Clinical Depression, Struggles With

mitchell271

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Disclaimer: I don't recommend reading this if you're depressed or think you might be. This is all pretty heavy handed stuff.
There's also a decent amount of whinging in this post, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum.
While I may be a university student, depression is still a very real thing, especially among people in my age group. The Social Readjustment Scale measures how likely you are to be affected by mental illness and I scored 454. A major risk is considered above 300.


Everyone has issues. These could be anything from minor self-image problems to incredible cynicism. We all have them in one way shape or form and we all like to say, "You can get help. There's always someone willing to listen." However, that's not always true. For example, I'm depressed and I've got an appointment with a therapist lined up next week to try to sort everything out.
Hopefully, I can overcome my deep-seated trust issues due to a life of being stabbed in the back and become slightly more sociable than I am now. I want to become better friends with current ones and meet more people, but it's hard to do when I have no reason to see the good side in anyone and always suspect them of pitying me or merely putting up with me. I've gotten pretty bad lately and very little excites me. There's a lot more than that, I just don't want to put my life's story here.

This kind of treatment, however basic, isn't available to everyone. Not everyone can afford a therapist and even if you can, finding one that will actually help you can be a challenge in of itself. Ironically, what got me thinking about depression was [a href=http://www.depressionquest.com/]Depression Quest[/a], a "choose-your-own-adventure" game about depression. I recommend playing through it and choosing the answers that you would actually pick instead of the ones that would help you the most. I played through it and began thinking, "These are some of the symptoms of depression? I've got a few of those myself." I talked to the healthcare clinic on campus and was diagnosed with depression.

So now, I'm hoping things will get a little better and I can't start to, well, feel again.

Here's the discussion portion: Do you know anyone that has dealt with depression? How did they get out of it? Are they still struggling with it?
If you do know anyone that is depressed, or if you are, best of luck. The world's a tough place, but maybe, just maybe, we'll make it out.
 

Keoul

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Heehee I played Depression Quest as well, I ended up with a pretty good ending in that I became no longer depressed. A few of the choices did actually sound familiar..

I knew someone who was dealing with depression, Me along with their therapist helped them through it. I was just a friend that stayed with them, helped em through the hard times, basically someone to talk to that wasn't a therapist. I don't believe they're struggling with it anymore, last time I talked to them they seemed rather cheery.
 

Eclipse Dragon

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I didn't get a good ending with Depression Quest. I didn't even get a mildly optimistic ending. I've had ups and downs, but I've never been so badly depressed that I couldn't get out of bed and do the things that I needed to do. My problem is just talking to people, particularly my family, but I have a few very good friends I can confide in.

I know some other people who have it worse than I do, I think my need to see them feel better helps me as well.
 

Angie7F

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Nov 11, 2011
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I have been there too.
I got a dog, and found a style of living that suits me and my personality.
Now I am much much happier and havent been too low for quite a while.
 

Bertylicious

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Therapy and medication can help you live with depression, maybe stop it from dominating your life, but it never goes away.

I don't know. You've got to try things like going out and spending time with people, being in a relationship with someone and doing things as a couple, develop your career. If you do all those things then maybe all your problems will go away, alternatively you might find all of it degrading, shameful, dishonest and meaningless no matter how "good" things are going.

In the latter case I'm not sure that it is a defeat. I think it just means that you've got to find a way to live your life that works for you and, ideally, doesn't hurt anyone else. Principles are important, routine too, for adding structure to existence.
 

hooblabla6262

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Have you tried exercise?

A remember hearing a recent study which found exercise to be a better antidepressant than most pharmaceutical drugs.
That being said, I overcame depression several years ago through a form of controversial drug therapy. For those in an extreme position, lsd or mdma therapy can be used with great caution and a professional/smart guiding hand.
 

