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How do you get UNdepressed?

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miraclesrule

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I have to force myself to think differently. I refuse to allow myself to be depressed for any length of time. I will allow myself to be depressed about a situation. So I guess that would be situational depression.

I also count my blessings and imagine what it would be like to be in a refugee camp in Pakistan or something, and then it instantly puts my feelings into perspective.

If I go to gym, that helps too. It''s very easy these days to get depressed and feel helpless. So it''s a constant exercise for me to consciously choose to think differently. I believe that are thoughts can drive us crazy....
 

dragonfly411

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miracles - that is a great way to think about it! I''ll have to try imagining what my life would be like elsewhere.

I also try to remember that life is very short, so I better enjoy it.
 

omieluv

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I think you have gotten good suggestions for breaking a blah mood, however, if you constantly feel down, you might benefit from consulting with a therapist. I suggest that only because there are a few types of depression that are mild. So, for instance things can be going ok in your life, but you constantly feel down and do not seem to get much joy out of life. With mild versions of depression, you can sometimes have brief moments feeling relief, but then go back to feeling down again, for no reason. You mention that you feel depressed for no reason, so perhaps you might have something deeper going on. If you have a mild form, there are several treatment options available, which can include medication and/or various forms of "talk" therapy.

I am not suggesting that you are depressed, just something to consider and there is absolutely no shame in speaking with a therapist about it!

Check out dysthymia, which is a mild form of depression. It might also be worth checking into cyclothymia as well.
 

Italiahaircolor

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True depression is a mental illness that is very hard to "organically" cure.

I would suggest approaching your family doctor and discussing your options towarding finding the cure-all.

It can be scary taking that first step...and "not giving into it" isn''t doing you any favors if this is reaccuring.

I wish you the best.
 

Tacori E-ring

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How are you feeling lady?
 

iluvcarats

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Date: 10/13/2008 8:58:58 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
How are you feeling lady?
Thanks for asking Tacori! I am feeling better. I think some really great advice has been shared here.
I think Miranda had a great point in bringing up the tone of the country. This election has brought out the worst of our country. I think for me the most troubling is that I don''t believe anyone, because I don''t see how these problems are even fixable. And it is sad how polarized our country is. It is like that saying "red and blue mixed together makes our country one giant bruise" (or something like that) I feel a sense of universal hopelessness that is just sad. But like Miracles pointed out, it could always be worse. I often remind myself of that Yiddish folk tale where a man goes to see the rabbi because with all of his kids and wife and MIL, his hut was loud and crazy. So the rabbi tells him to bring the chickens inside. Even though the man thinks this strange, he does it anyway b/c the rabbi said too. But he goes back to let the rabbi know that this made things worse. The rabbi told him to bring the cows into the hut, and the man thinks he is crazy, but does it b/c the rabbi said to. Again, not any better. Back to the rabbi who tells him to bring in the goats. Well, you get the picture...IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE!


Everyone in my little world is happy and healthy, and I am grateful for that. I remind myself that this is not a dress rehearsal. No second chances. I try to enjoy each day. My husband is so wonderful. He has an amazing gift of common sense that always puts everything into perspective and leaves me speechless. And his patience.... I marvel at my amazing kids. They are true joy. Sometimes that negative part of myself questions why I am so lucky to have these terrific people in my life. Why do I deserve this while others are living in poverty, watching their children die of malaria or hunger. And then I feel guilty for being depressed or complaining at all, given that my life as compared to most is a pleasure, convincing myself that a worthy person of all this wouldn''t be so unappreciative. And this turns into a vicious cycle of self loathing, boiling down to "I have a great life that I am undeserving of" I know that this is spinning my wheels, and getting me exactly nowhere in life but stuck in my sad little head.

I see the same signs of depression in my daughter. She gets sad for "no reason" She is starting puberty. I feel guilty for passing this on to her, but greatful that I am aware and can help her. My parents were not present. They did what they could do, but they were very limited. My mom was severely depressed when I was little. I was the youngest of 4 all in six years and she was in and out of treatment, and not that nice. And mostly not to me. I don''t even know what I looked like as a baby or little girl b/c she took no pictures of me. None until I was 5 and went to school. So it makes me sad a little when people say they talk to their mom to make themselves feel better. I wish I had that, but I don''t. (but happy for you if you do) But I will with my own daughter. WE are very close and that makes me happy.

