LETS ALL LAUGH AT PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION!!

cloud493

If I may, since it is somewhat related to the topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlXlUgHUc60

BeautyFromPain

cloud493 wrote: »

If I may, since it is somewhat related to the topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlXlUgHUc60

Thank you for that!

I'm new so wasn't sure if I should post.

That song, and the message in it, has really gotten me through at times xx

EDIT: Oops just realised it's not Beauty From Pain. Listening to this now. Sounds good!

BeautyFromPain

phi3 wrote: »

Yes but hitting keys on a keyboard is easy. For me, going to a doctor is almost impossible.

I know that going to see a GP for the first time about mental health can be so difficult, but something I always think is a good idea to bring a list, or some kind of writing, and that will help.

Just give them the list or writing if it makes it easier. Certainly helps if you get stuck for words or forget half of what you wanna say

LH Pathe

as I always say, keep it buttoned you'll grow into it. To the point you genuinely think yer immune from depression.. despite probably being in a more permanent state!!

dyer

i think it might be good to remind people here who have financial restraints that most therapists will take this into account.. especially with regard to the current state of the economy, and might even agree to a lower fee or a sliding fee if you just talk to them about it (sliding, as in every subsequent session will get cheaper until the agreed bottom level). i know people paying as little as 20-30 euro per session, so, shop around as it were. having said that, 60 euro might sound like a lot, but do remember that the therapist has had to spend years of training and just about as much money on their own therapy and supervision.. not to mention the mental and emotional strain and stamina and research needed to deal with every individual and their problems on a weekly basis. therapists aren't wizards, they are people just like the rest of us

i see so many opting for CBT these days, in fact it's probably one of the most sought after forms of therapy in Ireland at the moment (if not because its primarily referred via GP or otherwise).. but mainly I'd imagine because it offers the quickest form of relief.. but quicker doesn't necessarily mean better in the broader sense of things. it focuses primarily on dysfunctional thoughts and behaviours and bringing awareness and changing those is definitely a good thing, but hardly allows you to explore yourself as a person and whatever that means to you. you can change your habitual thinking in the short term, but most likely underneath, you have deeper questions that need to be answered that brought about your suffering in the first place.. and in my own experience, you'll soon be back to square one unless you find the courage to ask those questions of yourself, and be brave enough to face and explore them.

at the root of most if not all depression, tends to be an existential crisis of sorts.. people searching for meaning in themselves, and in their lives as a whole... CBT addresses the symptoms of that (in my opinion, not that you have to believe it) but fails to address the fundamental cause of suffering itself. what about questions of the heart, the soul and the self? just as valid as CBT might be as a tool to help you get to grips with how your thinking can cause your suffering an alleviate some of those hardships, don't forget to remember that you're still a human being and so much more than the sum of your thoughts. there is the self, there is emotional intelligence and there are emotional needs, and for some, there are integral spiritual needs beyond the self itself that are worth investigating far beyond the scope of what CBT can offer.. which is why so many different branches of therapy exist, to address the myriad facets, beliefs and needs of so many people.

as invaluable as therapy might be, just remember that you already have all the knowledge you need within you.. don't be lazy, educate yourself, trust yourself and just be yourself.. explore, make an adventure of it.. this is your life.. only you can decide how you live it at the end of the day. the hardest and scariest things we face more often than not tend to shape us in ways we never imagined, help us to connect and relate to people in ways we never would have dreamed.. suffering brings us together.. its what shapes us and gives us direction and a sense of purpose... to ignore that and try to avoid it would be foolish. i've had my fair share of suffering and despair in this life, and im quite sure there will be many more trials and tribulations before i leave this world, but to be able to see that as a gift, something from which i can learn to grow, no matter what the circumstance, i think, is the stuff great wisdom is made of.

it's hard to imagine when you're sad and depressed, that anyone else could possibly know how you feel or think.. but on the contrary, so many people feel that way right now, and so many people have felt that way before you. we have so much more than we need right now, and still, this suffering prevails in society, but it's that suffering that i hope will drive us all to discover a deeper and more meaningful way of life.

insanity50

''At the end of the game, the King and the Pawn go back in the same box''

Keep the chins up lads and start enjoying life!!

