Depression

[Jaena]

I have had bouts of pretty severe depression. There were some things that caused it that I certainly am not comfortable with going into here. I still haven't fully come to terms with them. When I first got diagnosed, my parents told me nothing was wrong with me, and that I didn't need my medication. Then when I ran out of medication (I had moved from Virginia to here and didn't have insurance here yet), they got to see what I was liek without it. And have since pushed for me to see someone about it besides my family care doctor.

MY bigger problem is my anxiety, which triggers the depression, or they trigger each other. And my biggest support is Link. Link has been to heck and back a few times, so we lean on each other for strength. In fact, reaching out to him because I needed someone to lean on that woudl understand is how we got back together last summer in the first place. And now we bicker with each other on WoW.

Find someone you're comfortable with. THat's the most important thing when it comes to this stuff. I am not comfortable around any doctor-types besides my family practice doctor due to an incident in high school where a pediatric nurse held me up against a wall trying to get a throat culture when I have a severe fear of choking. That's why I rely so much on Link.


And I take Zoloft. I am happily medicated when I don't space out and forget to take it.

[FawkesFyre]

I've never been diagnosed w/anything, and never had the desire to see anyone...both out of fear, lack of motivation, and just not wanting to air allmy problems to a stranger.

It hink the rest are right, start on the smaller side with a therapist...they can't put you on meds an have little power except to sit there and listen.

I've just always felt some level of depression my entire life...my mom just shrugs it off in the fact that I'm an only child and a real loner. Although I don't feel the same way you've described in it being one day at a time, I feel like I can relate on some level.

It hard to really describe it all...and notreally sure how to but I can relate.

If i listed off all my stuff here, it would ramble too much.

I just turned 28 and definitly understand what you're feeling...


If you ever need to talk, please let me know. I'm actually a great listener.

[Silver Adept]

Therapists and counselors are indeed the way to go - if you can get the insurance to help with the costs, all the better, but even if you can't, it's not a bad idea to go anyway, even though it is expensive. Sometimes just being able to talk it out with someone who's trained in listening and helping you out is best. We like our POs non-depressed. And we really appreciate the courage that it takes just to admit that much, Sciler. Hopefully you find someone who's a great fit for you.

[underpants]

Sciler, my brother used to be very depressed and was on meds that helped with it for a few years. He also saw a psychologist, as well. But after having to depend on meds for years he decided that he wanted to try it without, and it was difficult at first, but he's now doing a fantastic job! He's learned to control/prevent the things that used to trigger them and is in a much better place now.

As for me, I'm generally a pretty bubbly/happy person, but in the recent year I've felt symptoms of depression creeping up on me. I feel like I need some other substance to help pull me out of it. I smoke a few years back and it was very calming and helped me out of those types of instances. However, I don't do such things anymore and haven't found anything else to replace it. I usually resort to chocolate or something, but that only makes it worse, because then I feel bad that I ate it. It seems to be a catch 22.


Thank God for Ming and my close family. They've been my support through it all.

[Sciler]

meh, today was a fairly rough day, I just want to sit here and cry now, and sad thing is, its all over stupid shit I shouldnt even be crying about anyways >_<

and no I'm not PMSing, that was 2 weeks ago =P

[RivaOni]

Thats the way it goes sometimes... it can be the stupidest/most trivial thing that sets you off and theres no controlling it, thats what I hate the most.

[Tobias]

Well, i'll agree with some, sometimes the outside help is always good...they are people that for some reason you can tell your problems to. I remember that when my father was sick, I saw a counciler and had a good talk with him. The only problem is that im too much a case like in Good Will Hunting, and I have more fun analyzing the doctor rather than letting the doctor analyze me. But hey, i got my message and my feelings out to him. I saw him only once though.

I've never been a depressed person. Im not now. I'm a very different person though, with a strange mental faculty that allows me to not be depressed. Honestly, its mostly "Looking at the bright side of life." The only time it really faltered was when my father was critically ill and after he passed away. I felt like a reality set in and began to tell me that, well, life sucks and that no matter what, im screwed for the long run. I have my film teacher and my family to thank for pulling me out of it.

I guess what I'm saying is: Talk to me. Somehow, i've found a way to beat out depression, as hard as my life has been. Things haven't always been easy for me, and looking at school being almost up and a hard career choice, I've got every reason to be overly stressed, yet I'm not. And I wanna somehow share it with people - I have before, and its helped many a people. It even once stopped someone from committing suicide.

I'm rambling too. I just see this thing happening allthe time, and I know im a stranger to most people here, aside from the random visits to GA during POWA, but I'm still a listener and a great advice giver. Honestly, while therapists are great to talk to, the best people to talk to are people in your own dilemma, or better yet, HAVE beaten this dilemma. And even better than that: friends. I know my sanity comes from my having great family and friends, and i know you've got at least one of those.

So drop me a line, go see a therapist, but do something. Dont just sit there and wallow in it. Makes it harder to get up and do something about it.

*explodes*

[Blackmage]

I have Cyclothymia is a listed in another thread on here. How I came to be diagnosed with it was I was talking to my dr about sleep issues and such. We eventaully came to I was having anxiety issues and then tried to find a way to help with it. I was put on some anti-depressant, can't remember which, right before AWA last year. Wow that stuff messed with my head pretty badly and I can say I know first hand what it's like to be fully bi-polar. I stopped taking the pills about 3 days before AWA last year which is why I was soo off that weekend. Comming off the meds was making me have horrible, horrible anxiety attacks. My Dr then switched me to depakote and it's helped me a lot, I still teeder todder back and forth a little bweteen hypomania and mild depression but not as badly as I used too.

Now lets just back a several years. I've actually been fighting depressive issues since I moved to GA in '96. I just have not been happy since I've lived here. It was really bad during the highschool years and got lessioned after them. Then spiked severly when I was being discharged from basic becuase I felt like a failure in life and tried to commit suicide... and well I got commited for around a week or so, I can't remember the exact length of time. I'm not even sure if my parents know if I was committed or not. The mental ward at Lackland AFB is rather interesting and nice. I met some nice people in there (that weren't doctors.) And have been fighting the general urge of bleh ever since but not sure what I would do if it weren't for a few close friends here and there to help me out and keep my sanity and my reasoning.

I also used to get these morbid thoughts of just doing absolutly painful things to myself and I have no idea why or random acts of distruction. Like finger in a pencil sharpener or throwing things like my PSP out the window of my car going 80+. I've even wanted to just go take a bath and drown myself in it at times.

Anyways I'm not really sure what else to add to this but if you want to talk, please do.

[FawkesFyre]

[RivaOni]

Something I always found therepeutic was a reptetive hack n slash game, my strongest bout of depression was when I was frequently playing PSO, if I was feeling rather low I'd password a game and not reply to any simple mail until I felt better and would just work my way through the levels (I did it online because of the raised difficulty)