Tavis, here are other things known to help alleviate depression. You should:
1. Get her thyroid checked - hypothyroidism is a powerful cause of depression and most people never suspect it.
2. Get her checked for fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and all of the rheumatic diseases. They cause it as well, and are linked with hypotyroidsim in many cases.
3. Niacin deficiency - start supplementing with niacin. The good thing, is it can't hurt.
4. drink more water - persistent dehydration can cause depression.
I STRONGLY suggest #1 and #2. Too many people think that the cause (and therefore, cure) for depression lies with brain and its associated chemicals. Hormone balance has ALOT to do with it. Menopause, of course, is a classic example of such influence.
EDIT: I just pulled the first thing that came up on Google.
Hypothyroidism and Depression
"Patients who have symptoms of mild depression are especially at risk of misdiagnosis since they may never even see a physician to be assessed for an endocrine disorder, said Stanley. Less severe cases of hypothyroidism can be misdiagnosed as psychosomatic or simply the result of being "stressed out."
"Both the counselor and client may become discouraged or confused if there's a lack of progress with counseling therapy," said Stanley, and hypothyroidism could be the reason. "Research indicates that even with counseling and antidepressive medication, depressive symptoms can persist if the client has hypothyroidism."
Once diagnosed, most people can easily be treated for hypothyroidism with medication. After treatment, depressive and physical symptoms are likely to disappear unless there are complications, such as a co-existing depressive illness, which would also need to be treated."
Hang in there, Tavis. I was severely depressed when I was in college, and know the pain, although it seems quite disstant now. When you are down, its almost impossible to comprehend what it means to feel happy. That's the insidiousness of the disease. And, believe me, your wife knows how you feel whether you say so or not, and that too only adds another brick to the pain.
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