It is helpful to get feedback, so thank you all. And just cyber talking makes me feel better. Believe it or not, I am in a pretty good place. If I wasn''t, I never would have asked in the first place. Luckily I have not been *there* for a while. I am trying to glean the good from my life. And I am going to start doing volunteer work.

But I am really appreciative for this community. For the kindness and sharing of good advice. This is a wonderful place with special people. Sorry for the long post!

xoxo to you Tacori - you are such a doll!
 

kellyfish

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Sounds cliche, but volunteer work really will help. Also, exercise will help you feel more in control of your life & lift your spirits. Once you make the 1st step & are rewarded you will build momentum....
 

Maisie

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Date: 10/13/2008 4:09:31 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor
True depression is a mental illness that is very hard to ''organically'' cure.

I would suggest approaching your family doctor and discussing your options towarding finding the cure-all.

It can be scary taking that first step...and ''not giving into it'' isn''t doing you any favors if this is reaccuring.

I wish you the best.
Italia I love reading your posts. You always say what I was about to! Its like we think the same thoughts!!

I had to go and get medication. I have had low mood for as long as I remember. There have been up times too... but then I always dip back down again. I kept looking at other people and wishing I could be ''normal'' like them too.

I have been terrified of depression. After suffering from it after I had my first son, I was so scared it would come back. Thats why I didn''t even admit to myself how bad things were.

This medicine is really helping me. Its called Celexa in the states. I know its not for everyone, but its really helping me. Medication on its own isn''t right in my opinion. Talking therapies work really well too.

Don''t worry about getting help. We are all here to help you through it
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Tacori E-ring

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Depression and the blues are two VERY different things and it sounds like you just have the blues. Sometimes it is difficult not to get overwhelmed with life. This is a difficult time for the country. For the world. It is hard not to let that affect your moral. We will recover though. You need to remind yourself that what goes up must go down (and then back up!) Unless you feel like you are truly depressed (and then you need professional help) I do believe in mind over matter. I also believe anyone who experiences depression knows pretty quickly if what they are feeling is normal sadness or if they are starting to swim in dangerous waters.

Your daughter is LUCKY to have you. I think it took me a long time to realize that the sadness I felt as a child was not normal. Being a kid was very hard for me. I would NEVER want to redo that portion of my life! Sometimes I worry that T will inherit some of my darkness. But then I remind myself I cannot worry about things that are out of my control. I will just try to be there for her and educate her why she feels things differently.

Everyone was so worried (including me) that I would have PPD which thankfully I did not. My baby blues were very mild. But I am always aware of what could happen. I am grateful for my life and grateful that I have been in a positive place for so long. I never take happiness for granted.

Sounds like you have a wonderful family which I do believe makes a huge difference. Hope you continue to feel better.
 

Maisie

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I agree Tacori that it could be the blues. I would always err on the side of caution with things like this and see a doctor. Just to be sure.
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Italiahaircolor

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Maisie, thank you for the nice post in response to my advice...often times I find you beating me to the punch as well...

I suffered from depression for many years when I was much younger.

I was always a hyper child, and was on the cusp of A.D.D becoming the catch all for kids who had energy--and parents who didn''t understand how to cap it off. After seeing a handful of specialists, I was put on a prescription to treat "ADD"--however, taking it at school was hard for me--and embarassing. Because of this, I felt isolated and alone. My parents, wanting me to be happy, brought me to a psychologist to discuss my feelings..she then sent me onward to another specialist who put me on Zoloft for depression.

I would later learn in college that the effect of my ADD meds were nullified by the anti-depressants...they cancelled each other out because one is an upper and one is a downer. And used in conjunction, neither one was truly able to fully work. (For the record, I stoped taking my meds to treat ADD when I was in 8th grade due to the fact that I refused to continue taking them)

From the point I was diagnoised with ADD until I was probably a senior in HS, I suffered with depression. I was put on meds that eventually worked once I stopped taking meds for ADD. However, I understood that I could either be dependant on meds for the rest of my life--or I could learn coping methods to soften my emotions.

Meds helped take the edge off. My depression was hard on me because I was depressed for almost no reason...so talking, or exercise, or other organic methods didn''t always make me feel better. For several years now I''ve managed to self-soothe but with my failure to concieve a baby, I''ve had weeks that hard--and moments that felt really framiliar like I was sliding down the slippery slope.

