LW1: Has she tried simply getting more exercise? That produces natural hormones that can lighten your mood and make you feel better. Next, she should think about finding something productive to dedicate her time to outside of working hours- volunteer work helping the homeless, church activities, political activism, serving meals to the elderly, reading to children - whatever. It also sounds like this woman has completely cut herself off from the outside world, and I've found through personal experience that spending too much time alone can cause a person to lose his or her sense of perspective. Human beings are social creatures, after all, and getting plugged-in with a network of people who have something in common, can aid in recovery, even if it's just a support group. I am sure that medication can also help in some cases, but it sounds like this LW has been down the pharmacological road and found that it is a dead-end. Drugs are only a solution when the problem is just a chemical imbalance in the brain; if there is truly something amiss in one's life, then antidepressants will not solve the underlying problems.

Dear Annie,
I, too, struggled with depression most of my life. For me, depression is when I get all caught up on "me". ("Oh, poor me", "Why does this stuff always happen to me?" , "My boss is always picking on me." "My spouse doesn't appreciate me." "Everyone takes me for granted." "No one puts me first." etc.) Watch for the the "ME".... this is my signal - I'm beginning to become depressed.
What I do is.... refocus on others. I became a teacher after raising our own children. I find that by concentrating on helping them become useful members of our society .... my depression goes away. I feel valuable and appreciated. And when I look at the complications in their little lives...my "problems" don't seem so important.
You could volunteer to read to elementary children struggling to learn to read; mentor a troubled teen and model behaviors that will help that child be successful, become a big brother or sister for a middle school child with few positive role models.
Hope this works for others as well as it has for me. (31 years I've "managed" my depression, and counting.)
Focused on Helping Others