has anyone beaten depression without using any drugs?
is there an alternative way to get oneself out of a self pitying rut?

I think it depends upon whether you have a clinical depression or just a depression brought on by life events that resolves in time. I'm sure people have beaten clinical depression without drugs. But, there are many more who would probably be totally debilitated and/or dead without drugs. You can't really make general, sweeping statements about anything medical.
If you could "beat" clinical depression, with certainty, w/o drugs, I'd be the first to try that method.
I'm just answering in circles aren't I?
I guess my real answer to your question is: "probably so".
joey

Originally posted by joey
I think it depends upon whether you have a clinical depression or just a depression brought on by life events that resolves in time.

im not sure what clinical depression implies, does it mean one gets upset without apparent reason?

can one still think logically/analytically but yet at the same time feel completely lost, not knowing ones purpose here on earth, losing sight of goals and having almost no contact with anyone. is this depression?

Originally posted by agent

Originally posted by joey
I think it depends upon whether you have a clinical depression or just a depression brought on by life events that resolves in time.

im not sure what clinical depression implies, does it mean one gets upset without apparent reason?

can one still think logically/analytically but yet at the same time feel completely lost, not knowing ones purpose here on earth, losing sight of goals and having almost no contact with anyone. is this depression?

Depression isn't just " being upset". Depression is debilitating- it knocks you down, drags you out, and kicks you in the gut until you can't take it anymore. its not just a simple case of the blues, its full blown crap. at times, at least for me, i was ready to crawl into a hole and die.

thats the best way i can describe it for you. hope it helps.

what if one has had thoughts of suicide but was only able to attempt it under the influence of alcohol and yet failed since the cuts werent deep enough and also due to fear of actually dying. if a drunk person attempts suicide, is it due to the alcohol?

curious tho, how did you get over your depression if you dont mind saying?

Originally posted by agent
what if one has had thoughts of suicide but was only able to attempt it under the influence of alcohol and yet failed since the cuts werent deep enough and also due to fear of actually dying. if a drunk person attempts suicide, is it due to the alcohol?

curious tho, how did you get over your depression if you dont mind saying?

if one could only attempt suicide under the influence of alcohol, i would say that there is an underlying alcohol problem, and the suicide attempt is a cry for help. Alcohol can do strange things, i'm sure it could bring depression to the surface, and cause the suicidal feelings.

Me, I'm not entirely over my depression. Zoloft gets me through day to day, and things don't look so...hopeless anymore, but I have yet to find the cause of the depression, so I'm currently in therapy trying to work on that, and hopefully get off of the zoloft. Depression does run on both sides of my family, which according to some medical opinions could be a major cause of my depression, as some studies have linked depression to heredity.

Hope that helps, and feel free to u2u me if there is anything that you are uncomfortable putting out in the open forum- I'm wide open when it comes to my illness, but others may not be.

Depression also runs in my family. My father, grandfather and several aunts, uncles and cousins had clinical depressions. I don't know exactly what caused my episodes. Yes, I could think logically, analytically, etc, but I didn't care. I had no energy to use my critical thinking skills. Depression is a deep, dark, hole that is very difficult to describe. It sure isn't a case of the "blues".
I'm coming out of mine and have been taking Prozac and going through therapy. Since I've had several episodes of depression, I will, most likely, continue to take meds for the foreseeable future.
I hope that helps a bit. If you feel as I did, then please get help. As my shrink says: People shouldn't have to be in total pain.
BTW, many people, (not me but some of my relatives) used alcohol as a way to deal with depression. IT DOESN'T WORK. Alcohol makes you temporarily high and, then, you are more depressed than ever. It's really not the answer.
Feel free to U2U me.
joey

Music and other kinds of distractions can sort of pick you up out of a slump sometimes.

[edit on 5-7-2004 by slank]

Originally posted by slank
It will irritate your sinuses, but I snort a little garlic powder (not garlic salt), It seems to work for me. It will make you sneeze some too. If you try it let me know how it works.

ahhhhhhhhh ahahahahahahahaha lol lol

but seriously


WTF?

Yes really? WTF?? Snorting garlic... why don't YOU try wasabi...?

About one year after I met one of my best friends that I chum around with now, he began to develop this manic alter ego that he controlled. We would be in a restuarant talking about this or that he would suddenly feel the need to raise his voice, or if we were having a few beers, he would draw attention to himself by acting more drunk than he really was. This got a few laughs out of me the first few times, but eventually it got me .

When his father started having heart problems he began to worry about his potential for heart problems...this guy is a personal trainer at a gym, so it was a little manic of him again...well - this led to panic attacks and he thought he was going to die. Doctor says he's depressed and gives him paxil. I was the one guy he knew would stick by his side thru his problems and his parents are divorced and still pretty bitter, so most of his problems landed on my shoulders.

Well, after hearing enough of his psychosomatic issues, I began to feel incredibly depressed myself - My grades slumped at college and I got on paxil, then bumped up to wellbutron. I finally pulled myself out of it after about 6 monthes, realizing that it was all induced by what I was thinking and the fact that I never saw any changes in my moods when I took my medication.

My friend is now doing a lot better - still manic as all hell - but he is addicted to paxil. If he goes without it for 2 days he starts to get faint, dizy and nauziated. He's been trying to cut back but it's been a tough uphill battle.

My point: Always remember that you are in total control of your life and you cannot change everything that you don't like. Take the bad things in stride with the good and remember that every day is worth living to the fullest. And here's another pointer...if you take anti-depressant pills, don't over indulge in smoking weed and drinking...your pissing your Rx money away, literally.

Enron, I think your friend is not addicted to paxil, but just has addictive tendancies. paxil remains in the body for 3-6 days, so i doubt after the 2nd day he would be fainting, etc.

although there are withdrawal symptoms, they are usually only apparent after 4-6 days.

I think he once went a week and a half without it - he was using my old Rx but my health coverage got dropped when I graduated and I wasn't about to pay $180 for his pills, friend or not

During that time tho, he was constantly complaining of blurred vision, muscle spasms, numbness, etc...

Like I said though, he can be psychosomatic at times, so...

yea, numbness and muscle spasms arent common side effects of SSRI withdrawal, or at least paxil withdrawal.

everyone needs insurance like mine- covers EVERYTHING, even ELECTIVE cosmetic surgery for me and my spouse.

so any ladies that wanna get married so you can get your boobs done, i'm your man... jk

Honey...I spared no expense and got you the ZZZZZ cups..sorry they won't fit in the stocking!

What health care plan do you have...Any chane that the State of FL carries it? I used to have it great as a military brat, but now I've been exposed to the true meaning of "rip-off."

a joke? isn't a joke a good idea?

[edit on 5-7-2004 by slank]

Slank,
That's interesting...I'd eat garlic all day long if it had all the things I need in a diet.

One thing to watch out for, besides large clumps of garlic powder, is that a lot of symptoms of depression are similar to diabetes...garlic is used in some alternative medicine approaches for diabetics - I'd get a blood test to make sure...

Originally posted by EnronOutrunHomerun
Honey...I spared no expense and got you the ZZZZZ cups..sorry they won't fit in the stocking!

What health care plan do you have...Any chane that the State of FL carries it? I used to have it great as a military brat, but now I've been exposed to the true meaning of "rip-off."

Its blue cross/blue shield of Western New York- its through the county of Niagara.

So its a no go for florida. lol

Originally posted by agent
has anyone beaten depression without using any drugs?
is there an alternative way to get oneself out of a self pitying rut?

i did.

one solution- falling in love. hahha corny? yes. for real? yes!

NOTE- i made an allusion to this thread in my short story competition story

[edit on 6-30-04 by Scat]

So its a no go for florida. lol

Blast!

I'm finally getting my benefits within a matter of days...I can't wait to go to the dentist