dyer

another quote that i love,

"The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master"

kumate_champ07

ok so here goes. Im pretty much joyless most of the time, only time I feel ok is when Im on my bike. I cant sleep at night without seroquel, my mind will go at full speed for hours on end. I cant come off effexor because of the extreme withdrawal symptoms I get. Ive decreased and increased the dose over time but it just brings me to a bearable numbness, its either that or severe wanting to die depression. with the effexor I sweat very easily and it can be embarrassing.

the seroquel gives me sugar cravings, if theres anything sweet in my flat/parents house Ill eat it while I fall asleep, I'd eat a full packet of rich tea biscuits and wake up with crumbs everywhere. I used to buy lots of snacks because they felt/tasted so good with the seroquel but that had me bloated all the time.

only reason Im alive is I dont want to cause pain to my parents. if they werent here I'd be gone too.

December2012

jammstarr wrote: »

December2012 wrote: »

So try something different.

Not meaning to sound flippant but like what?

Well, try a different therapist. Are you on medication? Maybe that could be changed.

December2012

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

ok so here goes. Im pretty much joyless most of the time, only time I feel ok is when Im on my bike. I cant sleep at night without seroquel, my mind will go at full speed for hours on end. I cant come off effexor because of the extreme withdrawal symptoms I get. Ive decreased and increased the dose over time but it just brings me to a bearable numbness, its either that or severe wanting to die depression. with the effexor I sweat very easily and it can be embarrassing.

the seroquel gives me sugar cravings, if theres anything sweet in my flat/parents house Ill eat it while I fall asleep, I'd eat a full packet of rich tea biscuits and wake up with crumbs everywhere. I used to buy lots of snacks because they felt/tasted so good with the seroquel but that had me bloated all the time.

only reason Im alive is I dont want to cause pain to my parents. if they werent here I'd be gone too.

Have you talked about this to a psychiatrist?

davidd24

kermit_the_dog wrote: »

was your life struck by a sudden change , beit with your job , family , health , depression is nearly always brought on by a sudden turn of events which shocks your psychology , panic can set in as its all so strange and like nothing you,ve ever felt before , unfortunatley some people succumb to the negativity and its like their in quick sand , slowly sinking into a permanent dark mood , their should be an apparent course of action which helps you regather your self , a new direction , challenge etc , unfortunatley , a lot of people start to procrastinate rather than going for it , then the depression takes hold and takes root , i look back now and recall when the moment was when depression raised its ugly head , had i followed my instinct instead of procrastinating and laying down my arms , i would not live with depression ( of varying degrees on and off ) for over thirteen years , the not having gone with my gut when i had the option of a new begining , left feelings of deep regret and guilt which of course contributes to depression , im sure therapy is usefull but IMO , focusing on descisive action early before depression becomes very real and paralysing is much better , therapy is like having treatment for lung cancer , its nescessery when the **** has already hit the fan , better to avoid reaching that low level by being pro active ( not smoking + exercise ) before the depression gets a chance to set in

dont live a life of second best which is really what living with depression is

Ive had no real big things happen, job is gone real bad but i thought i was handling things well, never felt like i was going under from pressure.
My first councelling session is a 7pm tonight, im skeptical about going but like you have said, its better to fight this than to just keep sinking, i truly understand what "low" means its such a small word but it describes so much when you feel like this.
Thanks for your words, your last sentence has really hit home with me.

af_thefragile

Only a couple of weeks ago I was studying this so if anyone wants to know a bit about Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and what it does, here's what I leant about it.

CBT usually takes atleast 8-12 sessions with one session per week to work. And you will have to do some homework every week which mostly includes reflecting over your thoughts and feelings about yourself and certain situations and how you'ld feel and deal with them.

All forms of therapy will eventually work but CBT is very popular because it works fairly fast and it focuses on the present so you won't be spending hours recounting your childhood or past relationships with the therapist. Infact you won't be spending any time focusing on your past with the therapist. Its all about how you feel now and what you need to do to change the ways you think and feel.

It works on the principle that how you percieve events affects how you feel about them which in turn affects how you behave. For instance if you passed a person on a street whom know and the person ignored you, you may start thinking the person ignored you because he doesn't like you or avoides talking you and then you might start to feel bad and inadequate about yourself thinking why would the person not like you and then you will behave with low self-esteem and confidence. What CBT does is it challenges this thinking pattern and makes you think things in a different way. Such as if the person ignored you, you will think maybe the person was very busy or in a hurry and didn't see you or didn't have the time to speak to you, then you will feel different about it and you might act by sending the person a text or something checking out how he's doing. Its stuff like that.

