Depression?

[Continuity]

Oh, t'is clinical depression, as diagnosed by a psychiatrist. I'm more just wondering what peoples thoughts are on depression. As a lot of people have tended to see it as something you can simply get over by thought alone.

I had depression for about 5 years, I was on medication for at least 3.5 of those years. In my experience I had absolutely no control over it, it felt like an external force acting on me, at the worst point I would be unable to eat and would just sit and stare for hours and hours in some sort of abyss (which scared the **** out of me actually). Eventually the psychiatrist had maxed the meds and after about a year I was feeling ok, stopped taking them and I felt fine... been fine ever since, no idea exactly when it went or why but it hasn't come back and thats fine by me.

I think talking about it may have cured it in the end, along with the meds, I know that before I started talking about it it was just getting worse and worse.

I'm also very prone to paranoid delusions (since after the depression), usually of the persecutory variety, one particularly bad episode I was convinced there was a conspiracy against me at work, I even confronted my boss about it and when he denied it I called him a liar. It was only when I started having auditory and even visual hallucinations that I started to suspect something wasn't right, but even then I thought the paranoia was a secondary effect from the conspiracy.... It wasn't until 7 or 8 months after I started to suspect I was paranoid that I finally accepted it was all just paranoia. Even now I have to watch myself closely but the thing is its practically impossible to recognise paranoia whist you're experiencing it. - thats going a bit off topic but as I say it all followed on from the depression.

 

[khaimera]

People will hate me for this, but some psychiatrists believe that depression is a CHOICE. We choose it as the best way we know to fix a problem. Depression helps us avoid problems directly, stifles anger, gets us sympathy, gets us out of doing what we don't want to do, and allows others to help us. I sort of agree with this.

Depression is caused by depressive thoughts. Its not biological.

Here's a source.
http://www.wglasser.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=28

Also, my avatar suffers from depression, so I'm kind of an expert.

That's some good trolling right there except the link you posted was a link to some new age psychobabble bullshit and you're confusing depression(a mental illness caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain) with plain negative thought patterns. If alleviating depression was as easy as re-programming your brain and reading self-help books(which in both cases requires very little effort) then it wouldn't be a problem.

Umm, thanks. Look I knew this wasn't going to be a popular opinion, but I assure you this is all legit. The creator of this website is one of the giants in the field of psychology and psychiatry. He was one of the first to challenge the traditonal medical model of depression. The medical model has obviously been markteted and sold well to the public. Look how everyone in this thread has the same opinion. "Its a medical disease that must be treated with meds"

The biological definition of depression is one designed ot make money, and it has.

I'm exiting this thread now becuase I realize this is not the place to have such intellectual discussion with a group of people who all know much less than I do about this subject.

My post was meant to get people to think of their depression in a new way. It didn't work.

So I leave you with 2 FACTS.

1. Talk therapy has been proven to be equally effective in treating depression as medication. If depression was biological, talking about it would never help.
2. The neurotransmitter behavior connection goes both ways, not just one.

 

[Kwaren]

Never lie to yourself. The truth may hurt, but in the end it is the only weapon that when used against that dark monster, always prevails.

I ask the following question in all seriousness and sincerity: What if you don't know the truth?

I can't really answer that. I think it is different for everyone. My moment of truth happened unexpectedly while I was taking a shower. The thought about how strong I was to keep on living when I could have taken the easy way out, gave me the confidence to know that I could defeat my demons.

well then I have to ask what you mean by truth because I've had the same epiphany as you. Sometimes I feel that I have the willpower of the gods because I would need it to still be alive, and while it's a positive thought (it essentially means I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to except defy physics) it doesn't lead anywhere. these posts may get a bit rambly, I'm just posting to post at this point cause I feel like it.

It is a feeling that what you just thought was true and no matter what it cannot be wrong. It makes you feel good just by thinking about it. It is something to guide your life by and to look towards when you are unsure. .... Oh wow. Just in typing out the description of that feeling I hold so dear, I think I may have just found out some sort of spiritual... thingy about myself.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Guess that's gotta suck.
Me, I'm sticking with honor before reason.
FOR MANDALORE!!!

