Sure, action, goals, self-esteem help, but one needs to get there.
To get there, meds can help. Depending on the person and the situation, they also may help one stay there.
It’s common there is another issue lurking behind the depression. Have you been tested for adult ADD?
Also, Wellbutrin/Bupropion can make wonders on people who don’t benefit from SSRIs or don’t want to pay that price. It’s not for everyone. I know two persons who freaked out with it or felt worse. There are also many for whom it works.
Mushrooms removed the remaining of what I was dealing with. This happened when my life was already great, and my mood was between okay and good. To get there, I used meds, therapy, and books.
Don’t sit on the "meds are evil" train.
"Meds are never wrong. It’s just the patients who are swapped."