Have you ever had depression?

Extrasupervery

YAY! I'm so glad that you went. And it is important to let her know what you'd like to talk about/get out of it so that she can help with that specifically.

Don't give up!

glorified g

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

Yes, I have. It's not fun.
In my case it was only "mild" depression, so I can't even begin to imagine what serious depression is like. Have been prescribed Lexapro since November; it's only in the last few weeks that I've felt any noticeable improvement though.

It's a good topic to discuss; depression is one of things that has an unnecessary stigma attached to it. I understand people who have or who have had it may be reluctant to admit to it to people but personally I've no problem being honest and open about it. It's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

was perscribed the same thing a few months ago. side effects are a bitch aint they mine was mild and im over it now but still get bad days every now and then. there is stigma attached to it. i only told on close friend and in fairness he helped me but i know other people would view me different. its a pity in this day and age

gtawiseguy3

im depressed most of the time at home (im 16) due to my mother lumping my younger brother whos almost 3 on me all the time and everyday its jus the same, get up and babysit and not go anywhere to have a life and its been like this now for over 2 years!

glorified g

Banjo Fella wrote: »

I'd also like to help with the fund-raising, Novella!

So, I had the first session with my counsellor yesterday. Just thought I should write out my experiences with it as a follow up on that last post... She was very nice and reassuring to talk to, but I'm not too sure if it was particularly useful. We discussed something that happened 6 years ago and certain anxieties I experience in social situations, but we didn't begin discussing any of the bigger issues that have been bothering me. I suppose the sessions will become more helpful once things are discussed in more detail, so I'm not too discouraged! I do feel like it will help, even if not immediately.

Anyway, the main suggestion I was given was to try and mask feelings of inadequacy with positive statements about myself as soon as I notice that I'm being overly self-critical. I'll try it, but convincing myself that I'm good enough as I am will be difficult if I don't believe it... I do want to change aspects of who I am. The desire for change is a healthy part of human nature, just as much as the desire for things to stay the same. I probably should have mentioned some of that while talking with her, but there's no harm in trying her idea until next time.

you have some serious courage mate. should be really proud of yourself. well done.

Extrasupervery

glorified g wrote: »

was perscribed the same thing a few months ago. side effects are a bitch aint they mine was mild and im over it now but still get bad days every now and then. there is stigma attached to it. i only told on close friend and in fairness he helped me but i know other people would view me different. its a pity in this day and age

I'm on the same drug...the side effects really are a bitch but the benefit definitely outweighs them for me. I can deal with feeling faint and nauseous every day. Glad you feel better!

PS: dear friends, I love you.

Extrasupervery

gtawiseguy3 wrote: »

im depressed most of the time at home (im 16) due to my mother lumping my younger brother whos almost 3 on me all the time and everyday its jus the same, get up and babysit and not go anywhere to have a life and its been like this now for over 2 years!

That sounds really unfair...do you not go to school?

glorified g

Extrasupervery wrote: »

I'm on the same drug...the side effects really are a bitch but the benefit definitely outweighs them for me. I can deal with feeling faint and nauseous every day. Glad you feel better!

PS: dear friends, I love you.

yeah i really did feel better and i made the decision to stop taking them which im proud of. if your a guy im sure your experiancing some "other" side effects that i found both hilarious and annoying!!! in the end it will be ok. and if its not ok its not the end keep the head up.

Extrasupervery

glorified g wrote: »

yeah i really did feel better and i made the decision to stop taking them which im proud of. if your a guy im sure your experiancing some "other" side effects that i found both hilarious and annoying!!! in the end it will be ok. and if its not ok its not the end keep the head up.

Well done! I do know what you're talking about, but I happen to be a girl today.

glorified g

Extrasupervery wrote: »

Well done! I do know what you're talking about, but I happen to be a girl today.

thanks ah i caught you on one of girl days when your a guy you will understand has anybody here felt it hard to tell somebody that you were/are depressed for fear of strange looks?

Ginja Ninja

gtawiseguy3 wrote: »

im depressed most of the time at home (im 16) due to my mother lumping my younger brother whos almost 3 on me all the time and everyday its jus the same, get up and babysit and not go anywhere to have a life and its been like this now for over 2 years!

It sounds a lot like my nieces situation and from seeing that;You're a pretty awesome 16 year old,I know myself at that age[only 2 years ago] wouldn't have been able to hack the responsibility.

