Depression - Information

Well, seems like it's more common than I thought.

Just thought I'd post a bit about it because I know people who have been depressed.

Being clinically depressed is different than just being generally unhappy. Everyone has their downtimes every so often. Why else would we have a moan section, eh?
If someone is Depressed they tend to have at least 2 of the first 3 plus at least 2 more after that, for more than two weeks.

• Depressed mood
• Loss of interest and enjoyment
• Increased fatiguability
• Reduced concentration and attention
• Reduced self-esteem and self-confidence
• Ideas of guilt and unworthiness (even in a mild type of episode)
• Bleak and pessimistic views of the future
• Ideas or acts of self-harm or suicide
• Disturbed sleep
• Diminished appetite

I know this is a pretty unahppy topic that one doesn't exactly want to think about but if you're worried about someone, it's good to know. I feel like a real downer sharing this...

An important thing to remember is that you can't help someone unless they want to be helped. You can't force someone to talk. *sigh*

 

Thanks for posting this Potty.

It's a subject that not a lot of people know much about, and that people are scared to approach because of "fear of the unknown". I'm glad you have posted this, and please don't apologise for talking about you are talking about a sad/bad subject.

You have very good information here.

Talking from experience, the best treatment for depression that I could recommend is.... talking.... sounds very simple but it really does help. You are correct in saying, it's scarily common. and that it's more than simply being in a bad mood.

These horrible feelings of feeling moody, upset, "down", can't be bothered to do anything or talk to anyone, not enjoying things you normally would - can last for days, weeks, months, and sometimes longer.

The most important thing for a person who feels like this, is to contact your doctor. They are there to offer support, and guidance.

Thanks for this potty

 

Thanks Snowy.

It's so true that talking helps. It just sucks how hard it is to do :S. And it's hard convincing people that talking helps...

 

Saying that consulting some doctors nowadays unless they are private doctors can sometimes be more hassel than its worth.. they either dont give a *bleep* or they just subscribe you some prozac or refer you to a psychiatrist.

You can do many other things.. even if your just feeling down... you can do some of these.

1.) Take up a new hobby like learning to play a new instrument or even gardening.. well just something your interested in or thought i wouldnt mind trying that..

2.) Excercise (eg. Walking, Jog, Playing Badminton, Swimming, Dancing to your fave song) although you maybe feel like i cant be bothered and want to sit in the house all the time.. not only can excercise make you feel happier it will also help you sleep.

3.) I personaly find watching a good comedy.. or stand up comedian always perks me up a little.

4.) Read a book or do a crossword to try and stop yourself from thinking about negative things and such.. although if you can deal with your negative thoughts or problems it would be much better.. but reading etc is a good way of escapeism till your ready to deal with it.

5.) have a goal. like getting yourself fitter for a holiday or loosing an inch from your waist.. which will also give you excercise or some other hobby or interest that you can set a date.. but this needs to be like a long term things (things that you aint gonna get done in a week) although if you've got a load of short goals like decorating the house.. or giving the house a good spring clean over a month or two

6.) Spend as little time as possible with people that are gonna depress you more lol and try not stay in the same place for a large amount of time (get out more)

Heres some more from a site i just googled.

1) Stop Your Negative Thoughts
If you have a problem stopping obsessive thinking, get an eye patch and patch your right eye. Patching your right eye will shut down the left hemisphere of your brain and the negative, obsessive thinking. It is better than a glass of wine.

2) Zip Up Your Central Meridian
Your central meridian is the energy pathway that runs from your pubic bone to your bottom lip. It can act like a radio receiver if it is not zipped up, picking up negative energies and vibes of others around you. Zip it up by imagining zipping up a zipper that runs up this pathway.

3) Go for a Walk Every Day
Walking will increase your endorphins, which lifts your mood. Walking also activates your energy flows to cross from left to right, right to left. A healthy crossover flow of energy lifts your mood 40-60%.

