Understanding Depression (Important Info Everyone Should Know)

reply to post by BriggsBU


What you said is identical to me almost. For me its a mix of depression, anxiety, and PTSD but all those overlap. Really PTSD and the anxiety have been the most problematic. The thing in my life that gives my life meaning, and its the only thing that gives me comfort and happiness is studying spirituality/religion. I've been studying those since middle school really, and its the only place where I feel even a little alive.

That's why I was curious how others have found religion/spirituality helpful. Even when I'm really down, those things give me hope and a bit of enjoyment. They are central to my life, only thing that gave and gives me strength. And ultimately, its what everyone needs to find. Everything else is dust.


[edit on 17-4-2009 by ghaleon12]

Originally posted by Tentickles
While I cant reply to everyone one, I will say I have read every single word written since I last commented! A big thanks to everyone for telling their stories and offering advice to all those who have commented.

As to that guy a few pages back, iiinvision or something like that, while you clearly do not understand what depression is, I can see where you are coming from. Since "feeling sad" has become mainstream people throw around the words "I am feeling depressed!" way too much. It is like the way children use the word hate. Hate is a strong word! As is Depression.

The more appropriate words are usually dislike/envy and sad.

Im willing to bet that my understanding of depression is entirely different because of the fact that I used will to change my life around for the better. I have met a lot of people in my relatively short life and in that time I have paid close attention and I see patterns of behavior. Take a few psychology classes and you will learn a whole lot more about patterns. From all the people I have encountered in different states, many things change, but many more things stay the same.

A lot of people who seemed to be offended by my perspective and reality tunnel stated things like how what worked for me wouldn't work for them. Well its not so much doing exactly what worked for me...its doing the types of things that would allow a person to shift and change their own mindsets.

Emotions are real, and being sensitive to emotions doesn't require attaching yourself to them for extended amounts of time. With a proper amount of mental EFFORT, it is not hard to change and ''redesign'' your own reality tunnel. Similar to tuning up a hot rod, you can use a multitude of techniques to adjust your ''subconscious'' to permanently affect your reality tunnel. A reality tunnel is how you perceive reality, based on your history and experiences.

When one person's reality tunnel conflicts with another person's reality tunnel there are certain patterns that arise. Automatic responses and emotions are conjured up on the spot like rejection, anger, disbelief, ridicule. We all experience these and others like them, but the attachment and intensity are variable.


To those that think depression is uncontrollable let me say that it is this mere thought alone that makes it so in YOUR reality tunnel.

My father died when I was six, and my mother was really into drugs and partying and couldn't raise me. Ive been all over the country and gone through some really unfortunate events. Ive been shot in the lung, stabbed in the thigh, jumped several times, manipulated by people I trusted, cheated out of money and robbed at gunpoint. I have lost many close family members, and experienced homelessness....I could go even further but Im sure you get the point. I think many people have gone through similar things and perhaps a lot worse.

My point is that despite all this I wake up excited about being alive. Im thankful for every breath and try to do as much as I can everyday and enjoy and savor it like its my last. I wasn't always like that, but I made the change in my reality. Me and me alone made the change with my brain. I didn't say can't. I didn't make excuses and I stopped feeling sorry for myself because I found that I didn't have time for that anymore. I realized that I, like everyone else here in America, have opportunities that a majority of the population may never experience. So therefore a passion has developed within me that drives me to make the most out of my life.


If you don't have ''bi polar'' is it possible to have passion and be depressed at the same time?

Is it possible to be depressed when you are trying new things with friends?

The National Institute of Mental Health defines the symptoms of depression to include
* Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" feelings
* Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism
* Feelings of guilt, worthlessness and/or helplessness
* Irritability, restlessness
* Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex
* Fatigue and decreased energy
* Difficulty concentrating, remembering details and making decisions
* Insomnia, early–morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping
* Overeating, or appetite loss
* Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts
* Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

The loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable is a factor I didn't think about...nor did I think about persistent aches or pains.

However the other symptoms do seem to back up my argument on depression being selfishness in another form.

If you can't concentrate it is not something you are born with. Concentration is a skill that can be honed. Tips include throwing away your television, reading more, meditating, concentration exercises , praying( not necessarily in homage to a god) or sending positive focused thoughts to loved ones, friends, people you don't know, the human race. Focus on things that will ''bear fruit'' in your own life down the road.

