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Depression

post #1 of 81
8/19/08 at 12:34am
Thread Starter 
Anyone diagnosed with it? I'm interested in seeing how other forum members deal with it on a daily basis.

JB
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post #2 of 81
8/19/08 at 2:17am
I think 50% of depression diagnoses are bullshit. That said, I was on Prozac for a couple of years for anxiety and OCD. It helped, but the side effect I suffered was not worth a slight change in mood (my sex drive died).
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post #3 of 81
8/19/08 at 10:33am
Diagnosed in February, had 2 sessions with therapist - didn't help much, main reason being that I couldn't get along very well with the therapist. In May I picked up the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius again and that certainly helped. So yeah, read some ancient philosophy - it'll shift your focus to positive thinking. Also, get into weightlifting and healthy eating.
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post #4 of 81
8/19/08 at 11:35am
I agree with Conne in that many depression diagnoses are total b.s. There's a distinct difference between being sad and suffering from depression, and it seems like many people I come in contact with can't differentiate between the two.

That being said, intense aerobic exercise always helps. Same for weightlifting. More caffeine (or less, or none at all, depending on your general state of mind.)
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post #5 of 81
8/19/08 at 12:48pm
i've got OCD. taking celexa and having sessions with a therapist whenever it gets bad keeps things going straight for me.
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post #6 of 81
8/19/08 at 12:50pm
never had depression. never will.
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post #7 of 81
8/19/08 at 12:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sho'nuff View Post
never had depression. never will.

I'm not a doctor, but I'm not sure it's always your choice.
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post #8 of 81
8/19/08 at 1:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sho'nuff View Post
never had depression. never will.

Because brain chemistry is a choice.
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post #9 of 81
8/19/08 at 2:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sho'nuff View Post
never had depression. never will.

I'm diagnosed with it, you make it sound like people with depression want it to be that way.

JB
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post #10 of 81
8/19/08 at 2:02pm
I've never had chicken pox. Never will.
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post #11 of 81
8/19/08 at 2:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JetBlast View Post
I'm diagnosed with it, you make it sound like people with depression want it to be that way.

JB

i didnt mean to imply that. not at all. im just speaking through my own experience and what ive been through. ive been through some very low times several times in my life but hadnt gotten into depression fortunately. im also speaking out of optimism for myself.
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post #12 of 81
8/19/08 at 2:13pm
I'm diagnosed with depression, have been since grade 8 ... i remember back in my school days hearing a lot of people casually complain about being 'depressed' - yet i wonder how many shared in my case of really knowing first hand the reality of how bad that shit can get, and for no particular reason at times. I'm currently on Cymbalta for treatment, have been for almost half a year now. It's worked better than my previous medications. Although I don't think my depression has ever really went away, i find that during times when i am heavily occupied and focused with work and social life it distracts me from feeling down and I can function normally. Then there are the occasional weeks where I find myself caving inward and becoming reclusive, distancing from the world and not wanting to see anyone or deal with any pressing matters that need to be handled. Any therapy i've tried hasn't really worked - maybe i never delved deep enough into it. It would probably help if I would start exercising on a regular basis but i just can't seem to get the motivation for that.
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post #13 of 81
8/19/08 at 2:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by James Gatz View Post
I agree with Conne in that many depression diagnoses are total b.s. There's a distinct difference between being sad and suffering from depression, and it seems like many people I come in contact with can't differentiate between the two.

That being said, intense aerobic exercise always helps. Same for weightlifting. More caffeine (or less, or none at all, depending on your general state of mind.)

JetBlast, these people are not doctors and they have certainly not studied the frequency of depression in adults. With basically dark-age ideas of what depression is, I hope that you will give their opinions on what "true depression" is the little care that it deserves.

For me, it was:

-a year or two of medication + therapy (neither work without the other, usually)

-a good dose of Buddhist-style mindfulness exercises

-doing things that made me happy and understanding my place in the world

-not allowing myself to get bored

That's basically what helped me. I still have depression but it only very rarely manifests anymore (maybe 4 days a year). It's something that, in my experience, you can control over time and get a handle on, and a diagnosis is not a death sentence.

This is probably not something that you'll find a lot of help from discussing on an internet messageboard. I hope every day for you is better, and if you want to talk about it you can always shoot me a PM.
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post #14 of 81
8/19/08 at 2:22pm
I'm currently on a course of mild anti-depressants, and I talk to a guy weekly. Nothing life-threatening, but our house has been visited by plagues recently and all this therapy takes the edge off. Working out and thinking about doing fun things eventually helps a bit. Regular walking gets endorphins going and cuts weight and unnecessary appetite. Cutting alcohol or anything else that interferes with sleep is also a good idea.

Some depressions can be really awful, though. I have a family member who was more or less an invalid until 3 days after she stopped her maintenance drug for breast cancer-- which happens to fuck with your hormones. That wasn't even slightly fake.
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post #15 of 81
8/19/08 at 2:49pm
Heck, there's allways tomorrow and no matter how deep the hole is I can work myself out of it. Being objective to your own thoughts has helped me as well, being able to disconnect emotions from problems that arise in life has helped me to cope with them.

Good luck with the therapy, having been diagnosed with about 4 different child disorders and to have them proved wrong afterwards has lowered my esteem of the psychology business. What I did find interesting however is the marcus aurelius remark, I did exactly the same with filosofy. A lot of problems arise with ones values being out of whack with the reality you percieve. Reading about different value systems and how they percieve social life can reduce some of the anxiety. The same goes with a goal in life, which is unfortunately something I havent figured out yet.

Anyways, these might look like ramblings and if they do I apologize. They are however some thoughts that have helped me climb out of a deep, deep hole...
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