Depression?

[skilts]

Depression is an illness, the very definition of it concludes there is a chemical imbalance in someone's brain leading them to feel depressed or suicidal with or without a stimulus to set it off.

Being depressed on the other hand is something EVERYONE goes through at some point, and it's based on a stimuli setting off the feeling of being depressed. This is something that basically, everyone has to deal with, you shouldn't fight being depressed with medication. It isn't healthy.

But if you choose to not fight depression with medication, among other treatments, you are playing with fire.

It seems to be accepted that depression is an illness, of a mental kind. It may be more productive to describe it as a disease, in its most literal sense. That is, a DISease, which means "lack of ease", according to the OED. Its very definition does NOT conclude that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It may surprise some to know that not all have to deal with IT (depression).

I must explain here that I would exclude from the realm of depression all states caused by circumstances which occur, which could reasonably make you to come to the conclusion that life is not good for you. The death of a child, partner, or close relative could come into this category. Poverty, loss of job and homelessness could also be seen to be something which could cause you to be disappointed with life. Here, we are talking about a causal link, which gives rise to a perfectly understandable reaction. Jesus, I'm ****** off that this has happened in my life, and it makes me feel like ****. I don't know of anybody who hasn't experienced this.

However, in the case of the depression we seem to be discussing, it appears there may well have been certain circumstances which have occured which give rise to this state, except that the reaction to the causal link goes beyond the bounds of just being ****** off. The experience, or series of experiences cause a general feeling of mental DISease, which seems to permeate the whole being. No other stimuli, no rational argument, no amount of self-talking can impinge on the overwhelming feeling of disappointment at the way life has presented itself to the person. That's the way I see depression impacting on people. Outside the bounds of being ****** off, because of things which have occured in my life, as part of the causal link of which I speak, I can truly say I've never been depressed. I really wish I could have a deeper understanding of those who do suffer its vicissitudes, but I'm not really sorry I don't share their angst.

As its getting very late, and I have to work in the A.M., I would crave your indulgence 'til tomorrow night, when I'd like to have a discussion about the effects of psychiatric drugs and the part played by the medical profession in their dissemination.

 

[- PC -]

It seems to be accepted that depression is an illness, of a mental kind. It may be more productive to describe it as a disease, in its most literal sense. That is, a DISease, which means "lack of ease", according to the OED. It's very definition does NOT conclude that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain. It may surprise some to know that not all have to deal with IT (depression).

I must explain here that I would exclude from the realm of depression all states caused by circumstances which occur, which could reasonably make you to come to the conclusion that life is not good for you. The death of a child, partner, or close relative could come into this category. Poverty, loss of job and homelessness could also be seen to be something which could cause you to be disappointed with life. Here, we are talking about a causal link, which gives rise to a perfectly understandable reaction. Jesus, I'm ****** off that this has happened in my life, and it makes me feel like ****. I don't know of anybody who hasn't experienced this.

However, in the case of the depression we seem to be discussing, it appears there may well have been certain circumstances which have occured which give rise to this state, except that the reaction to the causal link goes beyond the bounds of just being ****** off. The experience, or series of experiences cause a general feeling of mental DISease, which seems to permeate the whole being. No other stimuli, no rational argument, no amount of self-talking can impinge on the overwhelming feeling of disappointment at the way life has presented itself to the person. That's the way I see depression impacting on people. Outside the bounds of being ****** off, because of things which have occured in my life, as part of the causal link of which I speak, I can truly say I've never been depressed. I really wish I could have a deeper understanding of those who do suffer its vicissitudes, but I'm not really sorry I don't share their angst.

As its getting very late, and I have to work in the A.M., I would crave your indulgence 'til tomorrow night, when I'd like to have a discussion about the effects of psychiatric drugs and the part played by the medical profession in their dissemination.

I can live with this . Well Done

 

[Murray]

Whilst suspended I kept a close eye on this thread and found myself agreeing with my usual enemies on this topic.

Murray knows what he's talking about, as does mantis.

nicky is being innocent in what she says, blunt, but innocent. Her heart is in the right place, but she's being insensitive and perhaps ignorant of some views or scientific facts.

PerthCrow and blangerang have the combined IQ of my dog (actually, kelpie's are pretty smart, that might have been unfair on my dog).

PC, you saying that Brittney's folks should "be shot" for allowing their 11 year old son to suffer from depression, an illness, is the equivalent of me blaming YOUR parents, and claiming they should be shot, for the fact that you're deaf.

That would be harsh, just as harsh as you're being towards Brittany's folks.

Depression is an illness, the very definition of it concludes there is a chemical imbalance in someone's brain leading them to feel depressed or suicidal with or without a stimulus to set it off.

It doesn't amtter whether your family was killed, whether you were r*ped, whether you're a billionaire playboy who shags supermodels all day, if you suffer from depression you are going to feel very low.

Being depressed on the other hand is something EVERYONE goes through at some point, and it's based on a stimuli setting off the feeling of being depressed. This is something that basically, everyone has to deal with, you shouldn't fight being depressed with medication. It isn't healthy.

But if you choose to not fight depression with medication, among other treatments, you are playing with fire.