Lawnmooer

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Apr 15, 2009
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mitchell271 said:
Do you know anyone that has dealt with depression?
Yes, I have clinical depression and have had it for about 6 years now, my brother has depression (Didn't pay much attention to what was mentioned... Not the sort of thing we discuss) and my dad is bipolar (AKA: Manic Depression)

How did they get out of it?
My brother and dad take medication to deal with it, I'm fortunate in that I don't need any medication in order to deal with my depression, instead I can force myself to think about all the people I care about and how I'm making them feel whilst in my depressive states (Also, when I'm contemplating suicide I think back to how sad everyone got when my mother died)

Are they still struggling with it?.
My brother isn't struggling, as long as he takes his medication. My dad doesn't get depressed but the heavy medication cripples him. Personally I'm still struggling as I will have periods of about a week or 2 where I'll not want to do anything, will have no will to go on and will do nothing, often at the detriment to any social or educational events and relationships.
 

IndomitableSam

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Sep 6, 2011
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I'm currently depressed, I'd say. Nothing chemically imbalanced, but due to circumstances. I'm turning 30, don't like my job, lost a family member a month ago, my parents are retiring and moving thousands of miles away, selling the house I lived in for 27 years, etc.

I know I'm very well off and everything will work out, but I still feel really down every day. I'm hoping it'll get better as I'm applying for other jobs (not better, but more in line with what I enjoy doing even if I lose income and stability), execising more and trying to go out more, too.

It's also the time of year, and the fact that winter won't let the fuck go of the Canadian prairies. It's currently -16, -25 with the windchill, so I'm pretty fucking unhappy with that. I'm also always stuck in an office without sunlight.
 

TheRightToArmBears

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Dec 13, 2008
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This is certainly something I can relate to- anyone that spends any time on the Advice forum might notice I make some kind of thread about some issue every few months. Whether or not I have clinical depression remains to be seen, but I've been sort of forced into booking a counselling session with the university's counsellors after I let slip how I was feeling to my mum. It's a big step to admit that there might actually be something wrong with me, I tend to think I am just being silly and that I'm just being dramatic to myself.

I've been told to look after myself, eat well, exercise and keep my room tidy. It does help, but it's by no means a cure. I'm hoping some proper counselling will help me out.

EDIT: Thanks for showing me depression quest. It's pretty scary, a lot of it seems to be worryingly what I do. It's very affecting, I played it through doing what I would do first, then tried to play it in different ways after. I found I couldn't bring myself to make the choices that I knew were the worst to get the worst ending.
In particular the way I played the game led to the breakdown of your relationship with Alex was pretty much identical to how my last relationship ended in October.
 

Relish in Chaos

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Yeah, I?ve been diagnosed with clinical depression, generalized anxiety, and OCD. I?ve currently been seeing a nurse/therapist every week as part of my CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), and I?ve been already taking Fluoxetine for a couple of months. There are some days where I feel optimistic about stuff, but then there are other days when I just don?t feel like doing anything anymore and one thing can occur in my day to make me descend into a spiral of self-loathing and overbearing cynicism. It?s not really a good existence to live.

But funnily enough, I have hope. I mean, I?m only seventeen, am still living with my parents ? when I think about it, I guess my life hasn?t started yet. They say that patience is a virtue, and all that. And if I?m fifty and nothing has worked, I guess I would?ve eventually overcome my fear enough to successfully commit suicide and escape this living hell we call Earth. I mean?is adulthood worse than adolescence, on average? I don?t know. I?m just really scared of everything: myself, other people, full independence, if I?m going to succeed on my ambitions, etc.

I don?t know anyone else that?s depressed, although I do have a suspicion that one of my friends is, because she?s constantly putting herself down, and her ex-boyfriend occasionally insults her for seemingly no apparent reason. I didn?t do the ?Depression Quest?, because I?ve already answered one of those things for my therapist, and I?m waiting for the results.
 

davidsoc

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Mar 8, 2011
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I am a clinical depressive, and have taken medication for about 17 years now. I do therapy once a month, as the medication helps control it, the therapy at this point in time is sort of a check in and to refill my prescription. When i was first diagnosed it was after a suicide attempt, and i was hospitalized for 10 days. When they tried to cycle me off meds i ended up back in the hospital. Meds control it, but it is not a perfect solution. I have had my meds changed once or twice to help keep up with newer styles and what not.

