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UCLABelle

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Sometimes there are days when even the worlds most beautiful diamond can''t make you happy...I was wondering if any of you suffer from mild, moderate, or severe depression?

I suffer from it, and it is something I don''t tell many people, but was wondering how many out there suffer too?
 

poptart

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Not diagnosed... that seems to be my MO, lol. But yes, I''ve had problems with depression since I was about 12 or so. It comes and goes off and on. It seems to last a few months then go away for a while and come back. I was pretty bad in high school, had some counseling that did absolutely nothing. Right now it''s really hard because DH is gone, and I''m trying to stay positive, but it gets really difficult, especially when I''ve had a bad day and I just want someone to talk to but the house is empty. When I am having a really bad day I try to stay home and watch funny movies if it''s a weekend. If not, I do what needs to be done for the day and come home and rest because I seem to feel worn out ALL of the time. Taking nice baths helps, too, as well as reading because it gives my mind something else to think about. I''m sorry you are feeling so badly and I wish I could tell you more to help. Have you talked to a doctor?

*M*
 

UCLABelle

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Thanks PopTart- I have talked to many doctors. I am actually on Prozac and Xanax. On top of the depression, I have some medical problems as a result of a VSD repair as a kid (heart surgery). It seems never ending....

Baths do seem to help. I also thought that T&Co ring I just got would help...but it seems while it is beautiful, and perfect, it didn''t work.
 

jadeleaves

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Date: 2/12/2007 3:02:12 PM
Author:UCLABelle
Sometimes there are days when even the worlds most beautiful diamond can''t make you happy...I was wondering if any of you suffer from mild, moderate, or severe depression?


I suffer from it, and it is something I don''t tell many people, but was wondering how many out there suffer too?

UCLABelle, I suffer from clinical depression, and had been on medication for the past 12 yrs, with a couple of yrs break in between. It took me awhile to reconcile myself to the fact that I have to be medicated for most probably the rest of my live, and now I have made my peace with it. I tried getting off meds, but it wasn''t working for me, and things got pretty bad before I went back on them and I am much, much better now. Before I had my baby my doctor did reduced the dosage of my meds, and got me to start taking fish oil capsules, and that has helped too. I am now contemplating going off meds and just taking fish oil capsules, but am really scared of going back to square one. I do not want to go back to that black period in my life, and I have so much to live for now, with my family, my precious little boy, everything I have achieved in my career. It is a fine line to walk, and everyday I am still fighting that battle so I will not fall into the black pit of depression again.

Material things has never helped. I was one of those ppl who thought I could cope with this on my own, screw the meds because I did not want to be reliant on them, but it wasn''t working for me. I am not advocating meds, just that it has made my quality of life better in that I am not walking around like a zombie not wanting to live. If u ask me to pinpoint an exact moment I became depressed, I couldn''t for the life of me tell you WHEN it happened. It just started gradually, and then suddenly.

The support of my loved ones has helped tremendously, and I hope you have that too. Depression makes one feel like they are alone in the world, and I want you to know that we are here for you if you need to talk, when you''re really down, and just want a listening ear. Here''s a cyber *hug* for u!
 

Jolly

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Hello,

Interesting topic
I have had times in my life when everything looks bad. I was prescribed some pills and they seemed to work, but I didn''t continue with them. For me it was enough to know that I can feel happy, that it is largely about chemicals and to be sure that I watch my thoughts with the knowledge that I should be able to control my moods.

I am not suggesting that the drugs are a bad thing because I know that they work. I prefer to deal with my emotions from the inside. I am frightened by the drugs because I think that if I used them I would become dependant on them, that they would alter my moods and if I decided not to use them I might have less control then if I never used them. I don''t know if this is true. As I said I have only been depressed, not suffered from depression as an illness.

I wish you all the best. I use depression as an excuse to do something for myself. For me, depression is usually about not doing enough for myself, just plain feeling sorry for myself.

D
 

Blenheim

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Me.

By the way, true depression isn''t just everything looking bad. I wasted months believing that I could deal with it myself and snap myself out of it, but only meds were able to lift me out of the accompanying fog.
 

