Finding Support
05 of 07If one thing hasn’t helped, it doesn’t mean nothing will.
Many people with depression try several approaches, or a combination, before something shifts. You deserve to understand your options, ask questions and be part of every decision about your care.
Here are some ways to find support
Talking and therapy
Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), behavioural activation and interpersonal therapy are widely used for depression. Others work more deeply with the past, the body and the patterns underneath, such as somatic therapy, IFS and psychodynamic therapy.
A good therapist will help you understand what’s happening and find a way forward, without dismissing what you’ve been through. And if talk therapy alone hasn’t reached what you’re carrying, other approaches may.
Ask a qualified practitioner about their experience with this approach and whether it may suit you.
Ketamine and esketamine
Ketamine has attracted a lot of attention as a treatment for depression, and ketamine and esketamine are now established options for treatment-resistant depression [5].
In Australia, esketamine (Spravato) was approved in 2021 and has been subsidised on the PBS since May 2025 for people with treatment-resistant depression. It’s given in a registered treatment facility under medical supervision [8]. Ketamine is also offered in some clinics and through ketamine-assisted therapy.
Our founder found ketamine helpful during periods of depression. She also speaks openly about the care needed for anyone with a history of addiction, because in her experience it can become something a person wants to return to repeatedly.
Choose one option here that feels manageable, and discuss it with someone supporting you.
Since 1 July 2023, psychiatrists approved by the TGA have been able to prescribe psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression in Australia [9]. This made Australia one of the first countries in the world to allow it outside of research.
Research so far is encouraging. Independent reviews have found psilocybin can reduce depression, though the benefit may be smaller than it first appears, because people in trials can usually tell whether they’ve had it [10][11]. Much of the larger trial research is funded by the company developing a psilocybin medicine, and its newest results haven’t yet been peer reviewed [12][13].
Psilocybin is not a magic pill. The experience can be confronting, and the research shows that preparation, qualified support and integration afterwards matter enormously. But for people who have tried everything else, it’s opening a door that didn’t exist a few years ago.
Ask a qualified practitioner about their experience with this approach and whether it may suit you.
Medication
For some people, antidepressants are life-changing. On average, they work better than placebo in the short term, though researchers still debate how big that benefit is [3].
Medication doesn’t work for everyone, and it isn’t always without cost. Many people describe emotional blunting: feeling flat, numb or disconnected from their emotions, both good and bad. It seems to be common, especially with SSRIs [4].
Around one in three people with depression don’t get enough relief even after trying two or more antidepressants. This is often called treatment-resistant depression [5]. If that’s you, it’s not a personal failure. It’s a reason to look further.
Our founder’s first questions for anyone who has been on medication for a long time are simple: Is it working? Has there been any shift? Is it improving your life and the way you function?
Our founder was once given a script for 50 Valium when she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Over the years, more than one doctor has handed her pills and told her to go home and have a glass of wine.
Coming off an antidepressant can be difficult for some people, and researchers disagree on how common withdrawal symptoms are [6][7]. If you want to reduce or stop an antidepressant, talk to your prescriber first.
Talk with your doctor about these options and what might suit your needs.
Other treatments
Other options for depression that hasn’t responded to medication include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), both of which are established treatments for treatment-resistant depression [5].
Talk with your doctor about these options and what might suit your needs.
Looking beneath the surface
Many people find the deepest shifts come from understanding what sits underneath their depression: grief, trauma, loneliness, hormones, exhaustion or a life that no longer fits. Nutrition, sleep, movement, nature, connection and body-based therapies can all be part of the picture.
You deserve more than a prescription. You deserve the time, support and opportunity to understand what might be contributing to your pain.
Talk with your doctor about these options and what might suit your needs.