It takes active effort and time to change your thinking patterns and the therapist will guide you on how to achieve this but ultimately its upto you and your willingness to change the way you think and percieve things.

I know this cuz its part of my college course though personally I never went for CBT myself, although I did go to a counsellor a few times and it helped me a bit but what really helped me get out of the mess I had gotten my mind into was, as I mentioned previously in this thread, Anthony Robbins self help tape program. It is just like CBT although its a bit different and it really works when you do the things he tells you to do seriously. So I'll really recommend ye guys to look him up on the internet and such because he's really brilliant!

af_thefragile

davidd24 wrote: »

Ive had no real big things happen, job is gone real bad but i thought i was handling things well, never felt like i was going under from pressure.
My first councelling session is a 7pm tonight, im skeptical about going but like you have said, its better to fight this than to just keep sinking, i truly understand what "low" means its such a small word but it describes so much when you feel like this.
Thanks for your words, your last sentence has really hit home with me.

From my experience I will also tell you to never ever give up fighting your depression. Don't make it a part of yourself by labelling yourself as being bipolar or clinically depressed or anything like that. The brain is an incredible organ and can do some really incredible things and it is connected to your body so if anything goes wrong in your body, it directly affects how you think and feel and if you're depressed, it will directly affect your bodily functions too.

Anyway, I never accepted it to be normal for me to be depressed. I was always desperate for a cure. I kept trying different things, read different books, listened to different tapes and did all sorts of things till I could find something that works for me. I don't want to live my life with something that holds me back from living the kind of life I want to and neither should anyone. Life is about overcoming and defeating those things that hold you back and prevent you from getting ahead. If you sit there accepting this is me and this is just how my life is, then you've given up and that's not what living is about! There will always be things in life which will drag you down and if you don't fight them off, they'll win over you and can destroy who you are. Its just the way life is!

Mucky.Bucky

kermit_the_dog wrote: »

was your life struck by a sudden change , beit with your job , family , health , depression is nearly always brought on by a sudden turn of events which shocks your psychology , panic can set in as its all so strange and like nothing you,ve ever felt before , unfortunatley some people succumb to the negativity and its like their in quick sand , slowly sinking into a permanent dark mood , their should be an apparent course of action which helps you regather your self , a new direction , challenge etc , unfortunatley , a lot of people start to procrastinate rather than going for it , then the depression takes hold and takes root , i look back now and recall when the moment was when depression raised its ugly head , had i followed my instinct instead of procrastinating and laying down my arms , i would not live with depression ( of varying degrees on and off ) for over thirteen years , the not having gone with my gut when i had the option of a new begining , left feelings of deep regret and guilt which of course contributes to depression , im sure therapy is usefull but IMO , focusing on descisive action early before depression becomes very real and paralysing is much better , therapy is like having treatment for lung cancer , its nescessery when the **** has already hit the fan , better to avoid reaching that low level by being pro active ( not smoking + exercise ) before the depression gets a chance to set in

dont live a life of second best which is really what living with depression is

That's what it was/is for me too. It's like drowning in a glass of water that is half full.

Things have been going meh for me. Hanging in there. Getting out and doing things no matter how small and doing other bits and pieces that I like to take my mind of my worries but there is still an emptiness and a joyless feeling. Very, very anxious. Lately have been missing some people I was very close to that died suddenly a few years ago and missing them like crazy. Every night when my head hits the pillow I cry and wish I could be with them and pray to them that they help me through this patch.

I hope you all get a chance to get out and enjoy the sun. Goodness knows we need it.

jammstarr

December2012 wrote: »

Well, try a different therapist. Are you on medication? Maybe that could be changed.

Yeah on meds years now, have done CBT and several counsellors plus support groups. I've gone from being housebound to being able to function again and for that I am very grateful. However something is missing, I don't feel particularly "happy" if you follow. I'm finding it incredibly hard to take the next step reclaim what I've lost.

Doctor_Socks

Jammed along to Kansas song 'Carry on my Wayward Son' yesterday with my brother. Brought back some bad memories of nearly losing him when I read into the lyrics, but it also felt fantastic to realise that he's still here with us and is beating his depression.

