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Thread: Re: Depression

  1. #1
    Featured Member TiNi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    Well I glad you brought it up. I don't have depression but I have a very bad case of anxiety, or panic attacks. I have been diagnose with this for the past for the past 3 years. I wonder sometimes like why me. :-/

    But I have to live for not only me but for my kids. That's what keeps me happy. And continue to do my normal activities.

    I hope this helps a little bit.

  2. #2
    Pamela
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    Default Re: Depression

    Candigrl YES..YES. When i had to make a choice between a BF whom i did love for 4 yrs and a job to survive i hit an all time low. Now my mother is in the hospital with neck surgery. (ok thats fine.) But upon ariving her BP was 240/110....stroke city. Man i was a wreck. I felt like i did not want to get out of bed, it's going to be just another shitty day. I heard from friends, "you'll snap out of it." Well, if it's TRUE depression, you don't just snap out of it, or get a grip. I admit, i made an appt. with a Phychiatrist. Paid out of pocket, told him how i feel, ( mentioned the fact that i may never feel happy again.) and he said it's up to me but he did write out a prescription for an antidepressent. I don't care. No one says to me i am weak because i need to feel better. My brain just was not thinking like it should, i know that. And the first BEST step is to admit it!!!! Damn i felt good when i walked out of his office, MILLIONS of people have depression, or symtoms that if left untreated can put you there. I am not going crazy!!!!!! yea!!!!! thats a great feeling! My brain chemicals (mainly seretonin, was not making the trip across my head to another transmitter.) I may have not been making enough seretonin. And that is the feel GOOD chemical. I am on this medication for 6 months....Lexapro. The newest antidepressent. Only a dry mouth, i suck life savers. The drug has it's own website.
    If you need to sleep, they usually prescribe a low dose of Xanax .05 just to take the edge off and help you sleep. Xanax like Valium ect. (benzodiazepines) are HIGHLY addictive if taken over a long period of time. Antidepressents are NOT. Candigrl, i have been on this drug 5 weeks now, and i feel great again! Myself. These drugs take up to a couple of weeks to actually work, some sooner depending on your responce to them. Sometimes we all need a kick in the ass. And no one will ever have to now you are taking them but you! I prefer to tell you, because this medication pulled me out of many situations that were dragging me down. Lots luck to you! Never feel that way, you don't have to. Pamela

  3. #3
    Pamela
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    Default Re: Depression

    Candigrl, can't you go to a clinic (free) there? Or a much cheaper version, you family practioner? They can also prescribe anything you would need to give you that extra boost. Also, only the visit may cost you the money, when a drug is new or sometimes any drug for that matter, the doctors usually get packets of samples to just give you. I hate to hear you goig through this. Gosh i tried ST Johns Wort, Kava Kava, to no avail. Rash. great just what i needed. (YUK) If i can be of any help let me know.
    From a friend who has been there ~ Pamela

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    Default Re: Depression

    Sweetie, do what you have to to get treatment. My depression escalated a few years ago and it was awful - no one should ever have to feel like that. I was very fortunate to find treatment and medication that worked for me and it was as if I got my life back. Depression is an insidious disease and it affects women with far more frequency and severity than men. I hope that you can find a way to get the money for an office visit and medication. Look around for a sliding scale clinic or dr. and get help! You deserve to feel good.

  5. #5
    Featured Member TiNi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    Colette is right. I had to go to a specialist cause I got so bad that I was feeling numb throughout my body. It could get bad if you dont get help.

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    Default Re: Depression

    Candigirl, if you can get a prescription for the necessary medications, and are short-changed financially, ask your doctor about the drug company "scholarships". Almost all major drug companies have a set-up where you and your doctor fill out and send in the appropriate forms, and once approved, you get low cost or free fills of your prescribed medication. This is especially true with most psychiatric drugs, with an emphasis on many of the older ones like Prozac, amitryptiline, etc....
    Also, if you check with United Way or Family & Child Services in your area, they should be able to give you reference to low-cost or sliding-scale counselling services. I know United Way runs a counselling center in Birmingham, where I only had to pay $5 per visit when I was suffering with post-partum depression 5 years ago. It stands to reason that Birmingham is not the only place where they have them.

