Depression...

[Curious_AJ]

i dont need anger management either... i dont get angry that often... but i do when either my beliefs are challenged or people make assumptions when they dont know the facts...

[Teflon]

well, for vifferman and BMW ... i could try natural alternatives, but theyre expensive, so im not about to go spending the little money i have on that...

For around 14$ you can buy a bottle of Thiamine, contains 100 - 50mg tabs. I use Thiamine as a training supplement, but it may help some of you with your depression.

[Curious_AJ]

$14!?!?!?!?!?!?! thats expensive!! ... id rather save that... my job doesnt pay much a week...

[Teflon]

I know why you're so depressed now..

[Curious_AJ]

mmm... thats not only why... but working on sundays and course during the week... dont get much money, it is tough, but i cant do anything about it really... but yes... not having enough money sucks... but i get paid tomorrow.. yay! ... and i should be getting a raise to 11.25 or so an hour due to the raising of minimum wage...

[Teflon]

$11.25?? must be hard getting out of bed for that.. i know i wouldn't

[jazbug5]

I think ya should laugh! I stared death in the face 6 years ago due to a totally different medical condition...... I won! Im laughing too......and I laugh everyday becoz of it.

So my opinion is.....if your here, if your alive.....then make the most of every da'am day ya have!! Life is one big roller coaster, if ya can't handle the up's and down's of it all.....then get off your carriage!

Without wishing to, er, *inflame* matters once again, I can't help but point something out. Depression is a potentially fatal illness. How many of us have not lost someone to suicide? They chose to 'get off their carriage', as Flame puts it. Those of us who have lost someone close to us would (I imagine) far rather they had admitted to a little weakness before they reached that stage, whether to us, a doctor, or somewhere relatively anonymous such as the Samaritans or even on a website.

If a total stranger's admission of weakness makes you angry or uncomfortable, maybe you need to really think about why that is, and work on it. (This appears to be a problem affecting a few people who have commented, and not just Flame.)

[Dafe]

Here's my 2 cents worth.......

I think it's very easy to fall into depression. Especially if you live a very quiet lifestyle. Go to work, come home - wait for work, go to work etc etc.

In the past, on many different occassions, I've begun to feel depressed.

But I know when that starts happening, I have to go out and find something to keep me occupied. Personally, I find participating in sports is a huge happy boost for me. I actually think that just getting out of the quietness of home is healthy at times. Team sports is great, very sociable!
Try indoor sports for starters.........

But again, you have to enjoy what you're doing, sports isn't for everyone.

Maybe some of you need to get involved in Theatre/Arts/Crafts even night classes for furthering your education.

Either way, always try and keep a healthy mind and body!

When you start feeling down, Get up and get buisy!

[Joni]

I have a few cents on this subject as well. I have thought long and hard about posting in here tho… KB can be a farce at times and this is real life shit!

I have known a few people though my work who have suffered from depression… genuine clinical depression, an llness that can be as debilitating as a “physical” injury/illness… it is a long and hard process and patients is required… for some people the best hope is for it to be “controlled”, others are lucky enough to beat it, like you beat cancer… with the risk it raises its ugly head again in the future.

My thing is though, some people think they are depressed, because they are sad, or even worse because they lack life skills to handle what is happening to them, so they go into a downward spiral because they don’t know how to pull out of it… they think they are depressed, however with a little help, guidance, counselling they can learn the skills to cope.

I think people should learn to distinguish between the 2: The one is an illness, the other is not.

Flame, you have said that people should basically toughen up and roll with the punches life offers… for people who are not genuinely depressed, that is actually good advice, look for the answer, learn and move on from the crap (from the sounds of it, you and I have both faced serious illness and know what this means).... However, for people with genuine depression, they cant just move on, because their brains are not capable of doing it, that is when some sort of medical intervention is required.

I do have issues with people who don’t fall into the genuine illness category, and make excuses and don’t go and find help, or make excuses why they cant get help… but that is another story.

[Busy]

This thread has taken a really weird turn (not the bad posts bit).

MDU, I'm a little worried about you trying to understand depression is like trying to understand a woman - you'll never do it.

I think the biggest concept missing here is that for someone to be suffering from depression doesn't mean that person is sad, down, suicidal, angry or unusual.
Depression can be as short and mild as can be, take a person having a bad day, the why me, can i go home yet, what if ... this can be a mild case of depression. Depression doesn't have to be cronic (long time), can be once a month, once a year ...

I agree with a comment made earlier about people playing on the depression, but at the same time a depressed person uses the "I'm too depressed" excuse not to play on it but as an escape from the situation. I suffer(ed) panic attacks, no one ever never, even today only two friends (about all I have nowadays) know but as they can't understand it I was always making excuses to get out of doing stuff that would trigger me off. If I had to go somewhere I would ALWAYS have to take my car so I would have an escape route. The escape route is always needed in every situation.