Everybody can get stuck in a rut and choose to wallow in it. Its easier to wallow in it, but the reason I think we are here on this planet is to overcome struggle which helps our spirit to ''evolve''. If we all had a chill life with no animosity towards anyone and no challenges to rise above( which is not impossible to attain ) than how would we develop as an entity merely encapsulated by flesh? How would we learn anything and how would we develop character?

Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life. Shine bright. Cheers!

reply to post by HiAliens


Right dude or dudette, if you have had all your jabs and have a number of fillings I'd ask for some testing, I had glue ear and MAJOR depression when I was younger and my panic attacks were awful.

When I turned to vegetarianism, I found my moods were better and my PMT vanished, I was so bad I have a MASSIVE bruise on my leg before they occured as well as feeling suicidal. So that means whatever the Hg has done,. it is effecting the endocrine system (which is does) as well as the thyroid, I have an "unstable thyroid" and I know it is down tot he mercury messing up the body.

The sugars in your body gets depleted by the mercury binding to sulphur etc in the stomach and the stomach environment changes as well as "Leaky gut" is known to happen. As I have felt drained and generally bleurgh, I do however know it is the pesky Hg doing its worse.

Things to watch for mercury poisoning:

1. cold hands and feet
   
2. feeling heavy lungs when breathing
   
3. Dizzyness
   
4. I am dyspraxic so I pretty know damage has been done
   
5. having aluminium scratches, I can't use normal deodrant due to the aluminium cholohydrate in ut
   
6. feeling washed out
   
7. I taste metal in my mouth and when on a period, I can taste iron
   
8. Carporal tunnel syndrome (nerves freeze up - happens to me all the time)
   

Yeah zeolite, humic acid (that is a strong chelator with calcium so watch) and coriander is good as well, I also use chlorella as we are trying to pull out the metal which is stored in the body but if you can get your fillings out as well as it is continuous in the release of vapour.

Also of note is the fact that aluminium may leak from cooking pans

Originally posted by FritosBBQTwist
reply to post by mrwupy

 

You saying all doctors are JUST out to make a buck off of you is a bit over the top. I went to the doctor before, and have been told just to eat more of this, less of that, whatever...no meds though. Anyways...

Depressions, anxiety's, disorders, are all real. But, that does not make them an "illness" in my eyes. I never got medication, but I would more than guess (never had a prognoses) I was depressed and had anxiety a few years ago.

The best way to deal with it is not medicine though. It is fighting through it. While medicine may help, I do not think it is for everyone, or close to the majority. Only a few I feel should actually be taking meds for half the stuff people "have" these days. It is because these same people get dependent and think that they no longer have to deal with their problems, when that is the root of it to start with.

When 80% of people take these crazy medications over stupid things, I see it no differently than the alcoholic, trying to escape their pain and fear.

The real cure is love and support...and in regards to children, tossing random medications at them is not the love and support you should be giving, or want to be.

Now, I will use an example from myself. In my early teen years, I never wanted to go to school and would literally "freak" out. Missed many days...cops came, all that fun stuff.

Never took medication though. After a couple years, it was all past me. Make school all the time, perfect grades, job. Doing fine (I say so myself).

My sister is in the same situation. But, my parents have now put her on medications. What I see as a phase of ones life, it is now drugged up with unknown consequences. Guess what? She still has the problems - yet still takes the bullcrap medicine. Now that she has gotten an official label for "anxiety" - she thinks it is okay not to participate in school (at all).

It is people hiding from their fears. Most of the time, medicine will not cure it.

Please realize your statements can have grave consequences. To state the above regarding medications, is dangerous and irresponsible. If you truly had an understanding of Bipolar disorder you would then know, one of the biggest challenges they face is medication compliance. Most do not take their meds for several reasons. Making statements such as this:

" When 80% of people take these crazy medications over stupid things, I see it no differently than the alcoholic, trying to escape their pain and fear."
is extremely reckless and can cost someone their life. Are you prepared to be held accountable? I would like to see the stats supporting your claim of 80%.

