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Depression Sucks


CaseyJones7

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Yea I feel like hell. I not exactly sure why I feel so bad or why these episodes have become more frequent and more severe since first feeling like this as a teen, but I know I have to eventually deal with this. I've never dealt with stress well, and try to avoid it as much as possible so i'm pretty sure that my abilty or inability to deal with setbacks is part of the problem. Seriously, the anxiety and mental fogginess during these episodes have practicaly ruined the last 7 years of my life. I just can't help but think I'm wired differently and this is part of the deal. Has anyone taken or known someone who has taken anti-depressant and have insight? Do any of you have any good methods for getting out of the dumps?

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Do you just feel down in general? Can't pinpoint a certain thing that makes you feel that way?

The best suggestion I could give is go see a family doctor. He could diagnose you better. I think if you're so down on yourself you're not sure what it is they could help you better.

I hope you're feeling better soon though. Depression is not a fun thing. My father went through it for many years and it nearly ruined his life. I would not wish that upon anyone.

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Be careful going to the Doctor - prescription meds can have bad side effects, can become very addictive, and have terrible withdrawal effects, as well.

Not trying to sway you either way, but I would recommend giving serious consideration to herbal, all-natural remedies, and alternative medicine. That's just my :2cents:

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Try seeing a psychologist (notice I didn't say psychiatrist) and discover what is at the root of your depression. If that doesn't help, then see a psychiatrist. If it's a chemical imbalance, you'll have two choices; Fight through it and try to remedy the situation by changing your behavior patterns, or get on some kind of anti-depressant. Either way, doing nothing will destroy your entire life. I have a friend that suffers from chronic depression, and it seems like he's ready to give up on life almost once a week (not suicide, just give up trying new things or meeting new people, etc.). Do something, anything, just don't ignore it another day. I wish the best for you.

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Yea I feel like hell. I not exactly sure why I feel so bad or why these episodes have become more frequent and more severe since first feeling like this as a teen, but I know I have to eventually deal with this. I've never dealt with stress well, and try to avoid it as much as possible so i'm pretty sure that my abilty or inability to deal with setbacks is part of the problem. Seriously, the anxiety and mental fogginess during these episodes have practicaly ruined the last 7 years of my life. I just can't help but think I'm wired differently and this is part of the deal. Has anyone taken or known someone who has taken anti-depressant and have insight? Do any of you have any good methods for getting out of the dumps?

Anti-depressants should be considered a last resort. Therapy, honest communication with loved ones, and (especially) a supervised, intense program of physical training and weight-lifting is highly recommended. Do your best to avoid excessive self-medication and stop wondering if your life has worth and go out and give it some worth and if other people dont understand you then they should be told to F**k Off!

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Either way, doing nothing will destroy your entire life. I have a friend that suffers from chronic depression, and it seems like he's ready to give up on life almost once a week (not suicide, just give up trying new things or meeting new people, etc.).

Yeah, I've battled it off and on for a long time. My 'downs' aren't so bad anymore but I do have those periods you speak of. Not even a fear of 'rejection' from women or other people in a social sense, but almost a sense of fatalism about the whole thing. I have to battle my hermit instincts. It's odd because in the right situations I've been the 'life' of the party. But then there are days where I don't want to see anyone or be bothered with anyone (unless we're VERY close.)

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Back in '96 when my dad was sick our family doctor prescribed prosac for anyone in the family that wanted it. Not being familiar with the sigma because it was when it first came out, we took him up on it. Me, my mom and my sister all took them for 6 weeks and it worked wonders for all of us.

I found it kinda made you think of the good things (memories, etc.) about the situation instead of dwelling on bad. I really didn't notice any other effects. ie it doesn't make you high or feel different. When the prescription ran out, I quite taking em without a second thought and didn't notice anything different at all.

I understand there are alternatives. The only thing you really shoudn't do though, is nothing. :2cents:

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Yeah, I've battled it off and on for a long time. My 'downs' aren't so bad anymore but I do have those periods you speak of. Not even a fear of 'rejection' from women or other people in a social sense, but almost a sense of fatalism about the whole thing. I have to battle my hermit instincts. It's odd because in the right situations I've been the 'life' of the party. But then there are days where I don't want to see anyone or be bothered with anyone (unless we're VERY close.)
All of that could have been written by me. Odd.
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There are many stigmas associated with depression, so make sure that you take anything anyone says on this board with a grain of salt. Hopefully you have a doctor you can trust, if you don't have a regular physician, then maybe a family friend or something.

Sometimes people are sad because of the things going on around them, and for those people, psycologists can be very helpful. In cases like that those discussions can help find the root of the problem. But if you are clinically depressed then psycologists will only be dealing with the symptoms of the problem and not the root.

My guess is that you will be told by a doctor to go see a psychiatrist, and you should go, regardless of what the posts above say. That doesn't mean you have to do everything that they say. If you're not comfortable with the idea of being medicated, then it can only do more harm, but depression is not a myth.

