How do you deal with Depression?

[rhubarbodendron]

and a very good one, imho
Some of my best friends IRL have been online acquaintances, originally. The only disadvantge is that they are from all over the world so that we can scarcely meet, but thanks to the marvels of modern technology we can always send text messages, call each other or chat online. And in case of a power failure there's always snail mail =).

 

[JarodRussell]

I strongly think that for every depression there is a reason. Or multiple. Doesn't matter really. If you find it and deal with it, it's over. Medication is only treating the symptoms, but not the cause.

 

[Kemaiku]

I strongly think that for every depression there is a reason. Or multiple. Doesn't matter really. If you find it and deal with it, it's over. Medication is only treating the symptoms, but not the cause.

Um, no. Several forms of depression are caused by abnormalities in the brain or it's day to day function.

Mine is a neurotransmitter level inbalance caused by irregular re-uptake of serotonin causing the levels to be too high or too low. It was not "caused" by anything, as in it's more likely genetic, not social/environmental, enzyme activity regulating the re-uptake is...broken.

 

[Dick Whitman]

I have seriously thought of going back to therapy. When I went before I was very removed from the world. It was hard to really answer the questions in the tests I was given. I have much more experience to explain my feelings and moods. But so much has happened in the last year that would probably influence it. Not really my "normal state".

I used to be very dubious about online friends. I never used Facebook much. I would have people I knew from work or relatives. Both that I had little to really say to or really had not much interest in. I have started to add people I never met with similar interests which helps.

 

[Kemaiku]

Socialising certainly helps, it'll lift your mood and give you options for dealing with low moods, even just the odd afternoon with friends can be great for dealing with it.

My mental health has taken a turn for the worst these past couple of weeks so it being my birthday tomorrrow I've got a few things planned with family and friends.

There are plenty of people here you can talk to if you need to.

 

[Maestro]

I'd really like to say that there is a curable "cause" for depression... that alcohol, finding that cause, exercise, or etc. would solve it. But after watching its affects on my family, I'm firmly convinced that it can easily be genetic and "dealing with it" or "finding the cause" aren't typically the solution. Rather, if it runs in the family, it's clinical, and it's not a "some thing" that you can just fix. Dealing with it is in the treatment. Some people, they may no longer need medicine. Some of the rest of us have valid medical reasons to consume the medicine, and to expect to need it for the future.

I wish I could cure my asthma too, but I've come to grips with the fact that I will always need medicine to treat it. Period. So it is true with clinical depression.

 

[Kestra]

Medicine isn't for everyone and shouldn't be the only thing someone tries. But that's true of most things. I think for me, medication helped me reach a level where I could work on other things like CBT. I just wasn't in the state to do that before.

 

[Kemaiku]

I've been off the medication for several months now, but that may not be permanent. But it's an option for the when it becomes otherwise unmanagable for me. The doctors were pretty good about finding the right one, dose and how little it needed to be used, therapies etc.

 

[sonak]

depression is a very complicated thing. It could be a chemical issue in your brain, it could be situational, it could be a lot of things.


My advice is to do what you need to do to help yourself. Don't listen to people who have an agenda who are trying to tell you that "drugs are bad," or that they don't work, or that seeking therapy means you're weak or can't handle your problems, etc.

You know yourself and your beliefs. I hope you find the answer that works for you.

 

[JarodRussell]

If you break things down, it's always a chemical issue in the brain.

Every human is different. Under the exact same level of stress, one makes it and feels fine, and the other one suffers from a burn out, for example. Of course because the body reacts physically differently to outside influence.

Of course you can go all-in with medication, and thus change your physical properties to solve that issue, but I really believe that it's better in the long run to solve the individual problem. In the case of the example above: reduce stress or find another form of stress that you can handle. It's not solved by "Try harder", mostly it's solved by "Try something different."



Basically, it's the alcohol thing. You have problems in life? No worries, let's have a drink and forget about it.

And it actually works, for some time at least.

But in the long run, it's better not to drink and solve the problems instead.

 

[Emher]

I totally get why you feel suspicious of medication to handle your depression. I really do. I was depressed for a long time. pretty much since the age of 12. Around when I was 25 I was more down then I'd ever been and came to the conclusion that I was going to kill myself. Luckily enough I realized almost immediately what a horrible decision I had made, and how it would just break apart my family if I went trough with it.

I was so ashamed and confused about it all that the only way I could communicate it properly to my parents was to write an e-mail to them and tell them how I felt. And that I wanted help. We decided that maybe it was time for me to see a doctor and get some medication (I'd already been trough therapy earlier in my teens, but we quickly realized that I needed more help than that this time around). So we make an appointment with a doctor to talk about it. My mom came with me since I didn't know how to quite explain it. Luckily we met with a very understanding doctor and she started me on medication.