    Take care of yourself first and foremost. Don't worry about what anyone thinks.

    McCain

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    Veteran Member Theresa's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    I know that I get really depressed in the winter time, there is barely any sunlight where I live, the weather is always frigid and the skies are grey most of the time. It SUCKS. The only thing I want to do is sleep all the time. Actually a lot of people can get like this, it is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The only thing that makes me feel better is to go tanning like, every other day, which is pretty bad for me but it makes me feel better.
    But I agree with everyone else, do whatever you have to do to make yourself feel better. It also helps to have a good circle of friends to cheer you up, and you definitely have some good friends here.

  8. #8
    Featured Member TiNi's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    Gosh they have a diagnose for everything. I think scientist, doctors get a thrill trying to make some people seem ill when its really not. I study psychology. Most of the thing that we think is reality is really our minds overloading. Which triggers the brain to react.

    I wish something that I found another way of getting better than taking medition. My situation was to the point of turning blind and being in the bed and hostipal for 2 months so I had to take it. But some people just need other people to talk to.
    You could overcome depression.

    Candi once they put you on meditation you will need to stay on that medicine for life. I glad I dont need my medicine like that I just take it when I get sick.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Depression

    Candigrl,

    Another natural alternative you might want to look at is dl-Phenylalinine (DLPA). It's an amino acid that is often good for relief of depression and pain. Make sure you get DLPA, and not just LPA, since the DLPA seems to be more effective against depression. You can usually get it at the local health food stores.

    Good luck

  10. #10
    God/dess Jenny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    Candi; I read once about a kind of reading therapy. I believe it is just reading essentially, but some people have evidently had excellent results. Cathartic experience and all that. The psychology major may have more information on that.

    Jenny
    I have taught that the sky in all its zones is mortal and its substance was formed by a process of birth

  11. #11
    Pamela
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    Default Re: Depression

    Hope you are feeling better sweety!!! Thinking of you, Pamela
    Ps got the Pm, for some reason there is no text.

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    Member ashley's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    I really hope you get to a doctor soon and get this taken care of sweety. I know EXACTLY how you feel. I've been going through the same thing for almost a year now. I kept thinking that I'd be able to handle it myself, or that things would eventually get better and these feelings would just go away. I've tried everything...talking to friends, going out, never being alone, working crazy hours to keep me busy and keep me from thinking, I even tried seeking religious counseling. And NOTHING has worked. I am still in the same mindset. I would definately encourage you to seek counseling and medication!!! It doesn't go away on it's own. Most likely it's a chemical imbalance...which is great!, cuz it can be corrected with drugs
    Best of luck!!! Keep us all posted on how you're doing
    Hugz & kisses

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Depression

    You can go to a state funded mental health center and sometimes they will give you medication (samples) for free. They have lots of resourses for mental health for those who need it at certain mental health clinics. They also have research facilities who do medication, counseling and moniter your progress. You can call around in your area. I suffer from depression and severe panic attacks since I was 14 My grandma had the same thing, We would act the same during an attack it was so weird to see her and know exactly what she was felling but none else did. A lot of this could be genetic, circumstantial, so many people deal with it. I'm just glad there is help and medication ther wasn't for my grandma, only valium which is addictive and sedative. Call around clinics and check the resources in your area you shouldn't have to feel the way you do. Just really look iside yourself, You'll get through this, but use all your resources.

  14. #14
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    Default Re: Depression

    About a year ago, I was having major anxiety problems (had panic attacks when I got near my front door and hence did not leave my apartment for about three weeks... it was *really* bad) and I went in to a community mental health place and they gave me Buspar for free. I took the meds for maybe a month or so, and then got off them - I just needed some help getting out of the house so I could get back to my life, and once I was in the habit of it being okay to go outside again, I didn't need the pills anymore.

