Three years of a combination of talk therapy and medication (effexor xr) worked well for me. I've used medication once again (cipralex) after many years for about a year, but otherwise I'm pretty good now at responding to depression before it can take over. Side effects from the effexor were there but quite reasonable, side effects from the cipralex were nil. The most recent depression medications have come a long way in terms of limiting side effects, though unfortunately people respond differently both in terms of side effects and in terms of the effectiveness of a particular drug as a treatment.

I think what helped make my treatment successful was a combination of a very good GP and a very good therapist. Unfortunately, doctors and therapists are not all created equal when it comes to treating chronic depression. I have heard too many anecdotes from acquaintances to believe that just any doctor or any (accredited) talk therapist will really help.