Liz: If your depression tends to be in winter, buy a light box.

Other things which reduce the risk of a depressive episode are exercise, having a supportive social network, talking about your problems rather than bottling them up.

Some of us need the *happy pills* because the chemical imbalance we have is too strong to be overcome without them, but if you don't like taking artificial anti depressants, St John's Wort has been proven to work as well as any of them and has fewer side effects (and you can buy it in health food shops). But if you do take it, you have to be careful with any other medication you are on. SJW enhances liver function, so that your body processes chemicals faster. This leaves the contraceptive pill less efective, and you may need higher doses of other medication to get an effect which causes real problems if you come off the sjw and suddenly the levels of other chemicals rise and poison you.

Bagpuss