    Today I went in to the hospital and talked to some people there. I've had problems with depression on and off for probably ten or more years now, and frankly, I'm sick of it. I want to either get better or stop living this life - I cannot face the idea of feeling like this, even part-time, for another twenty years. I honestly don't care which outcome I get at this point - if I get better or get dead, it's all the same, as I won't have to go through all this anymore. They made me promise to go back to the hospital if I was feeling suicidal, and gave me Celexa (which is fuckin' expensive! two weeks worth cost me $40, and of course I don't have insurance.. gah! I wonder if I could trade table dances for psych drugs.. hah. nah.) and I have to make an appointment for talk therapy on Monday.

    I will give this a shot. I'm not convinced it's going to work. But I really don't have much of a choice at this point - I spend far too much time crying and being miserable and being unable to function. This depression, which I have had about as long as I can remember, has affected my relationships with everyone I know. I am impossible to deal with sometimes - I know this. I am selfish and demanding and I am always having a crisis of some sort. It has affected my work - it's hard to be cheerful and happy when you're dying inside, and most of this job is being cheerful and pleasant and good company.

    Candigirl, get yourself some help. Serious depression- not just the blues, but depression - is NOT something that will just go away. I have been living with these demons far too long, and I am fed up. And I'm only 25 years old. We do NOT have to feel this way - but we have to DO something or we'll never get better.

    PM me or give me your email if you want to talk - I'm not sure I have an email attatched to my account here, and if I do I'm pretty sure it's one I never check. But I'm more than happy to listen to you if you need to rant, or share my experiances with a decade or so of mental problems.

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Depression

    Psychiatrists are always going to throw medications at you. Its a bussiness. Once they get you hooked you keep coming back. Meds are their solution for everything. Many times these meds can actually make you believe that you are sick even if you are not. If you do not need them, they can really mess with your head and make you even more depressed. You know yourself better than any doctor does. Examine everything that is going on in your life. Many factors can influence depression and once you can pin point what they are, can be worked on without meds. Is there anything in your life causing you stress? Did something happen to you when you were younger, family problems, boyfriend or husband problems, pregnancy etc? Counseling is ok if you find the right counselor. But PLEASE do not think that medication is always the right answer. Of course there are some people that do indeed need meds.....and for them medication is great. The wrong combo of meds can also have terrible side effects. losing your hair, weight gain, appetite changes, and sleep changes...(not for the better) Try to get your mind off of your depression (I know its hard) But if you associate with the right people, eat right, exercise.....things themselves can offer a huge improvement on your life. Its a fact that exercise can help your mental health. Feel better girls!!!!!!Good luck

  16. #16
    Pamela
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    Default Re: Depression

    Becca, you bring up very good points. However if it is indeed depression, it's all about the chemicals in your brain. Some chemicals just don't make the trip to the other side of the brain. Depression can be very serious, it is a disease. Once having it, the return rate is high. Medication can be bad, i agree. It's all about trying to find the right med. for your body. And Talk therapy with meds. help even more, a persons so called "normal " feelings return even quicker. Antidepressents are not addictive, and can be stopped quickly if any uncomfortable side effects come along. You raise great points, but if all else fails, and one feles that life sucks, i think a doctor may be a good idea. And medication, if the situation calls for it. And yes, Psychiatrists are Medical doctors, trained to prescribe medication. PHD's are not allowed to prescribe meds, they are talk therapy only. Maybe mention of herbal supplements. Depression is no joke again...i could not get out of bed, or stop crying, talk therapy was beyond me. I am now on Lexapro, due to a bad breakup, that we are trying to work out, also due to my job choices. Depression came on slow, i kept hearing "get a grip" i could not. Anyway, there are alot of levels of depression. Mild to severe. Strange disorder indeed. I went for medication therapy, due to the fact i was non functional. Luck to all who can stand up and rear your head at this ugly disease!!! Pamela

  17. #17
    Pamela
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    Default Re: Depression

    A hug for Candigrl, and kiss Pamela

  18. #18
    Pamela
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    Default Re: Depression

    I have lots of experience with adopting sweety. If you like my dogs, and child. Snake you may not be up too??? If you can shake that ass, you have got to be a good bet! Kisses... Pamela

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    Default Re: Depression

    Now I have meds.

