Have you been diagnosed with depression but later found it was due to something else?

[slushie]

Excuse long title can't think of anything shorter.

Brief background - suffered with depression and anxiety since childhood and have now been battling this for nearly 18 years. I don't want it to just be the way I am. Due to other health problems I am wondering if I have a B12 deficiency. When I was looking at the symptoms I saw one was depression. I suppose I am clinging onto the hope that my depression is due to something else rather than just being me.

Has anyone ever had this happen?

Yes. I was diagnosed with PND. Medicated, hospitalised due to severe side effects from the medication, given more medication, therapy, counselling.

After finally weaning off all medication I realised it was all hormonal with me.

Oestrogen patches cured it completely.

I was diagnosed with pre-natal depression whilst pregnant with #1. Four pregnancies and 10 years later I now know it was just usual pregnancy exhaustion that I didn't cope well with, not depression.

Yes; mine turned out to be due to the fact that I was actually autistic.

Took me 36 years to work it out on my own though....the NHS were no help whatsoever in that regard, other than finally confirming what I suspected.

Yes,went to the GP about 3months ago,suspecting a hormone imbalance(this is my long term GP,who has treated me for depression before),he instantly wanted to put me back on citalopram,which I didn't want,so he prescribed me Prozac.
I didn't take it but sought out a counsellor I had used before.She has stared me on a course of CBT,which already is making a massive difference to me.
I'm so glad I didn't relent & take the Prozac but stopped & thought about a better course of action.
I'm not saying what I decided to do is the right thing for everyone but it's working for me & I'm drug free.

I think there are a usually a number of interlinked factors involved and a number of ways to deal with them.

Depression is very often a symptom rather than a root cause.

It's incredibly important, with mental health states such as depression, anxiety, stress etc to first consider whether they are not a perfectly rational response to unpleasant circumstances and/or people. So much so-called treatment of depression and anxiety focuses on changing the person when changing circumstances might be much more effective and appropriate. A lot of mental health treatment is insidious victim blaming.

It's incredibly important, with mental health states such as depression, anxiety, stress etc to first consider whether they are not a perfectly rational response to unpleasant circumstances and/or people

^this

I sort of agree, but I did find that when I had depression caused by my circumstances (utterly shit job and bullying boss) the medication gave me enough energy and hopefulness to leave my job and change my circumstances.

When you have been battling depression and anxiety for many years, discovering the true cause may not be the end of the road. You may have years- and years-worth of depressive thinking habits to unlearn.

I, too, have struggled with depression for most of my life. Undiagnosed until my first episode of severe PND, when I recognised my mental state. A later relapse turned out to be peri-menopause. HRT worked wonders for that. And I am currently being assessed for ASD, which could account for my long term depressions.

But, despite unravelling what I believe to be the root cause of my depressions, and feeling so much better for it, I still find myself thinking in a depressive manner. Many self-beliefs are based upon my depressions, and are very firmly rooted. Even when my depressions are completely cured, I still find myself thinking in depressive style, and therefore fall back into depression very easily.

I have never taken ADs, I don't know whether they help you think more constructively. After years of being depressed I don't think that just finding a physical source will provide the full solution.