Here's one I have "Research has determined that as many as 15 to over 30 percent of bipolar patients commit suicide if they are left untreated, or under treated."
link[www.inspire.com...]

Based on your final statement " Most of the time, medicine will not cure it."
is very telling of your level of understanding of mental illness. Bipolar illness has no cure,with the proper medication it can be managed.

I would encourage you to educate yourself on the subject of mental illness. Knowledge is empowering not something to fear. Take time and research, read,interview people who actually live with mental illness. Then come back to this forum and share what you have learned. Perhaps you will have a different perspective on the reality of depression, bipolar and all mental illness.

Here's a couple of more facts to inform you how serious and real bipolar disorder is.

"Suicide is a very real issue for those with bipolar disorder (manic depression). The estimates are as high as 20% of people who suffer from Bipolar Disorder will kill themselves. That's one out of every five! And as many as 50% - half! - of all people with this disorder may attempt suicide at least once in their lives. Found here are resources and information relating to this topic."

link[bipolar.about.com...]

"Noncompliance with medication is a very common feature among bipolar patients. Rates of poor compliance may reach 64% for bipolar disorders, and noncompliance is the most frequent cause of recurrence."

link[www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...]

reply to post by mhinsey


Oh, I don't work for that putz any more. I had to move since the new landlord decided to go condo and toss everyone out into the street. Ended up almost all the way across the state, thankfully.

One of the main things that keeps booting up my upset is being lonely. It'll also take some time to hammer out the dents left in me by el bosso and his idiot kid.(Ok- so she's 20something.) I've already begun doing 3d modeling using a free and extremely powerful program. It'll take me nearly forever to learn it (it's chock full of stuff, and I'm not used to the way it's set up)- But I will.

But still- even if I can sit down and produce works of art that'd make people look twice- what good is it if I cant share it with someone?

To those of you who claim that bipolar and depression is inherited, I ask you, if you do not already have children do you plan to have any, and if so why when you know you may be passing this misery on to them?
As to bipolar folks committing suicide, sorry to say, but perhaps this is a built in/hard wired method of preventing the passing on of this affliction. (Darwin’s evolution/survival of the fittest)

I was personally acquainted with a man who was bipolar. He seemed to enjoy telling everyone of the times he tried to kill himself and all about the meds he was taking and the counseling he was getting.
He had 2 sons. Both of them were also bipolar an both had violent deaths- not obviously suicide. One was an auto accident, the other died when his house burned.

Wylekat, stop beating up on yourself. Remember, when you have hit “bottom”, the only way you can go it up. So do that. Go up. Also take note and remember, NO ONE has the power to make you happy. That happiness has to come from inside you. You are the one who makes the happiness.
What kind of woman are you looking for?
You say you are “ugly”. I think you exaggerate the negative.
Lets say instead, that you are average. Hence, you should be looking for a lady that is average, and not some knock out beauty. Have you tried the online dating places. datingis big and FREE.
You can look thru the available ladies without being a member.
Cheer up and stop coming across as “needy”. This “neediness” is a big turn off. So is the appearance of being sad/depressed.

You all might want to consider acupuncture, check out this article:
acupuncture

reply to post by OhZone


No more internet dating sites. Been there, tried that, got 0 hits for ages. Unless you count those Russian fakes trying to phish my email and personal stuff.

As for what I want in a woman? She doesn't exist. Simply doesn't. I'll reiterate: 20 years of nonstop looking has netted me nothing but heartache. And no, I wont be describing her. First off, I am tired of doing it. Second- again, why bother? She does not exist. I HAD my version of perfection, and she went and bonked some guy while I was overseas in the navy. And I don't mean physical perfection. It was well more than that.

Call me crazy, call me whatever you want.

reply to post by Sonya610


In which state would you lose the right to carry firearms for admitting you had suicidal thoughts? I mean talking to someone over the phone (if it's let's say 4am and you have no one else to call OR you just don't have that many supportive people in your life at any time of the day or night) MAY BE a person's only option and it may save their life....think about it geez if you are going to "off yourself" what diff does it make if you can't get a license or do anything in the future--IF you won't be around anyway.....

I would hope that people don't die using your kind of logic which is -- don't reach out for help because at a later date, someone might not let you have a gun ok

and FYI if someone is that concerned about it there are a few payphones that are not totally extinct that one could use....

www.statemaster.com...