    This is my feeling on meds: they are not the solution. However, they can help you feel better enough to get to a point where you can actually deal with the problems. Right now, I cannot deal with problems. I can hardly get by day to day. The biggest issue I can deal with without breaking down is feeding the cat. So I will take the meds, and hopefully I will be able to function day to day, and then I will be in therapy and get off the meds. I will NOT take them for the rest of my life.

  20. #20
    Veteran Member hollyday's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    Candigirl
    hang in there, i have been there myself and i know what its like..in the wintere i get cabin fever as well really bad...the bar is dead and theres no fresh faces to talk to.
    i've been on anti-depressents for awhile and they really help...like tini i have anxiety attacks
    sometimes we have chemical imbalances in our brains that cause us to become depressed, there nothing wrong with it and its not outr faults...sometimes we're just wired different..
    i would talk to your doctor
    please dont feel bad about venting
    thats what we're all here for
    hang in there sweetie
    holly
    blessed be

  21. #21
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    Default Re: Depression

    Hey, just wanted to let you know you're not alone in experiencing this! I,too, have suffered from major depression for quite some time, and am currently going through some extreme anxiety/panic attacks. Overwhelming as it may be, we have to continue our struggle forward....depression and anxiety ARE physical ailments- not a product of a deficient mind.
    Good luck!

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    Default Re: Depression

    I took Buspar for anxiety about a year ago - I took it for about a month, long enough to get back in the habit of leaving the house, and I had zero side effects and no problems when I quit taking it.

    That's the only solution to anxiety I've found that's somewhat healthy - the alternative for me is alcohol, and that's a bad thing to medicate with.

  23. #23
    Senior Member witt's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    Hey Candigrl,

    I can relate to your job situation. Two years ago I was in a job that I hated, it always seemed the boss was on me and no matter what I did it never was good enough. I really wanted to get out, but I did not know what else I could do. To make a long story short, I was eventually fired. I was at a total loss for what to do.

    Now two years later I have started my own business, and I am making more money than ever. It has not been easy at all, but now I am doing something I enjoy and I make my own rules. Now that I have made it past my hard times I realize that adversity has help to make me into a much better person.

    Making a change is never easy, and I am not recommending you quit your job, but without change of some kind your life can never improve. I know this is corny, but I believe everything that happens happens for a reason.

    A few more corny sayings

    Nothing ventured Nothing gained.
    It's always darkest before the dawn.

    Good luck with your job. Good luck with dancing if you decide to do that. I'm sure everything will end up working out for you.

  24. #24
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    Default Re: Depression

    basically, there's two types of depression... depression as a result of particular life experience (death of a loved one, a job you hate, or some other traumatic experience) and biochemical depression.

    if the depression is a result of a certain life event (or series of events) medication may be an ideal solution for the short term. the faster you can remove the symptoms of depression, the faster and more effectively you can deal with the life situations that got you to that state. once you have made whatever necessary changes or otherwise dealt with the problem(s) that caused the depression, you can go off the medication and still be able to function as your old healthy self. depending on the individual and the cause(s) of the depression, this can take weeks, months or years and may require psychotherapy to get you back to normal.

    biochemical depression is something else entirely. it's an actual physical problem within the brain. for those people who suffer from biochemical depression, even extensive psychotherapy and normal life situations will probably not ever get you to the point of feeling completely normal. many people who are biochemically depressed aren't even aware of the problem since feeling "normal" for them IS depression, just in varying degrees. usually it takes some type of traumatic or challenging event that lays them low enough to seek help before they learn that they're biochemically depressed. for these people, medication can be a revelation in that they've NEVER felt that good, that empowered, that worry-free, that HAPPY.

