Depression?

[Parallel Streaks]

The reason people have such a casual attitude towards depression is, on top of the actual sufferers of depression, a seriously condition, there's an inordinate amount of people who fake it for attention.

Depression is best helped by doing what YOU enjoy, spending a lot of time alone wallowing in your problems is obviously not good, preoccupy yourself with a new hobby, or an old hobby you discarded for all that wallowing.

 

[ayuri]

depression had went through my family and i believe that i am depressed but it never really affects me because i have ADD so i don't spend a long time feeling bad.

 

[Doctor VonSexMachine]

Didn't read most of the responses, so forgive me if I am repeating stuff:
You can try reading a book on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. There are even work books to help you go though the steps on your own. It's a method of re-enforcing positive thought patterns.

That's about as close as I think you can come to just slogging through it.
I've never found anti-depressants to be much good, although I've been on them for more than 2 years. My issues are a bit more complex then clinical depression, but I've attended many school sponsored events on the topic, and have seen councilors, etc. Cognitive behavioral therapy seems to be the wining strategy to work though it based on willpower.

The only thing is that it takes a lot of work to force yourself to rewire your thinking.

 

[rddj623]

I'm of the thought that all things can be overcome, not necessarily made to go away mind you, but overcome. Definitely not saying to just get over it. These things take time, and sometimes medication along with therapy. I'm never a fan of meds by themselves, I think medication with counseling can go a long way. To all those suffering, my sympathies and prayers.

 

[Valksy]

well shit that's depressing. I was told I'd just have to take my meds and talk to a counselor and he'd help me sort it out and I'd be better in a year or two. It's going to be at least a few months before they figure out the proper dosage for the meds, but I can't wait 15 fucking years! :'(

The important bit is to work with your doctors while they tune your meds. Some things work better than others, some doses are better. Some things are just odd - I found that I could not take generic/unbranded fluoxetine as it made me sick, but branded Prozac didn't. My local chemist was aware and kept the real thing in stock for me and someone else when I was on the stuff.

Just make sure you follow the rules with going on and off the meds because you are tinkering with brain chemistry - just stopping if you are supposed to wind down, or diving straight in to a big dose without working up to it I found made me feel a whole lot worse, you can start to yo-yo your moods something wicked.

And if you have an issue to talk about then a counsellor/therapist of some sort is a good thing - a good neutral sounding board. The counselling should help you work out your problems and the meds keep you steady and stable enough to find the will to do it.

 

[rddj623]

Didn't read most of the responses, so forgive me if I am repeating stuff:
You can try reading a book on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. There are even work books to help you go though the steps on your own. It's a method of re-enforcing positive thought patterns.

That's about as close as I think you can come to just slogging through it.
I've never found anti-depressants to be much good, although I've been on them for more than 2 years. My issues are a bit more complex then clinical depression, but I've attended many school sponsored events on the topic, and have seen councilors, etc. Cognitive behavioral therapy seems to be the wining strategy to work though it based on willpower.

The only thing is that it takes a lot of work to force yourself to rewire your thinking.

Willpower is definitely the most powerful ally, it's also the hardest thing to utilize when you are feeling depressed. Such a Catch-22.

 

[TehCookie]

I'm surprised no one mentioned killing yourself. If it's that bad where you don't want to keep on going than don't. Also don't change your mind half way through then come crying down the stairs say you made a mistake, especially when you decided to smear your bloody wrist on the wall leaving a trail from your descent. It's a pain in the ass to clean up.

Either that move on with your life. No you don't have to get over it just live with it and don't bother people about it. Everyone has mental disorders, I think mine is a lack of empathy.

 

[ClunkiestTurtle]

The way i feel about it is that while obviously it is a recognized medical condition and there are people out there who need some sort of treatment for it but i don't really think the vast majority of people who say they are depressed fall into that category.

Being sad is an emotion just like any other and throughout life shit happens so its inevitable you are going to feel it at some point,theres nothing wrong with feeling it and it doesn't mean you are ill but when you get into that mindset you just make a problem for yourself where there wasn't one,it just means your sad. The cynic in me thinks that depression has been commercialized and as its one of the most common things people are "diagnosed" with its big business for drug companies....

 

[antipunt]

Telling someone ''Getting over it'' with deppression is like saying ''Get over it'' to a terminal illness. It's really not that easy.

Bingo. Though I don't really blame those who's never experienced it before. It's easy to underestimate an issue when you simply do not understand it.

Sometimes it can be rather irritating, actually, but I try not to let it get to me

 

[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.

 

[child of lileth]

If it's real depression, then it can be kind of hard for the person to 'just get over it'. Keep in mind, there's a huge difference between real depression, and angsty, whiny, emo kids.

 

[Fodogz]

Boom chicka boom chicka boom boom

 

[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 =/