I exercise daily, make sure to get good sleep, and am lucky enough to have a supportive wife who understands and 2 wonderful little kids that force me to take care of myself. after all of these life developments they tried to cylce me off meds again, and it was not a good idea.

I accept certain things, and that alone helps combat it. I accept that i will be on medication for the rest of mylife most likely, whether i want to be or not (too many things to lose and too many people whose live i would effect in potentially horrible ways).

Things that help me beyond the meds and therapy check in: the exercise, the good sleep, positive interactions with people, and not putting myself in bad situations that i know could trigger an episode. Finally, acceptance...it really took accepting certain things about myself, and that led to me making the types of changes that i needed.

Sadly, if it is clinical in someway there is really only controlling it, you cannot "get out" of it. Sure there are stories that people take meds for 6 weeks or whatever and are fine after that....sorry that isn't clinical. Clinical is something you have to live with, and control.

In essence find something that works for you and use it. But, and this is a big one, don't expect to be cured if it qualifies as truly "clinical."
 

barbzilla

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Dec 6, 2010
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mitchell271 said:
Disclaimer: I don't recommend reading this if you're depressed or think you might be. This is all pretty heavy handed stuff.
There's also a decent amount of whinging in this post, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum.
While I may be a university student, depression is still a very real thing, especially among people in my age group. The Social Readjustment Scale measures how likely you are to be affected by mental illness and I scored 454. A major risk is considered above 300.


Everyone has issues. These could be anything from minor self-image problems to incredible cynicism. We all have them in one way shape or form and we all like to say, "You can get help. There's always someone willing to listen." However, that's not always true. For example, I'm depressed and I've got an appointment with a therapist lined up next week to try to sort everything out.
Hopefully, I can overcome my deep-seated trust issues due to a life of being stabbed in the back and become slightly more sociable than I am now. I want to become better friends with current ones and meet more people, but it's hard to do when I have no reason to see the good side in anyone and always suspect them of pitying me or merely putting up with me. I've gotten pretty bad lately and very little excites me.

This kind of treatment, however basic, isn't available to everyone. Not everyone can afford a therapist and even if you can, finding one that will actually help you can be a challenge in of itself. Ironically, what got me thinking about depression was [a href=http://www.depressionquest.com/]Depression Quest[/a], a "choose-your-own-adventure" game about depression. I recommend playing through it and choosing the answers that you would actually pick instead of the ones that would help you the most. I played through it and began thinking, "These are some of the symptoms of depression? I've got a few of those myself." I talked to the healthcare clinic on campus and was diagnosed with depression.

So now, I'm hoping things will get a little better and I can't start to, well, feel again.

Here's the discussion portion: Do you know anyone that has dealt with depression? How did they get out of it? Are they still struggling with it?
If you do know anyone that is depressed, or if you are, best of luck. The world's a tough place, but maybe, just maybe, we'll make it out.
I'm terribly sorry to hear all of that. My family (including myself) all have major history of depression (including some suicides), it doesn't matter how successful someone is, or how well adjusted they seem, anyone can be depressed. So yes it is a very real thing, and it is very difficult to battle. I feel pretty well right now, but I do have occasional bouts of depression, some lasting longer than others. I have tried therapy (by far the most useful) and medications. So far I've found the medication doesn't work at all on me. The only thing that has ever helped me get through my depressions is to work myself down to the root of the problem and do something to change it. Even then it doesn't ease up instantly (don't be fooled, because you will feel better immediately, don't fall into that trap), it takes time for your mind to heal, just like the body.
 

Moonlight Butterfly

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Mar 16, 2011
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I have clinical depression but recently I have been coping better mostly because they have found out I've been suffering from a serious illness for the last 21 years. This has made me feel like past things haven't been my fault like my ex being mad I couldn't get pregnant and chronic fatigue plaguing my existence.