    depression is difficult to get out of since the cycle of depression actually keeps you depressed. the biggest and probably most important symptom of depression is lack of motivation. without motivation, it's impossible to break out of the depression cycle... you know you're unhappy, you know you're depressed, you know you need to make some life changes, but the lack of motivation that is part of depression keeps you from being able to get out of it, so you get caught up in the cycle, spiraling ever downward until life becomes so unbearable that you seek help. often people with depression/anxiety don't seek professional help until they suffer from physical symptoms (irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, appetite loss, respiratory problems, heart problems, sleep difficulties, excessive physical weakness, etc.). often, the help they seek is for those physical symptoms not realizing that depression/anxiety is the cause.

    depression and anxiety very often go hand in hand. when you become so depressed that you've lost much of the control of your own life, it causes excessive worry and brings on feeling of panic that your life is out of your control... worry and feelings of panic is what causes anxiety and anxiety attacks.

    whatever type of help you seek, the important thing is that you DO seek help. it needs to be determined by a professional whether your depression is caused by certain life event(s) or if it's biochemical, and devise a plan of treatment for you that works. you may need to try several different kinds of medications before you find one that works best for you with minimal to no noticable side effects. if you take medication, you need to accept the fact that you may need to be on medication for an unknown amount of time and not let it bother you if that time period is longer then you would prefer. take the medication if it's recommended, and let go of any bad feelings about it. don't allow yourself to set even vague time limitations on how long you believe it's acceptable for you to take medication... it doesn't matter. what DOES matter is that you lead a happy, healthy and productive life, medication or not.

    Orchid - don't insist that you won't take medication for depression for the remainder of your life. if you are biochemically depressed, you very well may need to. there is NO shame in taking medication for depression or anxiety for ANY length of time. depression, to some degree, effects everyone at some point or points in their lives... it's not just something that crazy or "abnormal" people suffer. biochemical depression is an actual physical illness... would you balk at taking medication for the rest of your life for any other physical illness that required it?

    Juliet, anxiety attacks are terribly debilitating (as i'm sure you know). there are many different medications that stop the adrenalin cycle that's the cause of anxiety attacks. there's also a very good book i think you'd get a lot of help and encouragement out of called "Hope and Help for Your Nerves" by Dr. Claire Weekes. it's relatively short and a very easy read (not "textbook like" at all). here's some excerpts from the book you (or anybody else that's interested) can read...

    http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...=6#reader-link

    keep in mind that this book was written in the late '60's, and much has been learned about depression/anxiety since then as well as a far wider range of medications is available now then at that time. the basic substance of the book is still pretty much right on. actually, this book can be very helpful and encouraging for those that suffer from depression as well.

    i've suffered from biochemical depression all my life. the good news is, i've been taking medication for it for years, and will probably do so for the remainder of my life. and you know what? I DON'T CARE. i don't care because until i did something about my depression, i never knew how it was to be TRULY happy. before the medication, there was ALWAYS a cloud of some size hovering over my silver lining no matter how stable or normal my life was. we're damn lucky to live in an age where there is available treatment for such a debilitating illness and actually have the choice to live happy productive, stimulating and interesting lives where in the past you had to hang on by the skin of your teeth and live as best as your depression would allow you to because there was no other option.

    ::climbing off heavy-duty soap box::

  25. #25
    Veteran Member Adina's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depression

    I've suffered from depression all of my adult life and most of my adolescent life too. I've taken medication for 8 years. For a long time I grappled with the issue of medication, i.e. am I a weak or defective person because I take medication? Will I become "addicted"? Does it alter my personality and make me a different person?

    Ultimately I realized that medication doesn't make you happy; it helps you from sinking into the hole further until it's too deep to get out. I still get sad, I still have issues with my self-esteem, and have the highs and lows that come with life, but I don't sink into the depths of despair the way I used to. It's a shame that in our society there's such a stigma attached to depression and other forms of mental illness. As if a person who is sick is somehow responsible for being that way because of their own shortcomings or whatever, when medical research has proved and continues to prove that disorders including depression are a result of a chemical imbalance.

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