4) Refer to Your Depression in a Healthier Way
Refer to your depression as an experience that you are having that can be healed, rather than an identity you are stuck in. Your "I am's" define your identity and keep you stuck with more of what you don't want. A healthier way of referring to your experience of depression is to say: "I am experiencing the condition of depression, and it is healing."

5) Believe That You Can Get Well
Your belief creates your reality. If you doubt and fear, you may never get well. If you believe you can and will, you call it forth in your life. Consider the possibility that one of the higher purposes of your depression was to allow you the experience of healing it to graduate you into more of your true magnificence

 

*** Potty I hope you don't mind, I have moved this into the health section as it contains such good quality information ***

 

Heh, thanks Snowy

Bubbles, thanks for all information, it's all really useful. I read a book about depression a while ago but couldn't remember any details but some of those things you mentioned were in it.

I'm going to be passing this along, heh.

 

Then there's also how to deal when someone you know is depressed/cutting themselves/suicidal.

I've actually gotta get off the computer, I jstu started this so that I'd write morea dn not think "there's no point posting, it's silly really" but dealing is a large part, so I shouldn't not do it.

 

thanks for posting this

Hugs
Martina

 

It's a huge issue, that's the thing. And it's really sad, really really sad. The worst thing about it is that a person can only get better if they really really want to. Sometimes people don't even need professional help, but only sometimes.
The crappy thing about depression is that it comes when you least expect it. You think you've snapped out of it and then one tiny thing will happen and it will all crash around your ears.
I think you've got to realise something inside of yourself, a realisation or something that this is not the way to live, unfortunately I don't know that yet.
Great thread.
The main thing to remember if any of you ever feel like this is that you should always talk to someone, a friend or a family member because bottling things that bother you up is the worst thing you can do.
Good luck to anyone reading this

 

depression is such a horrible thing. i suffered from it for 2years and my parents told me it was 'normal' crying because you had to go to school, and avoiding people as much as possible (i usually only went out at night) seemed to be far from normal. but now i am better, i still have my moments (it's getting worse again ) but i have the support of all my friends from school, on msn, and of course from GP to tell me through the bad times

 

You know what? The stresses and strains of life, leave each and every one of us feeling drained and "blue".

It's human nature, because we take pride in what we do, and if we struggle, we feel like we are failing.

Just remember to share what you are feeling, don't bottle it up - it's not good for you and doesn't help.

 

My dad suffers from severe depession, he has been diagnosed for about 20 years now. He is very hard to deal with when he goes into the negative frame of mind with it and sometimes its easy to try talking and helping him and other times its not. I do find he talks about death alot, but thats all part of the illness. Depression can also be passed down.

 

I think that depression is higly unrecognized in the states, at least. (Tom Cruise is proof of that) I have a friend who has to take Zoloft, but she hates it, so she normally just tosses it out and she is really bad off sometimes. She cut her wrists at one point and it was really sad and upset me a lot.

 

Talking about it does help, though I've found that talking with conselours doesn't...At least for me, anyway. I've been to a few before for reasons from self-harm to depression but they end up just making me feel ashamed.. For me, I find it easier to talk to my friends, because I KNOW they care about my unlike some counselour, some lady I just met trying to make me feel better because it's their job. Just adults in general; I can never talk to them about my inner pain, I know they'll just over react and I can't talk to my mom (even when she knows about my depression) because I feel like I'm just shaming her. But my friends care and they don't over react and they don't make me feel ashamed. My friends + music make life bearable. (I even have a friend (my ex, Craig) who has made it his 'duty' to help me get me through my days)

 

It's brilliant that you've got a solid friends base to help keep you stable, that's such an important thing to have. Counselors though have taken on that job because they want to. Right now I'm studying psych and plan on doing counseling to begin with and then moving up to clinical psychology and I can't express how much I want to help people with depression and other disorders. My best friend is also studying it and this is all she ever wanted, really, to help people. It really sucks how a lot of counselors seem to give bad impressions....most of my friends with depression hate going to them...

Hence having that strong family/friend base is important...