Depression...

[KATWYN]

Is feeling empty and not feeling like you have any purpose related to depression or is that something else?

To answer your question, yes what you describe can be a symptom of depression but it does not necessarily mean that it is depression.....it is not good if these thoughts you have described hang around for too long either....

[Busy]

Lack of confidence is a killer (pun intended).
I noticed it when I ride, when I am up, no corner is to tight, to twisty or to long, I just flow with it, when i am down I second guess myself and the corners are often to tight, way to twisty or way to long.

BMW, I can relate to your post, growing up I was never good enough for my family, no matter what I did I always got the "what a waste of time/money", "you'll only hurt yourself" ... some examples; I travelled the world (gave up drinking and saved a bucket load of money) when I should of brought a house, I was frowned upon but I have done and seen things 90% of people will never see or do, how many have carved a (orange) pumpkin, how many have hot air ballooned over the Grand Tetons, how many have shot a real gun, eaten spam ...
Another example, I stuffed my knee in work accident back in '92, have had several ops but it's basically stuffed, ACC just wanted to call me a number and write me off, I rebelled, told them to go stick it and changed the way I did everything (and I mean everything), I even raced stock cars for a few years, I was looked down upon by the family once again even when I got my name in the paper (for winning or in top three), even the fight to become independent from ACC was frowned upon.
In my down times I guess I let them win, I believe them when they say it wont come to anything, maybe I am wasting my time ... but when I am up I think "fuck you and the horse you rode in on i am better than you ..." (excuse the language) Most of it was my grandmother who is now dead (no I didn't kill her although I admit had wished it). I live up to my nickname sure, but I happy with what I have, memories, knowledge, trinkets, the clothes on my body and the bed I am about to go crawl into.

Acceptance, longing to be 'normal' is not the key, just being oneself is the key. We are what we are because of our past, it has made us what we are today. Don't frown upon the bad things that have happened, use them, learn from them, grow from them, just become a better you from them.

There is no right or wrong way to live life.
A friend of mine from school has everything, and he is always up with the Jones's. I used to admire him because he is always well dressed, has the latest gadgets, had what I thought was the perfect life, sad thing is he is in debt over 750,000

Some quotes I often look at, so true:
"when one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."
--hellen keller
"The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it."
--anonymous
Making mistakes simply means your learning faster.
--Weston H Agor
"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try."
-- Beverly Sills
Accept everything about yourself -- I mean everything, You are you and that is the beginning and the end - no apologies, no regrets.
---Clark Moustakas
And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.
---Jerry Chin
Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new end.
---Carl Bard
If I could wish for my life to be perfect, it would be tempting but I would have to decline, for life would no longer teach me
anything.
---Allyson Jones
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.
---Robert Brault
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.
---Abraham Lincoln
From every negative aspect in your life, there is always a positive lesson to be learned.
---Unknown
If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.
---Unknown
When you look back on your life you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
---Unknown
A life with love will have some thorns, but a life without love will have no roses.
---Unknown
Measure your wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money.
---Unknown
The world is round and the place which may seem like the end, may also be the beginning.
---Ivy Baker Priest
He is a man of sense who does not grieve for what he has not, but rejoices in what he has.
---Epictetus
Worry is like a rocking chair - it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere.
---Dorothy Galyean


To dream of the person you would like to be, is to waste the person you are.
---Unknown

[Ixion]

The non-helpful smart-aleckery (and the responses to it) has been moved you know where. Unfortunately another mod beat me to the infractionator, and you can only be infractioned once for the same post.

This is NOT an appropriate place for such stuff.

It WILL be infractioned.

[vifferman]

The non-helpful smart-aleckery (and the responses to it) has been moved you know where. Unfortunately another mod beat me to the infractionator, and you can only be infractioned once for the same post.

This is NOT an appropriate place for such stuff.

It WILL be infractioned.

Hey - no fair.
I was preparing a reasoned and non-insulting response to the infractionary infraction by the infractionator.
The moderation was somewhat immoderate.