You're pretty awesome and mature,have you mentioned any of this to your parents?They might not notice how much it affects you?

Novella

glorified g wrote: »

thanks ah i caught you on one of girl days when your a guy you will understand has anybody here felt it hard to tell somebody that you were/are depressed for fear of strange looks?

If we're talking about the sexual side effects of anti-depressants, girls can and do experience them as well. Although obviously not in the same way, but ya know, similar. Loss of libido etc., is really common whilst on certain anti-d's.

I never really tell people. Like, everyone here knows 'cause I suppose I've posted about it, and I have a blog which is full of me being sad. But in general, I don't talk about it. I find it especially hard to open up in person, and there's never really been a time when I needed to tell someone except doctors and stuff. And I don't worry about strange looks at all. That is the least of my worries.

Ginja Ninja

glorified g wrote: »

thanks ah i caught you on one of girl days when your a guy you will understand has anybody here felt it hard to tell somebody that you were/are depressed for fear of strange looks?

Gawd yeah,still don't say it.

I think pretty much everyone has that anxiety and sadly it's pretty well founded.There IS a lot of stigma about it,but [from what I know] it's very liberating to get it off your chest and talk about it

A lot of crappy stuff happened to me when I was 14-16 and it was sort of assumed in my school that I was depressed,it's not fun for the first while as people do [out of ignorance] assume your crazy or something,it's just a human reacton[still seriously blows]

glorified g

Ginja Ninja wrote: »

Gawd yeah,still don't say it.

I think pretty much everyone has that anxiety and sadly it's pretty well founded.There IS a lot of stigma about it,but [from what I know] it's very liberating to get it off your chest and talk about it

its such a pity that in modern Ireland people are still unable to accept depression as a natural thing. im not ashed of it. im proud of myself that i manage to over come those feelings when im hit with them. but still i wouldnt tell anybody about that. and i really doubt that will ever change.

Extrasupervery

I never, ever talked to anyone about it - even though it was kind of obvious. Since I started college and actually got help I can talk freely and openly about my depression. That's for a lot of reasons. Explaining why would sound like a particularly wanky excerpt from one of my blogs but in summary, I value myself a little (tiny weency) bit more these days.

glorified g

Extrasupervery wrote: »

I never, ever talked to anyone about it - even though it was kind of obvious. Since I started college and actually got help I can talk freely and openly about my depression. That's for a lot of reasons. Explaining why would sound like a particularly wanky excerpt from one of my blogs but in summary, I value myself a little (tiny weency) bit more these days.

if i found out somebody was depressed i would share my experiances with them purely because they know what im talking about and can accept it. other than that i think i would find it hard to express it. fair play for making those steps.

jumpguy

*ahem*

I am a bit of a maniac when it comes to doing things. Regular C&Hers will kinda see that last year I completely flipped altogether everytime a minor blip showed up. I made mole hills into gigantic mountains.

That's not really my only example in life, I do this with everything. Even my current part-time work. PART-TIME WORK. I know I'm being crazy getting bogged down by mistakes and expectations here, but I do indeed. Most guys I know are totally relaxed about it, completely unphased. In front of my friends, I try and maintain a non-chalent calm veneer.

I don't know why, but I just find that a small problem to anyone else, is converted to a huge problem in my mind. For example:

Damn, I made a mess of that test.
Normal person - Ahh sure, it'll be grand.
Me - OHHH JESUS I'M GONNA FAIL MY LEAVING CERT AND BE A JUNKIE.

I know I'm being ridiculous, and that is NOT the best example, but it's one of you most obvious to internetz peeps. Looking back on the posts of yesteryear (oh wait, it was actually only earlier this year) I feel slightly ashamed.

I think it all boils down to problems with my self-confidence, which I can also neatly suppress around people.

Ugh, that was a load of angsty drivel. I'm stopping here!

ihavequestions

Wow I feel like crap ! Damn you depression.

amacachi

Just on the how long SSRIs take to work, it may be 6 weeks til the proper effects kick in but they have other effects pretty much instantly, badly so for at least one person who's taken them. :pac:

Konata

amacachi wrote: »

Just on the how long SSRIs take to work, it may be 6 weeks til the proper effects kick in but they have other effects pretty much instantly, badly so for at least one person who's taken them. :pac:

If you're having bad effects from an SSRI consider changing medication. The first anti-depressant you try may not necessarily be the one that suits you best.