Telling someone to 'just get over it' is about the most irresponsible thing you can do. you may as well hand a drunk driver his keys and send them on their way.

Perhaps your last suspension bought some much needed perpective into your posts.
And yes I did read it, I will respond shortly.

 

[portentous]

There are several things here which ignorant people have posted that REALLY irritate me

1. I never saw a counsellor/psych. Because my depression was soley caused by chemical imbalance rather than "issues", the medication "fixed me" pretty much-along with a determination to get myself better. Other "issues" arose as a result of the depresssion, but did not cause it. I have dealt with those myself, with the family support.
2. People in the midst of depression don't want to "talk about it" to anyone, regardless of how well meaning their friends might be. You hide it. NONE of my friends knew of my condition, despite the fact that I'd turned to alcohol painkillers etc etc. These included my husband and my kids. I was diagnosed "by accident" as it were on a visit to my GP on a totally unrelated matter.
3. I had "baby blues" after my second child, and severe PND after my first. They are totally not alike! Saying that you're "depressed" isn't the same thing as suffering from a severe mental illness. I cried a lot when I had baby blues, but was pretty much numb when I was suffering depression. The only real emotion I felt was anger and wanting to end the pain.

I have also lost relatives to suicide as a result of depression. They appeared to have everything to live for, including kids. Never assume that because someone appears to have "the perfect life", that they are immune from mental illness. It can affect anyone.

End of rant.

And no-one knows what it's like to "live in the fog" until they've been there. Fact.

 

[Murray]

There are several things here which ignorant people have posted that REALLY irritate me

1. I never saw a counsellor/psych. Because my depression was soley caused by chemical imbalance rather than "issues", the medication "fixed me" pretty much-along with a determination to get myself better. Other "issues" arose as a result of the depresssion, but did not cause it. I have dealt with those myself, with the family support.
2. People in the midst of depression don't want to "talk about it" to anyone, regardless of how well meaning their friends might be. You hide it. NONE of my friends knew of my condition, despite the fact that I'd turned to alcohol painkillers etc etc. These included my husband and my kids. I was diagnosed "by accident" as it were on a visit to my GP on a totally unrelated matter.
3. I had "baby blues" after my second child, and severe PND after my first. They are totally not alike! Saying that you're "depressed" isn't the same thing as suffering from a severe mental illness. I cried a lot when I had baby blues, but was pretty much numb when I was suffering depression. The only real emotion I felt was anger and wanting to end the pain.

I have also lost relatives to suicide as a result of depression. They appeared to have everything to live for, including kids. Never assume that because someone appears to have "the perfect life", that they are immune from mental illness. It can affect anyone.

End of rant.

And no-one knows what it's like to "live in the fog" until they've been there. Fact.

Thanks

 

[Power21]

I think people who come out and say theya re depressed, not hiding it, are the ones who can fix it themselves. The real ones suffering from depression keep it bottled in and need medication as has been said.

I don't have any respect for people who will say they are depressed etc, to get attention or a bit of comfort because that craps all over the people with the real illness.

 

[Brittany]

I think people who come out and say theya re depressed, not hiding it, are the ones who can fix it themselves. The real ones suffering from depression keep it bottled in and need medication as has been said.

I don't have any respect for people who will say they are depressed etc, to get attention or a bit of comfort because that craps all over the people with the real illness.

I admit, I am not as bad as I used to be. I didn't come and out and say it to "get attention" I was just trying to help the person who started this thread. Thanks to medication though, I have become alot better which ables me to say to people that I have it (sure It's not as bad now, but it still doesn't mean that I don't have it).
But to tell you the truth, none of my friends know about it as I can't come to tell them as they think (just like many of the posters on here) that it's not that serious and can just be fixed like that.
So please Power21, don't think that just because some people like to admit that they have depression, doesn't mean that they don't have it at all, I find that statement ridiculous.

 

[portentous]

I can only talk about it now that I've gotten "better" Brittany. It took a long time to get to that stage though. It's easier telling "anonymous" people about it than people I'm close to though-including my own parents. I still feel like I failed somehow.

Like alcoholism, I'm not sure that you're ever entirely "free" of it either-medication or not. I'm still sh** scared of having a "relapse" one day so have taken steps to ensure that I'm forced to get help if I need it (told hubby to put me in a straight jacket and drag me to the doctors if need be)

 

[Brittany]

I can only talk about it now that I've gotten "better" Brittany. It took a long time to get to that stage though. It's easier telling "anonymous" people about it than people I'm close to though-including my own parents. I still feel like I failed somehow.

Like alcoholism, I'm not sure that you're ever entirely "free" of it either-medication or not. I'm still sh** scared of having a "relapse" one day so have taken steps to ensure that I'm forced to get help if I need it (told hubby to put me in a straight jacket and drag me to the doctors if need be)

Yeah I know what you mean, It took me two years to finally admit to my Mother that I had a problem. She understood what it was like straight away as she has had depression since she was 16 also. I finally told my Father about it a few months ago and he freaked, as his job is to help teenagers with depression, he didn't know how to deal with it and to this day still denys it, which sort of made me feel like this illness must have been really bad.