Hehe, not really. Yeah, I'm depressed sometimes, but for fuck's sakes, I'm a teenager. It's normal. I ain't gonna jump off a bridge for that. And besides, I'm an atheist, and really, really don't want to just cease to exist. Even hell would be better than that, because it's something at least. So, here's your answer: if you're depressed and atheistic, just give up your beliefs (or lack of them) and go join some religion. It's clinically proven to improve your mood and health.

 

[Julianking93]

Well it's not uncommon in teens.

I've struggled with depression for about 6 years now. I've been classified as depressive bi polar since I can be overly excited and happy one second then crying and wanting to commit suicide the next.

Talking about it can help. Exercise works as well.

Anything that makes you happy, do it. Do it more. Do it as many times as you can and you can beat depression

 

[Kwaren]

Never lie to yourself. The truth may hurt, but in the end it is the only weapon that when used against that dark monster, always prevails.

I ask the following question in all seriousness and sincerity: What if you don't know the truth?

I can't really answer that. I think it is different for everyone. My moment of truth happened unexpectedly while I was taking a shower. The thought about how strong I was to keep on living when I could have taken the easy way out, gave me the confidence to know that I could defeat my demons.

well then I have to ask what you mean by truth because I've had the same epiphany as you. Sometimes I feel that I have the willpower of the gods because I would need it to still be alive, and while it's a positive thought (it essentially means I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to except defy physics) it doesn't lead anywhere. these posts may get a bit rambly, I'm just posting to post at this point cause I feel like it.

It is a feeling that what you just thought was true and no matter what it cannot be wrong. It makes you feel good just by thinking about it. It is something to guide your life by and to look towards when you are unsure. .... Oh wow. Just in typing out the description of that feeling I hold so dear, I think I may have just found out some sort of spiritual... thingy about myself.

yeah you lost me, probably for the best as I tend to file all the spiritualism under "bullshit."

You asked what I meant by "truth" so I described it as best as I could. I usually file spirituality under the same category as well. I was at a loss when I tried to think of a better word so that is what I called it.

 

[Kwaren]

Never lie to yourself. The truth may hurt, but in the end it is the only weapon that when used against that dark monster, always prevails.

I ask the following question in all seriousness and sincerity: What if you don't know the truth?

I can't really answer that. I think it is different for everyone. My moment of truth happened unexpectedly while I was taking a shower. The thought about how strong I was to keep on living when I could have taken the easy way out, gave me the confidence to know that I could defeat my demons.

well then I have to ask what you mean by truth because I've had the same epiphany as you. Sometimes I feel that I have the willpower of the gods because I would need it to still be alive, and while it's a positive thought (it essentially means I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to except defy physics) it doesn't lead anywhere. these posts may get a bit rambly, I'm just posting to post at this point cause I feel like it.

It is a feeling that what you just thought was true and no matter what it cannot be wrong. It makes you feel good just by thinking about it. It is something to guide your life by and to look towards when you are unsure. .... Oh wow. Just in typing out the description of that feeling I hold so dear, I think I may have just found out some sort of spiritual... thingy about myself.

yeah you lost me, probably for the best as I tend to file all the spiritualism under "bullshit."

You asked what I meant by "truth" so I described it as best as I could. I usually file spirituality under the same category as well. I was at a loss when I tried to think of a better word so that is what I called it.

don't worry, you'll figure it out eventually.

I have the idea of it figured out, just not how to describe it.

 

[Klarinette]

I was diagnosed with a hanful of things a few years ago, Bipolar disorder being one of them. It's like Depression's indecisive, fickle cousin who goes between being exactly like, and exactly opposite of him. It's exhausting =/

 

[Denamic]

My cat died today, so I'm fairly depressed myself.

 

[Private Custard]

It happened to me years ago, I was put on Paxil when I was about 13-14. They said I had a chemical imbalance in my brain without doing any tests. 3 years later I took myself off of it gradually. Everything felt foggy during those years. Now years later they say it causes Suicidal thoughts in people under 18.

