Depression...

[vifferman]

You should have seen the colour of my skin before I started taking the Aropax!!!

Something I must share about Aropax.

Recently(ish), there was some 'noise' about how Aropax (the very first antidepressant I was on) was implicated in making adolescents more suicide prone. I was talking to my GP, and he said that he thought this was "anecdotal", meaning there was no hard evidence that taking Aropax made people any more at risk. He was absolutely stunned when I said, "Well, actually when I was on Aropax, it DID cause me to think about killing myself more often. It didn't make me depressed, but my thoughts turned more frequently to things like 'What if I was dead?' and what would be the best way to kill myself."
It's called suicideation, where a person spends a lot of time thinking negative thoughts like this. Kinda strange, eh, that an anti-depressant can have this effect?
But I've had worse. My current drooog, which is used to treat depression and obsessive-compulsiveness, has these side-effects (among many others: can cause depression, obsessive-compulsiveness...

They're funny things, droogs, and the people that are supposed to know about these things don't really. For about a year, I was on a dose that was effectively toxic, because (I guess) my GP didn't realise he was prescribing me the maximum dose applicable to the quick-release version (375mg/day) when I was on the slow-release version, max.=225mg/day. Oops...
Eventually, they made me feel worse, so I rang him to make an appointment. He was on holiday for 5 weeks, so I turned to the Interdweeb, and turned up pages of court cases and whatnot. So I decided to stop taking the meds.
I felt fantastic!
For a while...
Then I discovered that it's not that simple. And now I have to take them to stop getting unpleasant side-effects, called withdrawl symptoms, such as my brain stopping working, and violent headaches...

Oh well. You live and learn.
Or die, and someone else hopefully learns from it...

[Edbear]

Clinical depression is not contagious and has specific symptoms whereby one can recognise that they are depressed.

The so-called "simple blues" can be serious in the effect on one at the time and can seem like depression.

Clinical depression is an insidious and very serious problem and must be treated by someone who understands it. Never be afraid to seek professional advice or treatment, but be aware that some Drs. may be more understanding than others.

The medical treatments have specific issues which one needs to understand before taking them, but if you have a good Dr. and he recommends taking them listen to him. The medication, though, is a coping method, not a cure. The benefit of the medication is that it stops you "bottoming out" so that you can concentrate on dealing with the cause. Only by dealing with the cause can you cure yourself. Too many people rely on the medication alone.

Some have mentioned "triggers" and that is correct. Recognising the triggers and learning how to avoid them - or more commonly deal with them as they are usually unavoidable, is an important step in treatment.

Also, recognising that the crashing lows, or hopeless feelings are symptoms of the illness and not reality can help one to learn to allow the feelings to run their course without reacting adversly to them. Understand that they will pass, like a panic attack, or a headache. You need to wait it out. If necessary, take time out to go to bed and lie down for as long as it takes.

Exercise is a very valuable tool to treat the "blues" and depression as it stimulates endorphin and adrenalin production.

[vifferman]

nahhhh - it just makes me realise that so many people have these problems ........

just normal people

....... which gets me to wondering whether i have these problems too but am just too dense to realise it .............

Don't go there.

Just keep up the good work of being you. You seem to be doing just fine.

I have a sneaky suspicion that I'd be fine too, if I'd never listened to my WifePorcupineAccountant: "And when you're at the doctor, tell him I think you're depressed."
"Right-o, dear...."

[V4ME]

I have a sneaky suspicion that I'd be fine too, if I'd never listened to my WifePorcupineAccountant: "And when you're at the doctor, tell him I think you're depressed."
"Right-o, dear...."

I think you've just given me a clue to my depression vifferman

[vifferman]

Clinical depression is not contagious and has specific symptoms whereby one can recognise that they are depressed.etc etc....( a whole bunch of VERY good stuff)

Well said, Mr Edbear.
That's what I meant to say, except I went blathering on all over the place instead. Oops...

I must go home to my loved ones now.
On my beautiful blue motovelocipede, the CBT800...
Which my wife made me buy.

I'll try not to ride like a MentalBastard.

[vifferman]

Its interesting the lyrics of that song ....I know of a person (not personally) that ended their precious life and just prior to that they had been listening to that song in their vehicle .

The lyrics are comforting in that they are telling someone they are not alone...but they were still not comforting enough to this person?? So what
really can we do....words don't seem to be enough when someone reaches
crisis point so it seems......

It's also a rather sad song. I've listened to it when I wasn't happy, and I didn't feel comforted.

[NotaGoth]

I dont know what depression is. You can be fine one day and happy, on top of the world and then just snap - break down and never see a way out of the rut.

Are you sure its not just stress related..? Believe me stress does strange things to ones self...

[Motu]

I think I should be depressed...but I don't know how.Got any tips anyone?

[Scorpygirl]

Yes, well been there, done that, got the T-Shirt and done the time too. I have been on Prozac/Fluox now for 13 years. I have tried to go off it a few times but after about a week to 10 days I feel awful again. Something I have to live with now like diabetes.

All the best to all with depression and other mental illnesses. You are all survivors in one way or another.

[Disco Dan]

PM sent Kitty

Its a hard thing to deal with, but you generally come out better in the long run (from my exerience).

I have days when I just dont want to talk to anyone or see anyone and just want to be alone. Past six months, there have been a lot of those - last one was wednesday this week. There was even a few days when I woke up in the morning and was so afraid and intimidated with the prospect of uni that I called in sick. Other times I will plan to meet friends and get ready etc, get into car/bike and 'bang' it will hit me that suddenly and I will go back inside.

on the subject of depression being contagious? As weird as it sounds... if I am in the same room as someone and I am having one of my bad days, they only need to be sarcastic or say something even slightly negative and that triggers another day of antisocial behaviour.

my point? well, there is no such thing as a normal person. Every brain is unique (although based on the same 'model') and that straight away implies chemical differences. Dont compare your happiness/unhapiness with others around you - they may be laughing at a joke but on the inside feeling really shit, you think they are happy and you then feel less happy because your not as happy as them when in fact the opposite is true etc etc *goes crossed eyed*

oh and alcahol makes it worse...

[Finn]

Real and true depression goes unnoticed. Everthing else is just attention seeking.

Yes, life is sometimes hard and most people are pricks but you die in the end and in a few years you'll be forgotten (unless you murder a few million jews). Until then, kill more than you can eat.

[Mental Trousers]

Best treatment for depression is going for a ride. Can't do that if you sell your bike.

[mstriumph]

............(unless you murder a few million jews). Until then, kill more than you can eat.

not sure about the juxtapositioning of those two thoughts?!

[Kittyhawk]

I know I always put on a brave face when Im out and about. I think most people do. But my closest friends can see straight through it.

Thinking here, that this is something I'd like to talk about in person. Maybe just meet a few others over coffee and talk about things..

Anyone interested?? Im in Auckland...so there's plenty of cafes!!!

Sold the bike otherwise I'd say lets go for a blat!!

[hXc]

I know I always put on a brave face when Im out and about. I think most people do. But my closest friends can see straight through it.

Yeah all the people that love you and know you will see right through it. Even people who don't know you can see right through it, as I learnt on KB.

People I'd never met before could tell something was up just from reading my posts. KB is your friend, it helped me. Scorpygirl and Buffy were and still are great. It's good to know you can have someone to turn to and you don't have to worry about them laughing in your face or whatever, because it's all behind the screen, or through the phone or whatever. I used to ring/get calls from them all through the night and it was so much easier talking to them as I didn't know the face, but the voice was safe and loving.