And let me tell you: it's the best decision I ever made. Only issue I've had with it is I upped the dosage after a few weeks since I didn't feel it was taking. But when it did, oh boy. One of my friends actually called my mom and asked if I was alright, seeing as I was so happy and energetic.

Now, that high didn't last forever. Today I'm at a manageable level, and truth be told the last year has been pretty rough and I wouldn't have minded being on double dosage as I once was (been on one pill a day for the last 1½ years). But I can honestly say it has saved me. I feel like at recently turned 28, my entire life is just getting started. And that's not something I felt a few years ago.



Please, consider it. It's not for everyone. But when it works, it can do wonders.

 

[Dick Whitman]

On the anti seizure meds I am on right now I can not drink at all. but its ok I almost never did before.

For me its more of an issue of socializing. So much of it in our culture is based around. I came from Wisconsin a state known for making beer and moved to Sin City.

OK I can lighten things a bit. My "options" here are much better outside of drinking. (wink, wink)

Thats the real issue. I am lonely. But I am so use to it for so long I am not sure how to be different.

 

[propita]

Don't write off therapy. Hubby and I saw someone once every two weeks for a couple of years, tackling "our" issues, "his" issues, and "my" issues. We cleared out a lot of things, and used that as the basis for working on other issues. But, naturally, not everything was addressed.

BUT...since we cleared out some current issues, addressed a few old baggage issues, it allowed me, when I saw a shrink by myself years later (when I got diagnosed), to not have to worry about all that. Now, I was tackling the BIG stuff, even though I thought the prior issues were the big stuff. I found out a lot of this was more like side-effects of the big issues, the physiological ones.

I would not have been able to address the physiological ones before, because they were covered by all these others. It takes years(!), it took me 15 years, but keep going.

 

[Kemaiku]

I've been socialising a lot more than I used to this year, making more of an effort and it's helped me through a difficult year, moving house, unemployment, so yeah it's been hard on the mental health aspect of things but get out there and get talking, things will improve.

 

[sonak]

If you break things down, it's always a chemical issue in the brain.

Every human is different. Under the exact same level of stress, one makes it and feels fine, and the other one suffers from a burn out, for example. Of course because the body reacts physically differently to outside influence.

Of course you can go all-in with medication, and thus change your physical properties to solve that issue, but I really believe that it's better in the long run to solve the individual problem. In the case of the example above: reduce stress or find another form of stress that you can handle. It's not solved by "Try harder", mostly it's solved by "Try something different."



Basically, it's the alcohol thing. You have problems in life? No worries, let's have a drink and forget about it.

And it actually works, for some time at least.

But in the long run, it's better not to drink and solve the problems instead.

yes, taking medication to solve an actual problem with brain chemistry is just like drinking alcohol to avoid dealing with your real problems. Thanks for providing the example of what I was describing earlier.

 

[Venardhi]

Alcohol, comfort food, meaningless sex and excessive sleep.

 

[bigdaddy]

You sound like me, so do what I did.

Be stupid, have LOADS of sex with different people, sometimes with condoms, sometimes without, think you got HIV, move 200 miles away from everyone you ever knew to a very isolated place, work as much as you can, drink, work, drink some more, and pretend everything is fine as you wake up crying before your morning drink. Because when you are in as isolated place as I was, it's normal to be drunk 24/7.

More seriously (but I was serious above) at my two most "professional" jobs I have been tipsy. One of them I got the permanent job from an interview in which I was tipsy before hand and told my big boss that my direct boss was a lazy, incompetent, arrogant, asshole who makes the job a living hell. The other job was stressing me out and I got wasted on Mother's Day, made me MUCH more friendly. Honestly just have a few drinks to level you out a little bit. Makes life a lot more fun.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

I strongly think that for every depression there is a reason. Or multiple. Doesn't matter really. If you find it and deal with it, it's over. Medication is only treating the symptoms, but not the cause.

I agree about medicationonly treating the symptoms and about having to find teh reason.
Unfortunately, even if you find the root of the problem, you'll still always be prone to relapses. Depression is like lip herpes in this respect. You can treat it and propably be without symptoms for years but you can't heal it forever.

 

[Trekker4747]

I strongly think that for every depression there is a reason. Or multiple. Doesn't matter really. If you find it and deal with it, it's over. Medication is only treating the symptoms, but not the cause.

You could not be more wrong. Depression isn't "man, I'm just really sad!" it's an actual chemical imbalance in the brain. Medications correct that chemical imbalance and starting on an anti-depressant takes WEEKS to start working and many times many trials and errors before finding the right medication and dose that will work.

Anti-depressants DO treat the cause! Because the cause is a chemical malfunction in your brain.

 

[Misfit Toy]

I strongly think that for every depression there is a reason. Or multiple. Doesn't matter really. If you find it and deal with it, it's over. Medication is only treating the symptoms, but not the cause.

Those epileptics ought to just get over it too, right?