Jolly

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When you are depressed you can''t remember anything ever being good. Mood seeks likewise memories. When you are happy you doubt you will ever be unhappy. This post reminds me to remind myself to be positive.
 

diamondfan

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I often wonder if my sleep problems are a mild form of it. I have some blue days, but tend to rebound. I am definitely an anxious person, and have a lot of physical issues, migraines, fibromyalgia...and it is tough to be peppy and feel great with that stuff. I hate disappointing people and hate conflict, and it really upsets me if one of my kids is unhappy. I only take an occasional xanax for high anxiety situations...but there are times I just feel low. I tell myself not to, I have all I could ever need or want and more, but that is not it. In my rational mind I know I have a wonderful husband, three gorgeous great kids and an amazing blessed life, but there are still things that can really make me unhappy.

It is really an issue if you cannot function, cannot get out of bed easily, lose your appetite, cannot take any joy or pleasure in things you used to, and you think you will never feel better...having support is vital at that point, if not before.

Belle, Kaleigh and I would love to meet with you!
 

poptart

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Yes, depression can affect sleep for sure. I am constantly exhausted and don''t sleep too well. And it''s frustrating that the world feels gray all of the time... if anyone gets what I mean.

*M*
 

Jolly

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I think Pricescope is an antidepressant
 

diamondfan

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I think a lack of sleep makes everything awful...I am lucky if I get 5 or 6 hours most nights...usually more like 3 oe 4, and it is just not enough...wears on you after a couple nights, and this has been an issue for me for as long as I can recall. And since I am not a college student, it is really not a way to live!!!

It makes me less patient and pretty crabby too, which then makes me feel badly that I am not more patient and less crabby...your basic viscious cycle...
 

Jolly

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Hi DF,

I like thinking. I am pretty happy to follow random thoughts for hours. As for sleepless nights, after a while I am too exhausted to talk to myself (in my head), and I just watch my thoughts and try to make them useful. If I have sleepless nights it is where I am restless and so I can''t sleep. In that case I have a marathon thinking session. If it doesn''t look like I am going to sleep at all I find a nice thinking place and contemplate all things - what is making me restless. I don''t find it impacts on my day because doing that works better for rest then sleep, well except in the morning when I am supposed to be waking and I panic. I naturally expect the restlessness will continue, but I always find myself feeling free. It does me good…

I don’t know if this helps, but if you can restrain the urge to panic when you can’t sleep and ride with it, you might also start your day feeling good (regardless of how hellish your night was).
 

diamondfan

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Thanks P, I try to just not get uptight about it, I go in our guestroom and put on the tv and just pass out eventually, but I just cannot get that comfy. I have constant nagging pain and am allergic to most anti-inflammatories so I usually have too much pain to get to sleep. Plus being a champion worrier does not help. Right now some nanny issues are weighing on me and I am freaking a bit, and so I just keep chewing over the same stuff in my head. (ocd anyone?). Being a parent has certainly added to my burden though I love them all so much I am not a relaxed parent, I just overthink things too much!
 

Jolly

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It makes more sense to me to assume your subconscience wants your thoughts to be positive. That is what the turmoil is about. I know it is easier to say then do, but the stuff that goes through your head REALLY matters.
 

diamondfan

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my mom always says that to me, garbage in garbage out...but if you are a worrywart the bad is easier to have in your head than the good!
 

firebirdgold

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I don''t have depression per se, but I am bipolar so I can sympathize. I too get the ever-so-fun depression symptoms.
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I recently made the rather stupid mistake of thinking that I didn''t really need all those meds.... ooh look, it''s a yawning black pit!


Quite frankly it sucks to be on meds for the rest of one''s life, but I just think of it as some chronic condition like diabetes. And like many diseases and conditions there are things that can be done in addition to meds that help. At least for me a very regular sleep schedule is vital even though it can be challenging to do so when one is depressed or manic. You might want to try standing outside and looking directly at the sun (with your eyes closed of course) for five minutes every morning. The sunlight that gets through your eyelids will help set your sleep clock.

I have a Xanax prescription as a sleep aid if I ever start to have real problems shutting down my mind. So I have to wonder how handy Xanax is for depression?

