How to make a career decision when I'm 32 and depressed?

I would say DON'T concentrate on a new job right now. New jobs are a ton of stress, looking for new work is a ton of stress, and if you're doing the right things to address your depression, you need to give it time to take effect. Instead, find something outside of work to fulfill that part that's not being touched by work. Maybe it's your exercise routine, or maybe it's a new hobby or vocation that you haven't explored yet. Whatever it is, get into it as much as you can, because the stakes are very low (you won't starve if you give up on a hobby), and you can make a lot of progress because it's not as much pressure. Work, no matter how much you love it, is always in some sense going to be "work." I think people spend a ton of time worrying about how much they like/dislike their jobs when they could just see them as the things that pay the bills, and can get into a spiral of feeling bad because work doesn't do what other parts of life really could or should be doing.

Medical issues are a major drain on the spirit. You have to give yourself a break on this. Going in for exams, getting scanned and prodded, worrying about your health (including mental health), going on and off medications... it takes its toll. Our culture has a Pollyannaish attitude toward health problems. The assumption is that all personal problems are ultimately problems of willpower or attitude. This is unfortunately not true. A lot of people live with mental illness and chronic illness. We have limitations. We get sick. Accepting that you are not in the best place right now is not a sign of weakness, and berating yourself for not measuring up to some external measure of success as observed among your peers is not going to help you. You are where you are. The best thing you can do is observe a) what you need and b) what resources are available to you. Looks like you have already taken the first few steps in seeking out help. Do what you can to stabilize, and use your resources with the psychologist/psychiatrist to get the help you need. I agree with others that making a major career change right now may not be the best idea. That could be a long-term goal, but when we are not well, it can be tempting to change the circumstances of our lives thinking it will clear the slate – partly because mental health issues and other health issues are so stigmatized in our culture. In a lot of ways it would be easier if you were just bored/unhappy with your job. But there is more going on than just career dissatisfaction as you know. Memail me if you like, I have some more personal perspective on this that I'm not comfortable posting about in public.

I wouldn't focus on your career right now—focus on everything else you can do to get better. I think when you're depressed it's easier to believe that certain circumstances like a job are at fault, when that may not be the case. Think about the fact that many non-depressed people have jobs that are stressful or that they don't particularly like, but they're still relatively happy. People who feel happier in general are better able to cope with stresses at work. Keep up what you're doing with therapy and exercise, etc. You can tell yourself that you'll think about next steps with your career after a certain period of time (say, three or six months). Or, if you can't stop thinking about it now, at least set aside a particular time to worry about it during the week, and when you think about it at other times, tell yourself to stop.

Carefully read over your list of all meds you take for any reason. Check all side effects. Make sure it is not meds making the depression. Meds for the management of asthma can change everything. This audit should include all herbs, and random herbal teas. Best to you.

Keep in mind that people post mostly positive things on social media sites. Wedding announcements, promotions, vacations, moving to a new city, birth of children, anniversaries, birthday parties, fancy dinners. Nobody is writing snappy status updates about their unhappy marriages or diminishing health or financial problems, but almost everybody you know is likely dealing with some kind of problem like this. It's possible that you just happen to be friends with people who have this whole life thing figured out, but it is very likely the people you envy are not as flawless and beautiful as you imagine. Being a human being is hard. Facebook allows us the illusion of immortality and perfect happiness. This can be a healthy escape but it can be poisonous if you use it as your baseline for "how life should be."

Check out News Feed Eradicator (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/news-feed-eradicator-for/fjcldmjmjhkklehbacihaiopjklihlgg) to keep from idly scrolling through everyone else's life. I installed it after a recommendation elsewhere on the green and it works well without removing the ability to get contact info, events, chat, etc.

When I was depressed working a job I hated, I couldn't even really think of changing jobs without running into a dead end. All I could do was expose myself to new stuff through meetups, etc. In time, I realized that these little changes helped change my perspective enough that I could consider changes at work, including quitting and optimistically trying to make my own thing work, which I did. It isn't really working yet, but all the big and small changes have helped me make progress. So, should you make a job/career decision now? My answer would be YES, and keep making them until you find yourself in something that feels good, or at least good enough to keep doing.

Thanks to all those who replied. I appreciate that you took time out of your day to help me approach my depression right now. This is one of the most difficult, probably the most difficult experience of my life and it's clear that my most important job is to stick with the therapy/meds and get myself stable. I guess one of my main issues is obsessing with a career transition. Like millions of others I always thought I would be a famous/wealthy something or other by now and facing the reality of focusing on a serious career is daunting to me. 1. I don't take any supplements although I do some herbal teas every once and awhile, yerba mate and chamomile. 2. I think I will take a FB break. I've naturally been steering clear from it for this very reason and will try to stop for now. Thanks for all you suggestions about putting my energy into exercise or a new hobby. I will continue to exercise and try to focus on something else. I've

7.5mg is a fairly low dose of mirtazapine - therapeutic range is generally 15mg to 45mg, with a 30mg step in the middle. If it worked well to begin with, it might be that your dose could use a boost, rather than that you need to try something else. I've heard anecdotal evidence that suggests it's better for sleep the lower the dose (something to do with the antihistamine-like effect?), but 15mg knocked me out like a train for pretty much the whole time I was on it. Intense hangovers for the first few weeks, but I was totally functional in the mornings for the most part over about three years.