You asked if anyone had experince dealing with people who were on medication and I do. In my experience the meds made a huge difference, giving the person the will to get out of bed and actually confront her problems. The posts above saying "stop wondering..." etc are in my opinion woefully out of touch. My guess is you look at posts like that and see something that's just totally impossible. Medication can help you feel like you can go out and change your life. They don't fix your problems, they just help make it so you want to.

Getting on medication is difficult. As Mick pointed out, they can have side effects, so the trick is to find the right one. This can be a painful thing to do, but if medication is right for you then it will be worth it.

Depression is a real disease, and you need to go to a doctor for it. And that means a psychiatrist. When you go, make sure you see a licensed MD. Some psychiatrists don't have all the degrees they should, so ask for one, especially at the beginning. Licensed physicians are likely to know more about the drugs and whether medication is right for you.

There are lots of ways to feel better, and some of the things above will help. Go for a run, get out of the house or apartment. Make the effort to see your friends or call your mom and tell her how you feel. But you should also explore the medication route. If you're at the point where you are seriously considering it, you should go see someone about it. Find a doctor you are comfortable with, and listen to them. It will help.

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Yeah, I've battled it off and on for a long time. My 'downs' aren't so bad anymore but I do have those periods you speak of. Not even a fear of 'rejection' from women or other people in a social sense, but almost a sense of fatalism about the whole thing. I have to battle my hermit instincts. It's odd because in the right situations I've been the 'life' of the party. But then there are days where I don't want to see anyone or be bothered with anyone (unless we're VERY close.)

I can totally sympathize. My symptoms have lessened considerably in the past few years so, hang in there.

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thanks, Mr. Boyd.

I was really bad in a couple years of college, not quite 'suicide' but thoughts of death. It did revolve around a centerpiece of my emotion life which removed the support beams that had kept some feelings about my late father at bay.

I'm not so bad now and still hopeful my life will get better. I created a lot of self-inflicted obstacles.

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Yeah, I've battled it off and on for a long time. My 'downs' aren't so bad anymore but I do have those periods you speak of. Not even a fear of 'rejection' from women or other people in a social sense, but almost a sense of fatalism about the whole thing. I have to battle my hermit instincts. It's odd because in the right situations I've been the 'life' of the party. But then there are days where I don't want to see anyone or be bothered with anyone (unless we're VERY close.)

Hell, that sounds normal to me! We all need a little "down time" to recharge our batteries. I know when I catch myself sliding into a funk, I think about all the other people who are worse off than me. Count your blessings. Cliche'? Yep. Doesn't help ALL the time, but it does more often than not.

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Hell, that sounds normal to me! We all need a little "down time" to recharge our batteries. I know when I catch myself sliding into a funk, I think about all the other people who are worse off than me. Count your blessings. Cliche'? Yep. Doesn't help ALL the time, but it does more often than not.

I definitely keep the positives in mind. The issue becomes when you can't get out of your own way to maximize your opportunities because of your emotional state or focus.

I'm not down on my life, really. I get more 'down' as a thread that runs through my interactions with life and other people. But I am still hopeful and those dark days are no longer as frequent or long-lasting.

I decided to eschew medication as a solution.

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Yeah, I've battled it off and on for a long time. My 'downs' aren't so bad anymore but I do have those periods you speak of. Not even a fear of 'rejection' from women or other people in a social sense, but almost a sense of fatalism about the whole thing. I have to battle my hermit instincts. It's odd because in the right situations I've been the 'life' of the party. But then there are days where I don't want to see anyone or be bothered with anyone (unless we're VERY close.)

Ghost, this describes me pretty well also. I would have written something very similar. Sometimes I'm the fun, crazy guy at the party, and other times I'm a recluse. I go through really weird mood swings.

Depression is nothing to be messed with, it's a serious health problem. Of course, people will be sad sometimes, but when your sad all the time, or can't seem to let go of the past. You need to seek help.

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........ But I am still hopeful and those dark days are no longer as frequent or long-lasting.

I decided to eschew medication as a solution.

Good to hear! The whole meds thing scares me. There's too much going on up there in that noggin to be throwing chemicals at, IMO. Unless those chemicals are contained within a frosty beverage, of course.

Seriously though, some folks swear by them, some folks have been screwed up by them. I personally think docs are too 'scrip happy' nowadays. The incentives from drug companies are too good.

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Good to hear! The whole meds thing scares me. There's too much going on up there in that noggin to be throwing chemicals at, IMO. Unless those chemicals are contained within a frosty beverage, of course.

Seriously though, some folks swear by them, some folks have been screwed up by them. I personally think docs are too 'scrip happy' nowadays. The incentives from drug companies are too good.

Let me preface this by saying that I never suffered from severe or profound depression, nor did I ever seriously consider any sort of a cry-for-help.

This may sound crazy to some of you but, I've been on a meds schedule and I've been on a SELF-med schedule, and I didn't see all that much difference in either my general well-being or which pool of dependency I was swimming in. After a while, I decided to cut it all back, wipe the slate, and - as another poster mentioned - get it touch with I had that was positive and build from there. It was tough, but no tougher than before, and i felt like things were getting better because i was making them better.