Have you thought of one of the other types of antidepressants? Like Wellbutrin? I must admit to a serious anti-prozac bias because it and its relatives have some really unfortunate effects on people who have depressive symptoms but are not depressed because of serotonin problems. (If I''m remembering correctly)
I don''t know how wellbutrin and the others work but they are effective for some people. The brain and it''s workings are still a mystery for even the best doctors. So I wouldn''t exactly trust them all the time.



btw... I know there''s no reason to think you''re suffering from anything other than depression, but I do like to mention bipolar when a woman says she''s feeling depressed. Depression is viewed as so much more common in women than being bipolar that the possibility often gets overlooked. It doesn''t help that bipolar women present with much stronger and more frequent depressive symptoms than men.
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hilbake

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Does anyone here know how to tell if you''re really depressed or if you''re just down?
When is it time to actually go and see a doctor for it?
 

firebirdgold

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These aren''t the clinical signs, this is just my opinion:

You''ve been feeling this way for a minimum of either two weeks straight or more than a month on and off. There is no major and current external cause. Although people can become clinically depressed after an event, basically you get in a hole and can''t get out on your own. You don''t enjoy the things that you used to (enjoying books and movies doesn''t count, as they help people escape the effects for a bit).
You have trouble doing things. You have trouble being social. You want to just crawl into a bed/hole and hide (not a necessary sign). You are having negative thoughts about yourself, your worth, and/or your abilities. You are having sleep problems, either too much or too little (this is a key sign). Your appetite and/or eating habits have changed (not necessary sign but common). You feel hopeless, like there''s no end to this black cloud in sight.


Feel better!
 

icekid

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I don''t suffer from depression personally (though I am sure we all have our days!), but I just wanted to jump in and say that SSRIs are wonderful medications and I highly recommend talking to your doctor about them. They do so much good for many, many people. And taking them is nothing to be ashamed about, or worry about being "dependent" on them. Depression IS an illness, like any other, and you should not feel like you just have to deal with it.

And I second the fish capsules that Jade mentioned!

UCLABelle- if you''re taking meds and still feeling depressed, you might want to talk w/ your doctor about changing to a different med? There are so many options now and some work better than others for the individual. Just a thought! I wish diamonds solved all of my problems too though
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Blenheim

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Date: 2/13/2007 11:44:49 AM
Author: hilbake
Does anyone here know how to tell if you''re really depressed or if you''re just down?

When is it time to actually go and see a doctor for it?

There are a lot of depression screening tests online. Google would turn a bunch up, although some might be more reliable than others.
 

UCLABelle

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I am glad I am not only, but sad some of us struggle with this problem. There are many ways to tell, but I think seeing a doctor is a great way. They actually gave me a test...Which I either "passed" or "failed"
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UCLABelle

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IceKid- I have talked to my doctor, and tried one other type of medication and now was told to "lower" my prozac dose. That perhaps I was having "adverse" reactions...

I swear, diamonds really should work :)
 

Allisonfaye

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I think you are going to always be disappointed if you expect a thing to keep you from being depressed. In fact, there was a recent study and book about what made people happy. Experience made people happier than things. Experiences made memories. People enjoyed things only temporarily, after which they needed a new thing to experience the same high. It was really quite interesting.

I have been around many depressed people in my life. I had a boyfriend who had it as well as his mother and aunt. My mother is bipolar and I have experienced depression at times. I have only taken one medication for it and it didn''t work for me (kept me awake) so I tried a different kind. I was unemployed at the time and I think this was the main contributing factor. I didn''t have enough to stimulate my mind. I got a job pretty fast and then I was fine.

I have been feeling like I am having bouts of it lately. The last few winters, I have either had a small baby or been pregnant and I think that actually helped me. It gave me something to do and kept me very busy. But this year, I have a three year old and a 16 month old and I am stuck in a lot of the time due to our weather or their naps. Nothing in my life is particularly bothering me. I think it is chemical.

I think I am generally a low energy person so doing much beyond taking care of my two little kids is hard for me. I wish I had more energy so I could do more. I think that would help. But right now, I am just tired a lot of the time. I try working out and that helps some. Honestly, I am hoping that when the weather warms up, I will feel better. Not sure how to advise you but I hope you feel better.