I started on Prozac (fluoxethine) and after 2 weeks I couldn't sit still - like, constant fidgeting, shaking, agitation, couldn't sleep - it was AWFUL. I went straight back to my psychiatrist and he switched me over to Lustral (sertraline) which suits me A LOT better.

Just a tip if you're uncomfortable with any side effects

paky

ive suffered bouts of depression throughout my life. instead of been so hard on myself i discovered that taking my anger out on worthy people was a successful way of ridding myself of it

Insect Overlord

paky wrote: »

ive suffered bouts of depression throughout my life. instead of been so hard on myself i discovered that taking my anger out on worthy people was a successful way of ridding myself of it

I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you manage to take your anger out on worthy people?

amacachi

Hotaru wrote: »

If you're having bad effects from an SSRI consider changing medication. The first anti-depressant you try may not necessarily be the one that suits you best.

I started on Prozac (fluoxethine) and after 2 weeks I couldn't sit still - like, constant fidgeting, shaking, agitation, couldn't sleep - it was AWFUL. I went straight back to my psychiatrist and he switched me over to Lustral (sertraline) which suits me A LOT better.

Just a tip if you're uncomfortable with any side effects

Coupla hours and stuff was happening. Don't want to say much because I'll look like a tool but someone else had the same thing without me saying what would happen.

I'm not on anything and don't plan to be, I found all they did was give me one hour-long erection every day which I could do nothing about, was unbelievably tired and unable to sleep. For me I didn't need chemical help as it turned out, just needed to change my perspective etc., think it was a bit like self-CBT without realising what I was doing at the time. :P

Novella

amacachi wrote: »

Coupla hours and stuff was happening. Don't want to say much because I'll look like a tool but someone else had the same thing without me saying what would happen.

I'm not on anything and don't plan to be, I found all they did was give me one hour-long erection every day which I could do nothing about, was unbelievably tired and unable to sleep. For me I didn't need chemical help as it turned out, just needed to change my perspective etc., think it was a bit like self-CBT without realising what I was doing at the time. :P

Hmm, I've been on four different anti-depressants and yeah, side effects can kick in pretty quickly. I was on Zispin for a while, and for the few days, I actually felt like I was kind of drunk. I couldn't focus on people talking to me, and was insanely sleepy. Obviously side effects are gonna be experienced soon after the absorption of the tablet because you are adding a new chemical to your body, if side effects do occur that is, because some people don't experience these at all.

If you have managed to overcome depression without medication, that's really great. Some people, however, are unable to do so and often times the rise in mood etc., outweighs any side effects. Also, some people do suffer from depression which is chemical and does actually have to be treated with medication and CBT and the like just won't help.

And finally, side effects of anti-depressants should not discourage seriously depressed people from using them. If anyone is experiencing a negative or annoying side effect from an anti-d, don't stop taking them - see your GP or psychiatrist and ask can you try something else. A lot of the time it is trial and error with these things.

Seren_

Novella wrote: »

Also, if anyone is interested, I was hoping to do some fundraising for Pieta House, so if anybody feels like helping me out, that'd be so, so great.

I'd definitely be interested in helping out too I think the SU at my college did some fundraising for Pieta House a year or two ago, so I can get some info from them if you need it.

Had my first meeting with a new therapist this morning, he seems a bit better than any one I was at before so hopefully it will help

*hugs* to anyone feeling down at the moment, it won't last forever, although it feels like that sometimes.

paky

Insect Overlord wrote: »

I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you manage to take your anger out on worthy people?

by been confrontational with people amongst other things

Extrasupervery

I get what he/she means ^

We're taught that anger is a BAD feeling and a bad thing, but when anger is used in a controlled and appropriate manner it's incredibly beneficial. I'm finding it hard to describe...but it's a great tool for healing when applied properly.

Ginja Ninja

Extrasupervery wrote: »

I get what he/she means ^

We're taught that anger is a BAD feeling and a bad thing, but when anger is used in a controlled and appropriate manner it's incredibly beneficial. I'm finding it hard to describe...but it's a great tool for healing when applied properly.

I get that.

thnk of it like this; the name and a good part of the posts is ARGh are simply AAARRRGGHHH! you get pissed off and Like I try and tell people venting is healthy,just when you vent,vent at the right person.

illiop

I’m terrified even writing this and I feel like an idiot, but sometimes I think I may be suffering from depression. But I don’t know if I am or I’m just being a melodramatic attention seeker, or maybe I just need to get some things off my chest. Whichever way I feel so boxed in, there is nothing I can do about any of these things and I need to admit it before I explode.