Depression can be dealt with without the drugs (in some cases) but only AFTER a course of drugs and thearpy (CBT etc) so you can learn to control your thoughts which become habit forming. Positive thinking is the key here but when your down thinking good thoughts are hard and goes against the grain.

It's like being a drunk or a smoker, when you give up it's not over, you'll always have the temptation or urge to have one more, same as a mental illness, you have it for a life time but can be managed same as people with HIV, diabetes etc

Everyone has a brain imbalance from birth, just the levels differ between everyone. Just like we are all born with cancer, some it stays dormat, others sadly get effected by it.

All the "how to be a millionaire", "how to become succesful" ... books etc all have one thing in common - positive thinking. Say to yourself "I have a great smile", say it everyday, over and over, may take a while to believe it within but when you do and you get told you have a great smile it becomes a habit that becomes automated (just like self hatred but thats easier)

Disclaimer: I am no doc, nor in the field, just my 2c worth (incl gst, road user charges and a tip)

[Busy]

I do have issues with people who don’t fall into the genuine illness category, and make excuses and don’t go and find help, or make excuses why they cant get help… but that is another story.

Ever thought it could be because they are scared? NZ lives by the "It will never happen to me" which is crazy. When I first had a panic attack I was to scared to tell anyone, I thought OMG I'm falling apart, I am the only one, no one will understand ... even when I did some research on it and found out 3 out of 5 people suffer from it it still didnt make me feel any better. Plus I am a male and the old fashioned way of thinking is the man is the bread winner, is meant to be tough ... goes against what we are brought up with.

Every day is a learning day
Mistakes are made so we learn
my coffee is cold

[Joni]

I agree with you Busy... I know they are scared... and damn right mistakes are made... however I think its very sad when people just sit back and accept that they are "depressed" and even refuse help when its offered... so often just a few small adjustments could make life a lot easier... HOWEVER people with this disease have a constant battle just to function every day, they dont have that choice most of the time... where people without the disease do.

I just feel that genuine depression, and "Im feeling really down" should not fall under one banner.

I have loved and lost one of the most important people in my life to this disease... so I know the fear levels, not only in the person, but in their loved ones too!

[DMNTD:Me]

Every day is a learning day
Mistakes are made so we learn

There in lies the trick! Learn from things and Life tends to get better day by day even if you're unaware at that particular moment in time.
I deal with a form of depression everyday as do everyone but I chose to look at it in a positive light...a chance to learn,grow and better myself.
No I do not have a "wannabe" depression either....quite genuine and sometimes extreme.
I KNOW that everyone has the inner strength to better their individual situation and no I'm not saying "fix"...I'm saying better.
One of my favourite "tools" is to remind myself that things could be worse because it's true...they could be.
Another thing...covering up an issue can be one of the worst things one can do...I believe in attacking it,confronting it...assaulting it! Worst thing that can happen is that you will "fail"...yet another opportunity to learn...oh..hello...ya just did! Just learnt that it wasn't the right way to do it therefore it's a good thing!

Nothing is more empowering than starting from the "bottom" as then there's only one way to go...and it's good shit!

my coffee is cold

Mate...that's straight out funny there

[vifferman]

Another thing...covering up an issue can be one of the worst things one can do...I believe in attacking it,confronting it...assaulting it!

My father seemed like a very strong, determined man. As I grow older, and learn stuff, I'm beginning to learn things about him that I didn't realise. (Having him around to talk to would make it easier, but he's been dead for nearly 30 years). Anyway - one thing I learned from him (there may be others) was that if he was scared of something, he would overcome it by tackling it head on. Example: he was scared of needles (like many people) so he tackled it by becoming a blood donor. Good thing he did - he later developed diabetes, and had a daily session needling himself.

I've tried to communicate this to my kids, as it's stood me in good stead (whatever a 'stead' is). Trouble is, they think I'm OldAndStupidAndDon'tKnowAnything (they tell me this often enough).

The thing is: if something scares you, and you back off and run away from it, it makes the 'thing' bigger and stronger, and you weaker. Eventually, you'll be paralysed with fear over something which may have started off as something trivial.
Conversely, tackling a fear (sometimes you have to do this repeatedly) makes it weaker and you stronger.

[DMNTD:Me]

Conversely, tackling a fear (sometimes you have to do this repeatedly) makes it weaker and you stronger.

Perception of the "fear"...I choose to turn them into challenges.
The mind is a powerful tool and unless some control is maintained it can hurt ya big time...but only if allowed.