Also, I have to respectfully disagree with those who say that positive thoughts will lift you out of it. Frankly, that sounds like something Tom Cruise would say. And I think it is attitudes like that that make people feel bad about seeking medical attention for depression.
 

opalship

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34.gif
I liked what Allisonfaye, says in her opening paragraph, it brings to mind the value of a satisfing hobby that always offers a new exciting project. It can be very uplifting and always contain new project interest to deter you from allowing depression to set in.

I myself frequently paint, garden, and cut gemstones...a good hobby for someone here, might be to try your hand a cabochons, I would rather get jazzed on making a cool gem than some medication. :'')
 

Jolly

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Hello Allison,

Experiences make you happy, not things. That is nice!

I have realized that I suffer from boredom, not depression. When I feel boxed in I often internalize the feeling and that leads to depression.

No, positive thoughts will not lift you out of depression if you are trying to avoid the feeling of depression, but if you learn to be positive you won''t be depressed. In that way, I am saying you should capture your thoughts. You must have a reason to live. (This ‘reason’, is who you are). It makes things worse if you find you are concentrating on your depressed state. If the fact you feel depressed is on your mind, then you can''t snap out of it. To me it is about loosing the habit of thinking you are depressed. It is better to say that you are OK and believe it. You can.

The drugs sound good, but they are a product too. We are not talking about a medical illness as much as the actual driving force that pushes us to do everything we do. If I got out bed only because I need money to survive and must eat before my next nights sleep and there was nothing else to it, I''d die, but we are not built like that. That is why I say, try to make sense of what you are feeling and take it as it comes, deal with it (your thoughts count).

It is wrong to overplay the idea that you are sick. If you never took a pill you would have found some other way to cope. What you do to cope with life is what matters. It makes you what you are. If you feel like you need to minimise harm you might take pills or might be a drunk with no money and poor health, you might be a steroid freak or a megalomaniac politician (such drive) etc. If you feel like you are justified to own your thoughts and feelings you won''t really need to do anything. You should not feel guilty about anything and just be relaxed with your neighbours. You can''t boost that up. It is the ground we walk on.

I am not saying that taking pills makes you bad. I wouldn’t even assert that I have the right to do that. They are not a necessary evil, but just one other thing that people do to prop themselves up without addressing the real issue. If you like the way they make you feel then be happy for that. There is no shame in being normal. If you become dependant on prescribed drugs, than that is another story. You are giving yourself away too cheaply.

I have a question. If you could take a pill that would make you feel happy for the rest of your life no matter what might happen would you take it?
 

Blenheim

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Date: 2/14/2007 5:32:18 PM
Author: Allisonfaye
Also, I have to respectfully disagree with those who say that positive thoughts will lift you out of it. Frankly, that sounds like something Tom Cruise would say. And I think it is attitudes like that that make people feel bad about seeking medical attention for depression.

Thanks for saying this -- I''ve been sitting here steaming. Providence, do you have any actual medical knowledge of depression? Depression is not a habit, it IS a medical illness. Antidepressents are NOT happy pills. They do not make you happy for the rest of your life, or even while you''re taking them. They do, however, help you to feel normal. They help you to overcome the feeling of continually being on the verge of tears and take away the mental fog. Research (the scientific kind) shows that depression is most effectively addressed by a combination of medicine and therapy. There are still times when I''m sad, times when life sucks, of course, but I feel much better equipped to address it when I take my meds.

What was it about this thread that brought you out of lurking? I''m honestly curious. 6 out of your 7 posts to date have been here.


Indie, I''m taking wellbutrin. Evidently there''s a pretty strong link between what drugs are most effective for people who are closely related, so based on family members'' experience I started off with it. My sleep is still really messed up though, and I''m wondering if I should try something else.
 

Jolly

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Blenheim,

I recently met with my ex. She was in a teary state. She is trying to get pregnant and she is off her drugs. The thing is, when we were together she would never have tried the drugs. She is very emotional. I loved that. She was a source of strength to me and I admired her. Years after we split we started hanging together and she was so different. I did not even want to see her anymore. She was fake. Now nobody can tell what she really felt. This is the main reason I am posting. I have friends who are taking medications and I don''t have a deep personal relationship with them and if what they say about who they are without the drugs is true then that is ok. This may sound selfish and I am trying to understand your need for the drugs, but I felt they did my ex a massive disservice. This post interests me because I don''t really know much on the subject. I suspect I could fall into depression easy enough, but I don''t want to. The concept of happy pills (they are to me) doesn''t ring true. I''d much rather all the colors of my emotions, but as I have mentioned I don''t suffer from depression and I can only speak from my own perspective. I have not been lurking. Why would I post more when this is about the only thing that I have seen on this forum which interests me? What did you think my motives are?