Originally posted by mkultraangel
In which state would you lose the right to carry firearms for admitting you had suicidal thoughts? I mean talking to someone over the phone (if it's let's say 4am and you have no one else to call OR you just don't have that many supportive people in your life at any time of the day or night) MAY BE a person's only option and it may save their life....think about it geez if you are going to "off yourself" what diff does it make if you can't get a license or do anything in the future--IF you won't be around anyway.....

I would hope that people don't die using your kind of logic which is -- don't reach out for help because at a later date, someone might not let you have a gun ok

And I would hope people that have no clue do not take YOUR advice and think it is soooo safe and easy to call a suicide hotline without realizing the possible life-altering consequences. Consequences like the the police showing up and LOCKING you up and having that on your record for the rest of your life because some do-gooder on an internet forum spewed for the "just call for help if you feel down" line without explaining the risks and serious problems that such an act could cause.

In addition most all studies show that suicide hotlines do not even have an effect on the rates of suicide. Most people that are REALLY going to kill themselves do NOT call up a hotline to discuss it. Most of the people that DO call those hotlines think it is a safe place to find someone to talk to, and it is not safe at all.

Anyone that has the vaguest clue about firearm laws in the states knows getting locked up in a mental hospital will suspend your right to purchase and/or carry a firearm for years in most states. Suicide threats constitute a danger to yourself, and if you are a danger to yourself or others you get locked up in a mental ward, period.

www.statemaster.com...

In addition, many sucide hotlines WILL contact the authorities. You can't even block your caller ID from an 800 number.


en.wikipedia.org...

One criticism of suicide hotlines in the past was that those who were determined to kill themselves were unlikely to call one. Also, those with social anxiety may not have the emotional resources to do so. Until recently, there was no evidence that the presence of suicide hotlines reduced the incidence of suicide.

Another issue is that crisis hotlines often contact local authorities. The fear of embarrassment from having the police involved can deter many people who would have otherwise called the hotline.

www.antipsychiatry.org...

Bruce Ennis, an ACLU attorney who has represented people deprived of employment because of psychiatric stigma, argues that "In the job market, it is better to be an ex-convict than an ex-mental patient." He says "very few employers will knowingly hire an ex-mental patient." He points out that "Almost all public employers and most large companies ask job applicants if they have ever been hospitalized for mental illness" and that "If the answer is yes, the applicant will almost certainly not get the job". Mr. Ennis also points out that "if the applicant lies and says no, he runs the risk of eventual discovery". On this basis Mr. Ennis argues that "It is time for psychiatrists and judges to face the brutal facts.

When they commit a person to a mental hospital, they are taking away not only his liberty, but also any chance he might have for a decent life in the future." On the basis of his experience as an attorney for people saddled with psychiatric stigma he observes that "Even voluntary hospitalization creates so many problems and closes so many doors that an old joke takes on new truth - a person has to be crazy to sign himself into a mental hospital" (Bruce J. Ennis, Prisoners of Psychiatry: Mental Patients, Psychiatrists, and the Law, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1972, pp. 143-144).

[edit on 19-4-2009 by Sonya610]

Originally posted by Sonya610[/iAnd I would hope people that have no clue do not take YOUR advice and think it is soooo safe and easy to call a suicide hotline without realizing the possible life-altering consequences. Consequences like the the police showing up and LOCKING you up and having that on your record for the rest of your life because some do-gooder on an internet forum spewed for the "just call for help if you feel down" line without explaining the risks and serious problems that such an act could cause.

I can see your concern regarding possible repercussions of seeking help, although i would hope people do seek it. Unless the is the caller is extremely unstable and a danger to their selves and potentially others, i wouldn't think that scenario would occur (getting locked up) - i would think the objective would be to calm the caller down rather than conspire against them - and i would think they could remain anonymous if they wished plus there are too many people on pay and go mobiles to attempt to trace people i would think anyway.
That said, if you don't think this is a helpful suggestion, to call a helpline i mean, then what advice would you offer - or would you walk by on the otherside?

Talking helps, even if its just on a website like this - its how i cracked my depression.



[edit on 19-4-2009 by MCoG1980]