In all honesty, I'm just a work in progress and I don't mind. I still self-med occasionally - pot here and there, powder once in a blue moon, a few drinks 1 or 2 nights a week - but the attitude and motivation behind it is completely different....It's not to escape my reality but to heighten it, and I enjoy control of the process. I can promise you I will never go back to living in medicated fog again and not owning responsibility for my growth, nor really caring. After everything, I came to the conclusion that to possess above-avg intelligence was to possess the potential for rabid introspection and the societal disassociation that goes with it - That was my stone and I was gonna roll it!

Just wanted to throw that out there and also say - I am by no means endorsing illegal drugs or alcohol as a beneficial activity for anyone, anytime!

thanks

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Hey CJ,

like others here said, there's no safe way to diagnose yourself. but you can try a few things. The #1 best treatment for depression is jogging or any other type of cardio exercise. You will deffinately feel better if you get in 40 minutes a day. Meditation is a great way to releve stress. Of course alcohol is a depressent and should be totally avoided, along with caffiene. Often feelings of depression center around the feeling of impending doom which can be real problems such as over due bills etc.....Or lack of acceptance of were one is in life compared to the expectations of others and/or self. And last but not least, living in the past with resentments and unresolved issues (forgive yourself, forgive others, move on). I'm with hermag, get yourself in front of a psychologist (many of us have already been there myself included) to sort it out and get a plan on dealing with it, before it deals on you. This may very well be you'll be over eventually, or you'll have to continue to treat it with either exercise and relaxation techniques or some supervised medication. good luck with it, hope you feel better.

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've suffered from severe depression for the better part of the past ten years. i've been institutionalized twice and i went to a special school for the "emotionally disturbed". i've felt a lot better for the past few years (and by better i mean not wishing i was dead every single day).

i can tell you first hand that meds don't really help at all. they make you feel a little better, but your have no emotional peaks or valleys. you just constantly feel "only fairly crappy". it sucks. all the other people i know who took anti-depressants feel the same way about them.

i wouldn't recommend seeing a doctor either. they don't give a damn about you and they're just gonna say the same thing to you that they say to all people with depression and then ask for a check. don't waste your time with them.

life today is freaking horrible. that's a fact. i mean look at the average human life. we're born and we get the first seven or eight years of our lives to truely enjoy. then we're put into a school system that tells us what to think and tries to shape us into productive members of society and train us for the work force. we get the first twelve years for free... well, free for the most part. then we have to pay thousands of dollars to get and extended education. for many of us, all those thousands of dollars really pay for is a note on a resume. many employers don't care what you studied in college. they just care that you went ("oh i see you got your masters degree in drawing with crayons... great! you're hired").

anyway... back to what i was saying. after you get out of college, you work your ass off for three or four decades for companies that don't care about you or even know your name until you screw up. then you get to retire just in time to watch yourself fall apart and die. this is what most of us call "life".

i think what helped me was finding humor and beauty in life. it's not easy to find, but even the hunt itself is very rewarding. problems will present themselves, and you need to learn to deal with them. most of the things that seem extremely difficult to deal with are actually very easy when you get the courage to face them. and the bigger the problem is, the stronger you'll be after you've delt with it.

i used to have fairly severe social anxiety as well, until i realized how stupid the primise of my social anxiety really was. i was feeling anxious and scared around total strangers. like i was affraid of what they'd think of me. but why? there's no good reason. who the hell are they? what do i owe them? nothing. so i started just being myself around people. some folks liked me, some folks didn't. oh well... life goes on.

i would also recommend reading some of george carlin's books or watching some of his more recent stand-up routines. i know that sounds kind of dumb, but trust me. they're life-affirming.

i hope this helps. good luck dude!

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  • 6 years later...

Note this thread is bumped from 2005.

Heard this on NPR yesterday, and was impressed with how well (typical) they covered the story.

Been following these studies for awhile. Very solid and great potential for treating depression and continues our greatly increasing understanding of synaptic and neural function. Neurobiology rocks. And Dr. Duman is brilliant; a great researcher and clinician. NIMH has a team on this, too.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/10/04/162299564/ketamine-relieves-depression-by-restoring-brain-connections

Ketamine Relieves Depression By Restoring Brain Connections

Scientists say they have figured out how an experimental drug called ketamine is able to relieve major depression in hours instead of weeks. Researchers from Yale and the National Institute of Mental Health say ketamine seems to cause a burst of new connections to form between nerve cells in parts of the brain involved in emotion and mood. The discovery, described in Science, should speed development of the first truly new depression drugs since the 1970s, the researchers say.

"It's exciting," says Ron Duman, a a psychiatrist and neurobiologist at Yale University. "The hope is that this new information about ketamine is really going to provide a whole array of new targets that can be developed that ultimately provide a much better way of treating depression."

Ketamine is an FDA-approved anesthetic. It's also a popular club drug that can produce out-of-body experiences. Not exactly the resume you'd expect for a depression drug. But a few years ago, researchers discovered that ketamine could help people with major depression who hadn't responded to other treatments. What's more, the relief came almost instantly. The discovery "represents maybe one of the biggest findings in the field over the last 50 years," Duman says.

<more at link and research update expected in December >

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