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Comment by sillysaurusx | Hacker News Reader

Regarding your clinical depression, I strongly urge you to (with the guidance of a doctor) begin taking Prozac. It changed my life.

You can find a clinic that will take you for $50 or so. It's not the cheapest of options, but it's the single most impactful choice you can make in your situation. If you adhere to your schedule, and if your brain chemistry matches my own (which it might not), you'll start to be "evened out" after 30 days.

You have to take the pill every single day though, without exception. I almost didn't realize the Prozac was effective at all, because the first time I tried it, I was inconsistent.

People seem to hate this advice and reply aggressively each time I give it, but the moment I see "clinical depression" I will continue to give it. If the doctor notices any problems, they will take care of it.

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Strongly urging the OP to see a doctor could be a better option instead of recommending a specific medication.

I wish I could recommend this. But the state of depression treatment is so poor, especially for people with $23 in their bank account, that it’s hard to imagine just how bad it is. I could easily see myself being prescribed one of those “horror antidepressants” you hear so much about, which simply exacerbates the situation. It becomes further complicated when you read that various doctors are essentially sponsored, and have some sort of incentive to prescribe certain drugs in preference to others.

All I can do is shout out what worked for me. I wouldn’t have believed it till experiencing it, and I felt like I lost five or so important years of my life by putting it off.

What caught my attention was that they described themselves as clinically depressed. I wouldn’t call myself that anymore, at least not in the way they did. It’s a distant memory. So, there is hope.

Thank you. I am already taking Prozac. I began taking it quite recently, and I think it is helping, a little bit.

Glad to hear it! It’s not a cure-all, but it’s a starting point. Keep up the daily dose and things will feel better in some time.

There is only one side effect I ran into, and while it’s not the happiest of things, it was worth the exchange for me.

If you ever need someone to talk with, DM me on Twitter. I’ll see it within a day at most. And my sleep schedule is erratic, so feel free to shoot me a message at odd hours.

Good luck mate. Things will get better. It’s important to not just believe that, but also internalize it. It helps to repeat it to yourself, even if it seems trite.

Thank you. You don't know how badly I needed to see the glimmer of hope you have given.

I do! I've been there. Most people on HN can't really relate to $23 in the bank and rent due. Trust me, it gets better. In a few years you'll look back on this as a distant memory.

Seriously, if you're ever in a spot where you're feeling on edge or just need someone to vent to, shoot me a message. I'm here anytime!

I don't suggest you to go to psychotherapy (I imagine you can not afford one), but some bibliotherapy could help. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=it&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Cogn... for some information

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