I don't want to get of the medication just yet, because I have seen what happens to my Mother when she goes off it, And it's not good at all.

 

[portentous]

I'm in the process of coming off my medication and it's really scary! So far I've been "OK" but I'm paranoid about ending up "back there" and it's a place I never want to return to. I'm taking it really slowly though and so far coping allright-apart from the return of some unwelcome side effects.

 

[Brittany]

I'm in the process of coming off my medication and it's really scary! So far I've been "OK" but I'm paranoid about ending up "back there" and it's a place I never want to return to. I'm taking it really slowly though and so far coping allright-apart from the return of some unwelcome side effects.

Yeah, my Mum usually ends up in hospital when she goes of them. Or she just cries for hours and hours..and I don't want that to happen to me!
Thats good that you are doing okay so far without them, I really want to get off them but i'm kinda scared about it.

 

[portentous]

You'll know if and when you're ready to try. The most important thing is to have a support network set up at the time. My biggest fear is that I'll go downhill and won't notice it myself so need someone else as "look out"-my hubby is doing a fine job so far!

It's odd though, that I couldn't cry when I was "depressed". Most people associate depression with tears etc, but I just couldn't cry (nor laugh). The only feeling I ever had was anger. I was pretty much numb to everything else-just felt overwhelming anger and pain all the time. I love being able to cry, and laugh, again. Weird hey? The simple things in life mean so much to me now though-and put football right in the background I must admit.

 

[Brittany]

You'll know if and when you're ready to try. The most important thing is to have a support network set up at the time. My biggest fear is that I'll go downhill and won't notice it myself so need someone else as "look out"-my hubby is doing a fine job so far!

It's odd though, that I couldn't cry when I was "depressed". Most people associate depression with tears etc, but I just couldn't cry (nor laugh). The only feeling I ever had was anger. I was pretty much numb to everything else-just felt overwhelming anger and pain all the time. I love being able to cry, and laugh, again. Weird hey? The simple things in life mean so much to me now though-and put football right in the background I must admit.

I don't think it's weird
It's good when you have people to support you, My Mum is probably mine as we are going through similar things.
I must say, although it probably sounds really lame, when ever I had thoughts of suicide (which was really often) i'd always think of footy and it always got me through the tough times. And my friends just don't understand why I am so dedicated to this game.

 

[rick James]

That doesn't sound lame Britters. I'm like that with music.

And portentous, I know exactly what you mean, that whole numbness thing. It ends up making you feel even worse for the fact that you don't feel human anymore. You simply don't feel anything "true" anymore.

 

[Clouds]

My partner says she no longer experiences 'joy'. Just a constant numbness that's broken by pain.

It's heartbreaking.

 

[Murray]

My partner says she no longer experiences 'joy'. Just a constant numbness that's broken by pain.

It's heartbreaking.

Winston Churchill used to call it "the black dog"
I have heard it referred to as the pit, the darkness, the hole.
All appear to apt descriptions

 

[Bombers 2003]

Winston Churchill used to call it "the black dog"
I have heard it referred to as the pit, the darkness, the hole.
All appear to apt descriptions

1-He may of,but it's not an original quote from him.
2-Agree with those descriptions.

 

[Bombers 2003]

I'm in the process of coming off my medication and it's really scary! So far I've been "OK" but I'm paranoid about ending up "back there" and it's a place I never want to return to. I'm taking it really slowly though and so far coping allright-apart from the return of some unwelcome side effects.

I've been off my medication for 2 weeks,lost the script.Probably why i get annoyedby certain posters lately.

 

[Murray]

I've been off my medication for 2 weeks,lost the script.Probably why i get annoyedby certain posters lately.

Get back to your doctor and get back on it.
You have to come off of that medication slowly

 

[Borgsta]

I dont know anything about depression to be honest but I really cant believe how ignorant and insensitive some ppl can be.

 

[portentous]

Get back to your doctor and get back on it.
You have to come off of that medication slowly

Hear hear. It's been hard enough coming off it slowly.

 

[Vandal]

Just a question about the medication, Is the problem with coming off medication due to feelings of depression or an actual addiction to the drugs?

 

[portentous]

You can lapse really quickly back into depression. I'm by no means "addicted" to them as they don't have a noticeable affect, until you stop them that is. Also a lot of the side affects you can have when you start them, reappear again. For me, some of them have returned but thankfully milder and less of them. It's "only" been the nausea that's reappeared in the main. Still not pleasant but not life threatening.

Some of the major side affects I had though were panic attacks, anxiety etc etc. If they reappear, people can often end up committing suicide. I have heard of plenty of people who have done so, including one of my husband's former workmates wives. He returned from an interstate trip to find her hanging from a tree in the back yard, not realising that she'd gone "cold turkey" on her medication while he was away. Scared the shyte out of my hubby too.

 

[Bombers 2003]

It's "only" been the nausea that's reappeared in the main.

That's why i dont like Zoloft and i've told the quack who wont change the medication.

 

[Murray]

That's why i dont like Zoloft and i've told the quack who wont change the medication.

See if he will prescribe cypramil - little or no side effects