[Steam]

Crazy mood swings today!
It's not depression, but instead related maybe to missing my medication for a day... just a single day mind you.
The emotional progression of the day:
From a bleary-eyed morning, grey and blah, to enthusiasm for a project at home, to tiredness after lunch, then to gloom at 5pm, sadness at 6, swinging then to irritation, then anger at 7pm, then to hyperactivity at 7.30pm, then to anger AND hyperactivity at the same time around 8.

Now I'm typing here, flicking from page to page fast, angry at my flatmates for no reason, but happy at myself because fortunately I can see it happening and observe I'm damn angry and hyper, and so I keep my mouth closed and do some fast manic cleaning instead.

Weird weird day. Is it a full moon tonight?

[KATWYN]

Weird weird day. Is it a full moon tonight?

Just looked at the calender....May the 2nd...is full moon.......freaky

*I can hear the sound of the twighlight zone music playing in the background* or *jaws* music or whatever it is supposed to be....lol

[raster]

The biggest hurdle I have found is staying positive and enjoying your surroundings(including other people).

Stop and think: "this situation is nice because.... "
And don't stop at one thing.
Enjoy the sunset, watch a butterfly hatch from a cristilistithing, thank all the cars that let you through on the motorway in the morning and don't focus on the few that don't.

Steam I think you have it on the button, you have a choice to react to certain things or to do something else. Which can be the hardest thing to do.

Another thing I have found, eat a good breakfast and lunch, your brain can operate better when it is not hungry.

*big biker hug to ya*

[smoky]

Depression, some argue, is a medical condition, or does depression cause the medical symptoms that self perpetuates it’s condition.

From my experience, some depression can only be overcome by bringing a balance to ones holistic person, body soul and spirit; Beside the very good drugs available, there’s a lot of evidence that exercise and diet has a dramatic effect on bringing balance back to your Body – exercise is known to suppress mild depression.
Your Soul is about what you feed your mind, to bring balance to your soul you need to think about what ‘soul food’ is good for your character – like the kind of music you listen too, the kind of books you read or movies you watch, the kind of conversation you have and with who – it needs to be healthy and balanced – your mind is what you feed it.
Bringing balance to your Spirit is also part of the equation; it’s where things like self esteem is addressed, direction in life, motivation, the will to overcome – I have found, for some people who have suffered from depression, that by stepping back a bit and taking the time each day to meditate, take time to discover what you believe, why we are here, what’s life for, expose your self to others belief structures – even if you don’t find the answers the process does bring balance to your spirit.

Those are just my amateur observations from the people I have lived with or helped along the way, and my own way of dealing with depression – of course I personally have a Faith, it gives me a cause, and my esteem is now established in my believe of who I am in that faith.

[Curious_AJ]

one thing about faith...
what happens if you cant find what you truely believe in... your pressured by your religious parents (catholic father in my case) yet you arent sure if what youve been brought up to believe is what you actually believe...

and in doing that, you shun all forms of belief in christianity (or whatever other religion) and you look for other religions to explore (for me at the moment its buddhism) but in doing that, it only brings one more into confusion, and depression... that along with other things which youare seeking guidance in... and the religious confusion, is hindering you in sorting out the other things in which you need help...

?????

[Steam]

From my experience....

Hey that was a nice post, thanks.
Personally I have no faith, but everything you said is still valid when applied to a secular person who believes there is no soul or "spirit".

what happens if you cant find what you truly believe in...

After about ten years of searching quite hard, I discovered that not believing in anything doesn't really matter, as long as you are being genuine and caring for your family and friends and living life in an honest way.

(huh, I can't talk, I'm depressed!)

When you get down to it, it's not what you believe that matters, but how you live and love.
That's my experience anyway.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

one thing about faith...
what happens if you cant find what you truely believe in... your pressured by your religious parents (catholic father in my case) yet you arent sure if what youve been brought up to believe is what you actually believe...

and in doing that, you shun all forms of belief in christianity (or whatever other religion) and you look for other religions to explore (for me at the moment its buddhism) but in doing that, it only brings one more into confusion, and depression... that along with other things which youare seeking guidance in... and the religious confusion, is hindering you in sorting out the other things in which you need help...

