Depression can be divided into two categories: with cause and without cause. If you're depressed with cause, because you're unemployed, in a difficult position

Depression can be divided into two categories: with cause and without cause. If you're depressed with cause, because you're unemployed, in a difficult position, you broke up, a loved one died, you fought with your friend, etc. then the usual advice does actually work. This depression makes sense and is totally normal. First, give your grief time, and second, actually force yourself to smile, go for a walk, or get a puppy. This depression is inherently temporary and you can speed the recovery along. The thing is about depression with cause is that the cause may be ongoing. If you feel unfulfilled, if you're anxious, if you're suffering from addiction or illness, if people are abusing you, then of course you're depressed. Depression is a symptom. You don't need antidepressants you need to remove the cause. Depression without cause is completely different which is why most people's advice is bad. They really did overcome depression, but a different kind. If your depression happens for no reason, even when things are going well, just randomly, or on a cycle, then you have to think about depression management. There is no total recovery but you can minimize it until its interference with your life is minimal. The biology and psychology of depression including the two types above are discussed in Stanford's Sapolsky on depression (50 min lecture on YouTube). Here's my personal ongoing experience with depression: medicine worked for others but not for me. The side effects were worse than the depression. Things like sleep, exercise, time with friends, and nutrition seem to shorten the depressive episodes but they do not eliminate them. I plan around my inevitable next episode. I have leave days set up, an understanding doctor's phone number, and my boss's understanding that I may suddenly take a couple of days sick leave for medical reasons. I call my friends and cancel way ahead of time. I have at-home hobbies to keep me busy. I eliminate my obligations because I wouldn't be able to keep them anyway and failing all my obligations every episode makes it worse every time. If I get depressed on vacation at least I don't feel guilty on top. Speaking of which I get more depressed during vacations and weekends. Routine and commitments at work generally work against depression. So when I have nothing planned to do and I was expecting to myself to motivate myself to do something fun this is when depressive episodes happen most commonly. So even when I have nothing to do I keep a routine and I create commitments. I know this is in contrast to cancelling all my commitments when I'm depressed but it's true. When I'm not depressed my commitments keep me going so I make sure I'm always committed and I never have to rely on self-drive in the moment. I make plans with friends and book events and schedule things. Anyway it's an ongoing thing and I've accepted it's never going away. I'm going to try a course of ketamine soon and I'll see how it goes but I'm not very hopeful. Even though I'm not depressed any less, more and more I am learning how to live my life despite depression.