I don’t even exactly know what it is to be depressed and I certainly don’t have any reason to be so, my life is good. All I know is that on and off for years, and more so in the last nine months or so, I feel so down about everything. I feel worthless and inadequate all of the time and I don’t know why.

I’ve never been able to talk about problems, to me they seem insignificant in comparison to other peoples’, and not anything that can be helped. It’s not that I don’t have friends I could confide in but what could they do? And I am always really paranoid that people don’t like me as much as they let on/I imagine, I’d hate to think I was pouring my heart out to someone and they were thinking “Why the hell is she telling me?”

They only time I do speak about things that bother me is when I’m drunk but everybody just assumes it’s the alcohol talking as opposed to giving me the courage to say the stuff I can’t when I’m sober.

School was **** for me. I was the target of constant abuse until 5th year, but not enough for me to admit that it was bullying. I thought after school would be better for me but I’ve been out of there for 2 years and I still feel the same, if not worse. I feel under so much pressure to be something, anything, and I’m still struggling with “big fish, little pond -> small fish, ocean” syndrome. I worry about the future all of the time.

All the time I feel the constant need to put on a front; I’m the happy-go-lucky, carefree one that isn’t often fazed by anything. But that’s not true, that’s who I want to be but I have to pretend I’m already there because I don’t want anybody to know how much I’m bothered by so many things and it’s so hard to keep that face on when all you want to do is scream. Then of course there have been the people who have seen through this and I just push them away because I feel like they won’t like me once they realise how much of a tool I really am.

Now that I’ve written all of that I’ve suddenly forgotten why I started or what I expect anyone to say but I came to a realisation the other night that maybe I do need help or at least to tell somebody how I feel. I would post this in PI anonymously but I feel like that’d be cheating, I need it to be where people who at least kind of know me will see it (internet people are easier than real-life people). I’m really sorry if this is in the wrong place or inappropriate or something but yeah…I’m not happy and this is the only place I feel safe to admit it.

DancingGrape

I had seriouse depression when I was younger. I never saw anyone about it until i was 16 years old and i was home alone for a week. It was my birthday, no one was there and i felt like everything was going wrong!
So i went straight to a doctor. I didnt go to my own doctor who i was very friendly with, even outside of his profession because i felf embarressed.
I was diagnosed with depression that day and did not tell anyone for about a year later (accept for my own doctor when i finally plucked up the curage to tell him)
He was GREAT! Encouraged me to tell my parents, (who werent very supportive)
I'm 19 now and suffer badly with it but would i still be here had i not told him? I dont know...
Id advise everyone to get help.

amacachi

Novella wrote: »

Hmm, I've been on four different anti-depressants and yeah, side effects can kick in pretty quickly. I was on Zispin for a while, and for the few days, I actually felt like I was kind of drunk. I couldn't focus on people talking to me, and was insanely sleepy. Obviously side effects are gonna be experienced soon after the absorption of the tablet because you are adding a new chemical to your body, if side effects do occur that is, because some people don't experience these at all.

First time was pretty funny tbh, I'd be waiting for a bus on a street with a few lanes in each direction and suddenly realise I'd spent a few minutes following a car til it met one in the opposite direction then follow it til it met one etc. It was more than a little unlike me. :P

If you have managed to overcome depression without medication, that's really great. Some people, however, are unable to do so and often times the rise in mood etc., outweighs any side effects. Also, some people do suffer from depression which is chemical and does actually have to be treated with medication and CBT and the like just won't help.

True, though the ongoing research is interesting if not very helpful either way. :pac: Obviously I wouldn't expect nor think it smart to take advice from some guy online but I personally don't like the speed with which prescriptions are written for some people, and especially kids. But I think that's another thread for another time. I can't put my finger on what caused my big realisations and revelations and self-recognition, if I could I'd be selling it. :pac:

And finally, side effects of anti-depressants should not discourage seriously depressed people from using them. If anyone is experiencing a negative or annoying side effect from an anti-d, don't stop taking them - see your GP or psychiatrist and ask can you try something else. A lot of the time it is trial and error with these things.

I'll be honest, I was an idiot back then, and the clouded judgment caused by the pills certainly didn't help, nor did having 3 months prescription at hand. :pac: