Depression - how do you deal with it?

[derekrodneysim]

Hi guys.

I went through a bout with depression today from several causes which added to it. It's been with me on and off for several years now, some easy to shrug, others tougher to overcome. I've tried to stay positive and counted my blessings and looked to find a positive solution.

As I came to this section to put up this thread, oddly enough, daveyojimbo's thread was the one that instantly got my attention. I read about his and just became numb. Is depression really that common?

Wow. If only I had the privilege to have known him better. It's always a sad thing to hear about stuff like this happening to another collector. To another human being.

It's always sad for someone to come this final solution, knowing they must have tried so hard to find another way to fight the depression. I;'m sure there must be a way to kick this.

Have you suffered depression and how do/did you deal with it?

[Bullseye]

I wouldn't say I have suffered from depression but have had bouts of worry. My brother suffered with depression due to a chemical imballance. For a while he had the whole family worried. Thankfully he worked through it but there is always the chance it would come back. It's important that people take their medication.

[boondocksaint]

i suffer from anxiety and depression and take medication
i know several people who deal with the same problems its common
there have been times where ive said i can beat this on my own without the medication but after awhile away from the meds it creeps back...so for me medication is the only way to deal with it at this point in time

[carrillj]

I’ve never suffered from "depression", but I've gone through most of what a depressed person has experienced.

There’s a solution to everything that life throws at you, and I can assure you that suicide is not one of them.

If you ever want to discuss anything that’s bothering you Darek; then please PM me your number and I will call you…I want to try to help.

If anything; contact me by e-mail!

By the way, I love Kuala Lumpur, and the people of Malaysia! I had a very good time over there.

[risingstar]

Sadly, there is no one-size-fits-all coping strategy for depression as there are various manifestations of depression, some of which can be more debilitating and worrisome than others. If you suffer from depression (occasionally or chronically) and want to do something about it, then do whatever you can to better understand it and to keep it monitored and under control. The best way to do that is to consult your doctor and, if possible, a psychiatrist as well as doctors rarely appear (nor are they trained) to have the proper counselling skills to adequately deal with mental health issues. A psychiatrist (or psychologist, though they can't prescribe medication) can assist you in better understanding what might be going on and provide you with some tools which may help make those more difficult days more tolerable.

Medication is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. We all take medication for something at some point in our lives. If that medication can make the difference between coping with depression and not being able to get out of bed for a week, then (hopefully) the choice should be easy. Ultimately, it comes down to making the best choices for yourself.

The worst thing to do is to deny or minimize what you're feeling. Be proactive. You need to show yourself that you can take personal charge of things when you need to. There is an entire body of work out there based on thousands of research designs aimed at better understanding and dealing with depression. Take advantage of that information and do whatever you need to, to move your life forward. You can start by simply picking up the phone and making a call.

Hope this helps!

It's not uncommon at all. It's affected a lot of people in my life. I don't suffer it nearly as badly as many of the people I've known, only after some disasterous events. Last time, I sulked in my place watching movies for a week before I could effectively begin to process whatever I was supposed to be dealing with. Thankfully, I work at home so no chance of being fired!

But that's a really low-end version of depression, since I'm an optimistic guy. For serious types of depression, the I'm considering killing myself stuff, you really should consult a psychologist. It's nothing to be ashamed of, some people have to deal with a lot more than others.

[joefixit2]

Originally Posted by risingstar

The best way to do that is to consult your doctor and, if possible, a psychiatrist as well as doctors rarely appear (nor are they trained) to have the proper counselling skills to adequately deal with mental health issues. A psychiatrist (or psychologist, though they can't prescribe medication) can assist you in better understanding what might be going on and provide you with some tools which may help make those more difficult days more tolerable.

Before even considering medication, you should talk to someone to get a better understanding of what you are going through. I went through something last year and have talked to a counselor for awhile. Talking to him helped me understand a few things about myself I never realized. In fact, this past week I came to an "a-ha moment and feel better than I have in a good long time. I know some people who take medication for depression and they are awesome, I feel nothing different because of the fact they are taking medicine, there is no shame in that if it is needed and it helps the person.

[Tetragrammaton]

Despite going through it first-hand I still do not really know how to define exactly what depression is. I assume, like most things in life, it is different for different people.

I always thought depression and a long period of sadness were essentially the same thing. When I first started seeking medical help, one of the reasons it took me a while to accept the diagnosis of depression was my complete lack of sadness. How could I possibly be depressed when I wasn't the least bit sad? Of course, I failed to notice I wasn't feeling much of any emotion.

The progression for me went as following;

1. A sudden inability to fall and stay asleep. I went four days without sleeping before I decided to go to the hospital to find out what was going on. Was prescribed sleeping pills, which did knock me out for about six hours a night, yet did not leave me feeling any more rested the following day.

2. A decline over about two months in my memory, ability to concentrate at work and make even simple decisions. There were a couple of times where I walked into a grocery store and left because I just could not decide what to buy.

3. Decrease in appetite. Went to eating one meal a day, usually lunch at the cafeteria at work. Didn't require any effort on my part to prepare.

4. Lack of interest in all aspects of life. Didn't really care about comics, statues, or the army.

5. Recurring and persistent thoughts about illness and dying. I couldn't be feeling this bad without something being seriously wrong physically. This developed over months to even more frequent, every hour or so, thoughts of ending my own life. Got to the point where I could not walk by an over pass, look at oncoming traffic, or handle a firearm without thinking of suicide. I recall being on a 9mm firing range with this young female instructor teaching the basic principles of marksmanship and imagining her reaction if I ate a bullet in front of her.

6. As it was becoming more and more difficult to function at work, I was given two weeks of time off to "rest". Worse move ever in my case. I spent most of the two weeks trying to sleep and isolated. As I had several pistols and rifles at home, it made the prospect of suicide simple. The only single reason I did not kill myself is because I could not figure out how to accomplish it without it affecting my friends, family and fellow military members.

I turned my weapons into the local police, a story in and of itself for another day.

7. Despite seeing a social worker through the military, it took a while before I could admit verbally that I had been having suicidal thoughts. When I finally did I was hospitalized for 15 days. There wasn't much in terms of special treatment, other than a complete and 100% break from my regular routine and a controlled schedule of medication and meals.

8. Continued to take the anti-depression medication for about 5 months after being released from the hospital. The dosage was stepped down as I felt more like myself. What was also very helpful was my work schedule gradually went from 3 days per week to full-time over the same time period.

For over a year now, I am back to being my old-self prior to the not only the depression, but before the causal events that led to the depression. What I have to be aware and vigilant about is the fact that once you have gone through a clinical depression, it sort of leaves you more vulnerable to another depression in the future. If I do have any changes in terms of sleeping, appetite, level of interest, or mental focus I will consider getting help earlier rather than later.

I added this link to a thread I started around this time:

http://www.statueforum.com/showthrea...ght=depression

[tedmic]

I have battled with minor depression for years. Saw a few therapists and it seemed to work. Then about 3 years ago I was majorly depressed with thoughts of suicide and went to a therapist again. I was prescribed Lexapro and feel fine now. What surprised me was after a week of taking it, I was also not sore anymore after my gym workouts! As someone said here before, different things work for different people.

[VaultMan]

Courageous of you to start this thread, and thanks to everyone who added some possible solutions or shared your own story. Very brave and very helpful.