This reference to Tom Cruise is completely mistaken. I have to disagree.
 

decodelighted

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Let me catalog the dangerous & just plain wrong KrazyTalk (tm) you''re spewing:

Date: 2/14/2007 7:16:57 PM
Author: providence
if you learn to be positive you won''t be depressed.
It is wrong to overplay the idea that you are sick.
(RX) are not a necessary evil, but just one other thing that people do to prop themselves up without addressing the real issue.

For someone who DOESN''T suffer from depression & ISN''T a mental health or medical professional ... you seem to think you''ve got it all figured out, dontcha?

Good thing most people ... especially those who DO suffer ... won''t pay a lick of mind to little ol'' "like to pontificate a lot" you.
 

littlelysser

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Providence -

It is people like you that make things very difficult for people that struggle with mental health issues. People with mental illness often suffer from a chemical imbalance. For you to even intimate that a person struggling with mental illness should think themselves happy is simply disgusting. Members of my family have struggled with mental illness for years. My sister suffered from Severe Clinical Depression which lead to a psychotic break. She believed my parents were aliens. And her doctor was the devil. Medication was the only thing that brought her back from the brink. Perhaps she could have just thought herself happy. Or perhaps she should have just thought about why she believed my parents were aliens. I''m sure she could have just thought herself though it. Perhaps she should have dealth with her mental illness without pills to "prop her up."

You CLEARLY do not understand depression and mental illness. It isn''t like my sister woke up one day and was a tad depressed and she could have just played with a kitten or thought about happy things. Mental illness is a real illness. Perhaps if I can liken it as to someone suffering from a chronic disease - like diabetes. Perhaps you would advocate that they and judge them for being unable to wish the insulin to perform properly.

You liked all the colors of your EX-girlfriend''s personality? PLEASE! Could you be more selfish? Did you ever think about how it felt for her to be what you dubbed "very emotional." What you see and what she feels are very different. Perhaps you''d feel a bit differently about seeing "all the colors of your personality" if those "colors" changed your view of reality and made you want to die.

Your uneducated and closed minded "perspective" iis why people are ashamed of mental illness.

I''m disgusted.
 

Allisonfaye

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Date: 2/15/2007 11:34:46 AM
Author: littlelysser
Providence -

It is people like you that make things very difficult for people that struggle with mental health issues. People with mental illness often suffer from a chemical imbalance. For you to even intimate that a person struggling with mental illness should think themselves happy is simply disgusting. Members of my family have struggled with mental illness for years. My sister suffered from Severe Clinical Depression which lead to a psychotic break. She believed my parents were aliens. And her doctor was the devil. Medication was the only thing that brought her back from the brink. Perhaps she could have just thought herself happy. Or perhaps she should have just thought about why she believed my parents were aliens. I''m sure she could have just thought herself though it. Perhaps she should have dealth with her mental illness without pills to ''prop her up.''

You CLEARLY do not understand depression and mental illness. It isn''t like my sister woke up one day and was a tad depressed and she could have just played with a kitten or thought about happy things. Mental illness is a real illness. Perhaps if I can liken it as to someone suffering from a chronic disease - like diabetes. Perhaps you would advocate that they and judge them for being unable to wish the insulin to perform properly.

You liked all the colors of your EX-girlfriend''s personality? PLEASE! Could you be more selfish? Did you ever think about how it felt for her to be what you dubbed ''very emotional.'' What you see and what she feels are very different. Perhaps you''d feel a bit differently about seeing ''all the colors of your personality'' if those ''colors'' changed your view of reality and made you want to die.

Your uneducated and closed minded ''perspective'' iis why people are ashamed of mental illness.

I''m disgusted.
I can''t say it any more eloquently than that.
 
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