.

I'll be honest, I read this and was very very scared for you mate. That drug has never been passed for under 18s and is bloody dangerous. When I was on it I started self harming (although over 18) and had to get off it again in a hurry. Anyone who is on that needs a word with their doctor in my untrained and unqualified opinion.

A lot of anti-depressant drugs are quite dangerous for younger people, even the most common SSRI - Citalopram Hydrobromide can cause suicidal tendancies in younger individuals. I should know as i used to take citalopram and did a neuropsychology degree, part of which involved anti-depressant drugs.

I'm not sure how this goes in America, but in England teenagers aren't given very strong anti-depressants and are often encouraged to take CBT or counselling alongside the drugs to limit the chance of these suicidal phenomena occuring.

Branded as Cipramil sometimes??

I've been depressed for roughly ten years now, although recently things have been a lot better. I still have no social life, but I'm burying myself in my work and feeling more level now.

I was prescribed four different medications in the early days, although I can only remember three of the names, Cipramil, Fluoxetin (Prozac) and Dothiepin, which was on old-school tricyclic and absolutely fucking horrendous. I never stuck to the pills, they made me air-belch constantly, twich/fidget and act pretty vacantly. I only recently flushed four boxes of them down the toilet as they were four years out of date.

I got off lightly. A girl I worked with was heavily on Seroxat and was pretty near suicidal when her dose was lessened. It was a fun office when we teamed up!

It may be cliched, but time was a great healer for me. But it's all chemicals, what works for one, may not work for another. You just gotta do what feels right.

 

[HaraDaya]

People will hate me for this, but some psychiatrists believe that depression is a CHOICE. We choose it as the best way we know to fix a problem. Depression helps us avoid problems directly, stifles anger, gets us sympathy, gets us out of doing what we don't want to do, and allows others to help us. I sort of agree with this.

Depression is caused by depressive thoughts. Its not biological.

Here's a source.
http://www.wglasser.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=28

Also, my avatar suffers from depression, so I'm kind of an expert.

I don't want to agree, but I kinda do. Still it doesn't help on my seasonal depression, there's just no motivation or strength to drain when it kicks in. And if it's not biological, then why do intake of certain chemicals help? The mind works by chemicals, or so they say.

 

[UnusualStranger]

Depression....One of those few things that I find difficult to identify, let alone understand.

I sometimes wonder if I deal with depression. There are times where I lose hope, where I don't leave my home, where I sit away and hide, not daring to chat with people, or do anything. It is an interesting mind set that I have yet to understand.

Perhaps it is a chemical imbalance, and that medication may be the answer. Or perhaps it is something deeper. You can't heal psychological problems with medication. Only cover them. I often wonder if perhaps I'm just self destructive at times, which is why I prefer to hide when I feel like I do, because I fear I may get an idea that I am certain will solve nothing.

Depression is something that I know causes people to lose hope. It can kill, because depression is but the absence of hope, and without that, what is the point of living? With no hope for the future, there is no point to go after it.

Depression is also something that I'm not sure if people can deal with it alone. It eats at people, I think. It rips at them, making them question people they know, and strangers they don't. Perhaps you can overcome it. Perhaps it is possibly to simply snap out of it.

But I doubt it.

 

[King Largo]

Depression, eh? Can't say I've seen its face, personally. Because of that, I'm reluctant to tell people who've been smiled at by depression to grin back. I am a psych student, but unfortunately, I've spent more time studying the flashier disorders. However, I do remember that cognitive behavioural therapy paired with medication (whether selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, dopamine re-uptake inhibitors, or those old tricyclic drugs) seems to be the most effective treatment regimen. Just remember: fuck Freud. Psychoanalysis remains the most costly and ineffective form of treatment for ANY psychological ailment.

On a side note, to any other psych students on here, I remember reading in the DSM-IV that recent bereavement is considered an exclusion criterion for clinical unipolar depression. Is there a time-frame for this, or what? Or did I read it completely wrong?