The weather is fantastic in Galway aswell, bringing out the best in everyone in the office at the moment! My own depression seems like a distant memory now, hopefully it'll stay that way for another long time!

af_thefragile

^Love that song! Have it on the playlist I listen to everytime I'm driving in my car!
Love the lyrics too...!

kumate_champ07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX9Q3P0gqpU&feature=related

Snowie

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

ok so here goes. Im pretty much joyless most of the time, only time I feel ok is when Im on my bike. I cant sleep at night without seroquel, my mind will go at full speed for hours on end. I cant come off effexor because of the extreme withdrawal symptoms I get. Ive decreased and increased the dose over time but it just brings me to a bearable numbness, its either that or severe wanting to die depression. with the effexor I sweat very easily and it can be embarrassing.

the seroquel gives me sugar cravings, if theres anything sweet in my flat/parents house Ill eat it while I fall asleep, I'd eat a full packet of rich tea biscuits and wake up with crumbs everywhere. I used to buy lots of snacks because they felt/tasted so good with the seroquel but that had me bloated all the time.

only reason Im alive is I dont want to cause pain to my parents. if they werent here I'd be gone too.

just wondering have you ever talked about it with a therapist ?

Wattle

Anybody else feel better in the sunshine? It seems to cheer everybody up. We do have a serious deficit of sunlight on this island. No wonder people buy those light-box things.

Doctor_Socks

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

ok so here goes. Im pretty much joyless most of the time, only time I feel ok is when Im on my bike. I cant sleep at night without seroquel, my mind will go at full speed for hours on end. I cant come off effexor because of the extreme withdrawal symptoms I get. Ive decreased and increased the dose over time but it just brings me to a bearable numbness, its either that or severe wanting to die depression. with the effexor I sweat very easily and it can be embarrassing.

the seroquel gives me sugar cravings, if theres anything sweet in my flat/parents house Ill eat it while I fall asleep, I'd eat a full packet of rich tea biscuits and wake up with crumbs everywhere. I used to buy lots of snacks because they felt/tasted so good with the seroquel but that had me bloated all the time.

only reason Im alive is I dont want to cause pain to my parents. if they werent here I'd be gone too.

Please tell me you've spoken to a therapist or a GP about this? Only wanting to live because of not causing pain to others is a horrible way to live your life. Have you ever thought about taking up cycling in a competitive atmosphere or something along those lines? When I was in the depths of my depression a good while back, it was because I left out everything I did for fun due to work without realising it. That just made me sink further and further because I had nothing to look forward too, after speaking to a counsellor i'm now back playing music with friends a lot of the time and it gives me something to think about and look forward to during the day.

Find someone to talk to about this, it's fantastic that you made the first step and told people about it on boards! The next step is just to talk to someone in person so you can really let out your feelings, you'll feel great after it and they might be able to help you with your sleeping problems aswell!!

kumate_champ07

Doctor_Socks wrote: »

Please tell me you've spoken to a therapist or a GP about this? Only wanting to live because of not causing pain to others is a horrible way to live your life. Have you ever thought about taking up cycling in a competitive atmosphere or something along those lines? When I was in the depths of my depression a good while back, it was because I left out everything I did for fun due to work without realising it. That just made me sink further and further because I had nothing to look forward too, after speaking to a counsellor i'm now back playing music with friends a lot of the time and it gives me something to think about and look forward to during the day.

Find someone to talk to about this, it's fantastic that you made the first step and told people about it on boards! The next step is just to talk to someone in person so you can really let out your feelings, you'll feel great after it and they might be able to help you with your sleeping problems aswell!!

thanks but I made the first step 6-7 years ago and its not really working. Im also a competitive cyclist so that gives me something to do. Ive gone thru the mental health services before and they arent great, nice well meaning nurses but thats about it. had a bad doctor who was horrible, my GP is good but i only get my meds from him.

I dealt with the Kildare system, never saw the same doctor more than twice in a row, did some therapy but that guy disappeared and couldnt get any help contating that person and getting my test results, very frustrating since I opened up to this person and invested alot.

Lionel Messy

I can't bring myself to leave the house. I have a paranoia people are looking at me and thinking bad thoughts. I need to buy some briquettes though. Anyone got some tips to get me out?

flutterflye

Lionel Messy wrote: »

I can't bring myself to leave the house. I have a paranoia people are looking at me and thinking bad thoughts. I need to buy some briquettes though. Anyone got some tips to get me out?

