attractive and addictive nature of depression -- its easier for you to break this chain.. First and foremost is to start a good antidepressant. This breaks the existing inertia which has established in body and mind. This will help you breakfree of the viscuous circle of sadness and inactivity. There are many good molecules present which can be taken safely- escitalopram or sertraline or desvenalafaxine. You should take either of them. None of them gives sedation , so can be taken in.morning after breakfast. Apart from meds, it is essential that you too make some effort to come out of depressive state by trying the follwing measures:- 1. avoid being alone : keeping a good company helps our thoughts to be away from bad and sorrowful ones. 2. get up in morning by 6am: go for a jog or brisk walk after having some milk/ fruit or something which you can take ( avoid running empty staomach) 3. take more of salads and green veggies- they produce calmness 4. talk about your problem.issues with a well wisher or to whom you are close. It is always useful to share ---the healing speed up! 5. sprouts have natural substances which produces calmness in mind 6. avoid tea/ coffee and any other substance of abuse- they increase the problem in such conditions Please get up and collect your courage...cry if you feel like- this also helps in feeling better many times...but you have to beat depression. It is not difficult to come back to normal state again- try the above measures. Please feel free to ask more queries for clarification, i will try my best to help you. Dr. Manisha Gopal MD Psychiatry

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