I know I'll never get rid of the depression but at least things are looking up for me as the disease is incurable but treatable. I'm already eating a tiny amount compared to what I was before and lost loads of weight.

I know this isn't very helpful for you but I also found counselling really helped me. It took me a long time to find a guy who I found helpful though.
 

Esotera

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May 5, 2011
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Exercise is probably the best cure I can recommend for any sort of mental illness (along with staying away from alcohol & caffeine, and getting a good night's sleep).

I've had mild depression & reactive psychosis before, so hang in there...it's horrible but life does go on.
 

micahrp

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Nov 5, 2011
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That's depression?!? Can I have that please? That, as described, is a simple chemical imbalance in an otherwise functional societal situation. Change him into someone who sees and acts with extreme clarity and can't find any truth anywhere, only lies that lead to denegration/backlash when exposed.
 

JemothSkarii

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Nov 9, 2010
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Do you know anyone that has dealt with depression?
Yeah, I've had it for about six years, my parents have had it longer. It's very...weird to be honest, like you're forever sinking in the dark but each day you manage to keep you head above it, or get it out.

How did they get out of it?
My parents take medication, I went off mine a couple of months ago because it seemed to do more bad than good. I went to about 5 different therapists in the past which didn't really help. After my dad went to a special clinic for PTSD people in the Police he's been managing much better.

Are they still struggling with it?
Everyone with depression will have good days and bad days. I myself do pretty well most days, I have to make sure I don't get bored. My parents have been getting on my back about getting a job even though I'm going overseas in a little over 2 months. With a physical disability in a relatively small town it's hard to get a job, especially one where tehy'll keep your position after a short time. It gets my irritability up when they bring up the subject, I start to yell and get aggressive, then sulk in my room.

My friends are all pretty far away, I keep in contact with them through Steam and Facebook though. I Skype with my girlfriend and some other friends so my social life is okay. But I don't leave the house much anymore, I don't even exercise. It's either too hot or I'm socializing and it's just...boring. If I start to deeply think I start to worry, and that's just not good for me. I'm gonna see what happens after my U.S trip in June, a change of scenery might help. I've been starting to write again so that's a plus for me, makes me worry a little less. I've just gotta work on motivation and my insecurity with myself.
 

Jast

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Mar 18, 2009
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I have been diagnosed with clinical depression several years ago, and I was given many different anti-depressants. Right now in my life I do not take any medication and I do not see a therapist. I can't really explain why I felt like I didn't need to take drugs anymore but I stopped and it really doesn't feel any different from when I was.

I think the best thing I can recomend is to find some way to get your mind focused on anything but you. Of course I certainly understand that that is much easier said than done, but I think that really helps. Perhaps you can direct energy and attention towards a friend or family member. If you do not feel particulary close to someone at all, I would also recommend setting projects for yourself. Find something creative to do with something you enjoy. I found that when I was depressed the more idle time I had, the more focused on myself I was and that made me worse. However, if I kept my mind active, I could manage my depression better because I wasn't so focused on me.

Also, I now have such a deep appreciation for comedy because a good laugh always helped me so much when I was depressed. Maybe you could try looking for more comedic outlets like say on YouTube channels or something.
 

Squiddles

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Feb 11, 2013
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I've been trying to over come my depression for a few years now, I like to think I've made progress since a while ago I know I couldn't face a day and just seeing the outside world through a window could just burn my eyes and remind me that I've made myself a place and there's nothing I can do to leave. These days though I've managed to get outside most days and stay in my positive state of mind for a short while at least.

Yes I still have my very bad days, but now I constantly fight off the negative thoughts so I'm not stuck for longer than a day in that mind set. One day I'm hoping I can just wake up and have the drive to do what I know I can do, but for now I'm happy enough with my ability to think a little more positively about myself and what's happening in my life. =)