Earphones, and your favourite music on loud?

What in the name of god do you want briquettes for on a day like today though?!

December2012

Lionel Messy wrote: »

I can't bring myself to leave the house. I have a paranoia people are looking at me and thinking bad thoughts. I need to buy some briquettes though. Anyone got some tips to get me out?

Can you take it in steps? Stand at an open window? Then an open door? Then outside the door?

That's a great start.

DeVore

fncking yoyo-ing emotionally OR completely inert... I *have* to find a happy medium.

Got a great nights sleep last night and today the world looks like maybe I can manage it again. .... its crazy how things can look so different.

neemish

What I've noticed about being depressed is that there is an "x factor" involved. Three months ago I couldn't get out of bed. Was in hospital and the slightest thing would set me off.

Now I'm back at work and most days, you could drop a bomb and i'd cope with it. I worked a long day wednesday, drove across the country to a family function yesterday and back at work today and still in one piece. Three months ago, I couldnt have managed an hour of it.

It's the x factor - I'm the same person, but something is different.I don't even know what it is. and that's the killer with depression/mental health problems. It turns us fab, competent, people into a shadow of our former selves.

Keep the chin up people, put one foot in front of the other - in a month's time our places might be reversed, and I'll need ye to give me a boost.xxx

MissDepressed

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting here so this is really difficult for me..

I don't want to get into the whole long story because I'm sure if people are on this forum than they can understand the reasons..to keep it simple I have suffered from depression since I was in my teens (nearly 30 now) and been to dozens of psychologists, psychiatrists as well as been in hospital after afew suicide attempts which I am not proud of but I guess no-one is judging here right??

It does vary-I have had some amazing, happy months but these are always outnumbered by the bad ones. Currently I am on my bad one and the nice weather isn't helping-I cannot leave the house (I suffer from severe panic attacks) and all I want is to be alone here so I don't ask anyone to come over, I know that isn't helping me at all..

I know what I need to do-I know I need to fight this and get up off my ass, leave the house and face the world-its not that I cant its that today and for the last few weeks I do not want to...I know I am destroying myself but I don't care-I won't attempt suicide again as it devestated my family but I want to die and I want someone to run over me or murder me or anything to put me out of my misery...

I suppose I am writing this post not to ask people what I can do to get out of this-but more to get it off my chest and feel comforted that people are listening and hopefully not being judgemental because that is all that will make me feel any way better right now..Talking is the ultimate help but on a sunny Friday evening like this its not possible really to lean on any of my closest ones and anyway they cannot possibly understand these feelings..

Thanks so much for reading xxx

DeVore

Gosh, I don't know what to say so I'll just tell you about my experience, you can take from it what applies to you I guess.
Not every day has to be a day when you challenge yourself to face and confront your fears. Some days I would go to bed and tell myself, tomorrow has to be a better day, it just has to be, because that one just gone, that was about as sh!t as it gets.

Seriously, I would curl up in bed and hold on to that as the only good thing from that day. So, take it easy on yourself if today isn't the day you decide to fight your demons. Maybe today is a day when your big challenge is treating yourself ok cos that can be the real fight. Maybe going out can be left to tomorrow

I would make myself MORE depressed by beating myself up about being depressed... Jesus, can anyone see the irony of that logic and where it ends up, lol.... I mean, vicious circle or what?! Don't be dumb like me.

You feel like you've had a rough start to the book of your life... Ok, but tomorrow you take the pen and I hope you write a great story
I'm on a train for the next hour and then a hotel room for two more so if you need to write, write... Here or a pm, we haven't run out of electrons just yet

herisson

I saw something today which made me feel like there is help out there...

I was in my local Tesco (Carlow) with my Mum, and most of the staff on the till have tshirts on. They were about Depression. As far as i know my local Tesco are doing kind of like an awareness campaign for depression but then again it could be in other Tesco's around the country.

Tesco also allow bag packers to fund raise every now and again. Today's packers were a local support group which deal with both teenage and i think adult depression. I forget what the name of the group was but when i find out i will post it!

I know its only small but i thought that it was really good that there is awareness for Depression out there! I love the fact that there is more awareness in society.

Monday morning i am going back to my doctor just to talk things through and see what more she can do! It is going to be tough but i have to do it!