Keep in mind, I am not depressed, yet everyone insists I must be and gaslit me for years about my physical illnesses and chronic pain.
I have tried somewhere in the range of 20-30 different medications. Every SNRI, every SSRI, every stimulant (even off label ones like Modafinil) copius amounts of IBS drugs and anti-enemics, various supplements and nootropics, alpha blockers, beta blockers, atypical antidepressants/anxiolytics like Mirtazapine, Buspar, Hydroxizine.. you get the idea.
In addition to all of the socially acceptable pharmaceuticals, I've also tried LSD, mushrooms, kratom, and many different forms of cannabis, with varying concentrations of CBD and THC.
Besides drugs, I've had around 10 years of on and off therapy, with over a dozen different therapists. CBT, mindfulness meditation, radical acceptance, breathing techniques, ABA, and regular talk therapy. You name it, I've probably tried it. EDMR doesn't help me in the slightest because I have little memory of my original trauma.
I've also tried many different lifestyle changes. I forced myself to do exercise for around 3 months or so, I could never build any endurance or stamina due to my physical disabilities. Eventually I had to stop.
Trying to do strenuous exercise while having an illness that physically prohibits your body from doing things is like trying to make an elephant climb a tree. I tried limiting my caffeine and sugar intake, but it only leeched the meager amount of fortitude I had left.
Before I got CFS and during the early stages after I was no longer bedridden, I was employed in very physically demanding jobs that only served to further damage my broken body. Ever since I was 16 years old, I had to work in fast paced stressful environments that took a toll on me physically and mentally.
So I busted my ass trying to get a sitting down job instead, as it finally reached the point where I physically could not hande that environment anymore. I was getting punished for getting ill so often, and the icing on the cake was being told by my manager that I was, "too retarted and slow."
Getting a more relaxed job environment did not ease any of my problems. Physical demands were replaced with equally taxing mental ones. The fact that I constantly asked questions and forgot information due to my cognitive decline was not looked upon favorably.
I have tried pursuing higher education and am currently struggling through a useless degree. I've forced myself to be social, to go out and meet people, yet the constant social rejection and the very act of having to conjure up compelling and socially acceptable conversation is exhausting in itself.
Hobbies were another thing I attempted, but it is damn near impossible to focus or engage with anything when you have Chronic Fatigue syndrome. I've dabbled in art, music, video games, card games, cosplay/costuming, knitting, and a plethora of other things only to never gain a modicum of profieincy in anything. I had to quit music because even holding my instrument hurt my muscles. The sunk cost, both in terms of finances and time, must be enormous.
When I was younger and could still drive, I travelled as much as I could within my home country. I went out of my way, no matter how uncomfortable it was, to try new things, to see new sights, and to meet new people. Nothing ever came out of any of it except further discomfort. I have accepted I'm too autistic to blend in.
I've left abusers even when my very life depended on them, taking up shelter in unfamiliar places simply because I was told by others that it was the right thing to do. Every single thing that's supposed to help a person "recover" and enjoy life has completely backfired for me.
I know I have done everything within my power. It is time to rest now.