?????

I lead a spiritual life - I was forced up catholic. I had to find a power greater than myself. At times I thought I was God - but God never thought she was Shirley!!! The sea is more powerful than you - nature - I have a God of my own understanding - just chat upstairs as I call it. Religion is for those that don't want to go to hell, spirituality is for those who have been to hell and on their way back. I found I couldn't do the life thing all on my own and had to turn my thinking and my will over to the care of something bigger than me whom I call God - easy word to use. I used to pooh pooh this stuff, i.e. contempt prior to investigation. Now my whole life has turned around - for the better - shit still happens - but I handle it differently.

Recently my routine was mucked up as I had visitors for 2 weeks and I slipped up on my prayer (talking upstairs) and meditation - quiet time and boy the head started going haywire - getting short tempered etc. This week back into it and on even keel. During meditation I either listen to soft music or a tape I made - a talking meditation. Reviewing my day. I try and be the best I can each day and give the best I can. Watch what I think and say.

I respect the fact that religion may work for some people. For me - it doesn't. I have had to undo a lot of damage in that area.

"God has thousands of names, including Universal Intelligence, The All That Is, I Am I, Divine Mind, The Is, Great Spirit, Sam, Heather, Jennifer, Robert, et cetera. We are all part of God, so we are all God." from The Spiritual Path Guidebook by Dick Sutphen.

Another one from the same author:

"Because a group of people, or a group of voters, or the church, or the Supreme Court calls something right, wrong, moral, immoral, ethical or unethical, doesn't make it truth. Rather, it is their perception of truth. What they call it can't change what it is."

I love this book and it certainly helps me.

[Ixion]

I do not see any problem with the last few posts. And, so far, they are pertinent to the topic of the thread, which is Depression

However, care needs to be taken that the direction does not trend away from the topic (depression) into matter more suited to the Scottish Thread.That is a slippery slope down which more than one useful thread has tumbled.

So, lets just keep our eyes on the topic. And ensure than discussions of faith or spirituality are maintained within that context .

Thanks

[ManDownUnder]

Now my whole life has turned around - for the better - shit still happens - but I handle it differently.

Awesome post... very very cool and I can relate to a lot of it. I enjoy a happy life - it has it's ups and down, but I have a natural inclination to share he ups, and hopefully/respectfully help others enjoy them too.

Mine is a philosophy of good. Expect good of others, and only alter that expectation when they prove worthy of something different (which may be better...). There are people in my life with all manner of problems, and there are (thankfully) no people in my luife I can share my problems with. We all understand those problems are transient and when one of us is down, the others are there listening.

We're sometimes all down together - which brings a a strange solace - and sometimes we're all up together. No matter what's going on though - no matter who is up, who is down (and I have to stress I'm personally not depressed in the clinical sense of the word so this may not be a valid perspective for the thread)... but no matter what's going on there is a certain satisfaction of knowing friends are there, and if anyone is down, the clock is ticking till that too shall pass.

[vifferman]

Crazy mood swings today!
It's not depression, but instead related maybe to missing my medication for a day... just a single day mind you.

That's quite typical, Steam.
I've had those both when taking the droogs and when missing them.

I must admit, I kinda like the manic-depressive/schizophrenic nature of that at times. My doctor actually said to me that being a creative person I probably need to suffer a bit to be at my most creative. I do know that I'm at my funniest when I feel the most desperate.
Probably explains (but then again, not really) why so many comedians suffer from depression.

[vifferman]

I do not see any problem with the last few posts. And, so far, they are pertinent to the topic of the thread, which is Depression

However, care needs to be taken that the direction does not trend away from the topic (depression) into matter more suited to the Scottish Thread.That is a slippery slope down which more than one useful thread has tumbled.

So, lets just keep our eyes on the topic. And ensure than discussions of faith or spirituality are maintained within that context .

Thanks

Ease up, Ixion.
It's natural for there to be a measure of meandering in any thread. If you moderate the hell out of this thread you can be sure you'll stifle it.