Probably the largest help for me personally, getting clean. My reality was, nearly every bout with depression was preceded by using some mood altering chemical.

Probably the largest help for me personally, getting clean. My reality was, nearly every bout with depression was preceded by using some mood altering chemical. The bouts came on a daily basis. Downers like alcohol, weed, various pills actually induce depression. Weed was really hard to give up because it kept my ADHD in check. The uppers and psychedelics had the knock on effect of coming down afterward. Twenty two years later, (about 8 years in the middle of that with a good therapist) and I'm not depressed any more. I feel a wide variety of emotions, compared to the two I had before getting clean, "Good" and "Bad". It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and the absolute best thing I've ever done. I recognize and respect there are numerous ways to get clean and seek recovery. For myself, I still regularly attend a 12-step fellowship and work steps and sponsor other men in the program. I do this openly as an Atheist to boot. I fully acknowledge the low success rate of this program. I attribute my success to committing to a regular practice of connecting with recovery in a supportive environment of individuals seeking the same.