I still stand behind medication to treat depression. However, I think it''s a person responsibility to learn about depression and also research other ways of treating it outside of meds...because it''s not good for your body to be dependant on them for extended periods of time. It''s nothing to be ashamed of...just like, if you had a broke bone you''d get a cast--or if you had heartburn you''d take an antacid...it''s about doing whats best for you.

If its the blues, God willing, I''d still seek professional help...just to error on the side of caution.
 

Maisie

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Italia, my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD (I think its the same thing you referred to, just different countries call it different things).

He hates taking his medication. My sister really has to push him to take it. If he forgets/chooses not to take it (he is 16) she can really tell by his mood. Either he is bouncing off the walls, or completely calm and rather laid back. There has been a big hoo-ha lately over here about the medication used to treat ADHD and whether other therapies could help more.
 

Italiahaircolor

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Date: 10/14/2008 2:27:04 PM
Author: Maisie
Italia, my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD (I think its the same thing you referred to, just different countries call it different things).

He hates taking his medication. My sister really has to push him to take it. If he forgets/chooses not to take it (he is 16) she can really tell by his mood. Either he is bouncing off the walls, or completely calm and rather laid back. There has been a big hoo-ha lately over here about the medication used to treat ADHD and whether other therapies could help more.
ADD and ADHD are almost the same thing...however, they differ because the H actually stands for Hyper...meaning he tends to bounce off the walls, get overly excited, can''t calm down on top of having trouble with everyday focusing ...where as ADD just means trouble focusing without the hyper tendencies.

I did the same thing with my med...I''d purposely "forget" or simply flat out refuse. Some meds make kids feel fuzzy around the edges. It calms them down to a degree that feels almost dream like. He may really dislike that feeling and is acting out.

Once I was off the med, my parents insisted I seek out other ways of coping--because clearly I did have a gap between expected behavior and how I sometimes acted. My therapist used concentration therapy...we''d do activities for a set time period...10 minutes, 15 minutes and so on...I was required to stay completely focused for the duration of time, if I lost focus, we reset the clock. It was hellish in the beginning, but within a few months I was highly functioning. Now, mind you, this was in the dark ages of ADD.

The good thing about ADHD, kids usually tend to outgrow the hyper part. And I personally feel like I''ve outgrown ADD altogether...however, sometimes my mind works faster than my fingers--which is frusterating.

Sorry for the thread-jack.
 

Maisie

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Date: 10/14/2008 3:08:55 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor

Date: 10/14/2008 2:27:04 PM
Author: Maisie
Italia, my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD (I think its the same thing you referred to, just different countries call it different things).

He hates taking his medication. My sister really has to push him to take it. If he forgets/chooses not to take it (he is 16) she can really tell by his mood. Either he is bouncing off the walls, or completely calm and rather laid back. There has been a big hoo-ha lately over here about the medication used to treat ADHD and whether other therapies could help more.
ADD and ADHD are almost the same thing...however, they differ because the H actually stands for Hyper...meaning he tends to bounce off the walls, get overly excited, can''t calm down on top of having trouble with everyday focusing ...where as ADD just means trouble focusing without the hyper tendencies.

I did the same thing with my med...I''d purposely ''forget'' or simply flat out refuse. Some meds make kids feel fuzzy around the edges. It calms them down to a degree that feels almost dream like. He may really dislike that feeling and is acting out.

Once I was off the med, my parents insisted I seek out other ways of coping--because clearly I did have a gap between expected behavior and how I sometimes acted. My therapist used concentration therapy...we''d do activities for a set time period...10 minutes, 15 minutes and so on...I was required to stay completely focused for the duration of time, if I lost focus, we reset the clock. It was hellish in the beginning, but within a few months I was highly functioning. Now, mind you, this was in the dark ages of ADD.

The good thing about ADHD, kids usually tend to outgrow the hyper part. And I personally feel like I''ve outgrown ADD altogether...however, sometimes my mind works faster than my fingers--which is frusterating.

Sorry for the thread-jack.
Yes I can see your point about the fuzziness he might feel with the tablets. I can''t imagine how awful the concentration therapy would have been for you. What an extreme amount of pressure to put you under.
7.gif


I''m glad you have outgrown it.

I am also sorry for the threadjack.
 

Italiahaircolor

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Date: 10/14/2008 3:33:20 PM
Author: Maisie

Date: 10/14/2008 3:08:55 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor


Date: 10/14/2008 2:27:04 PM
Author: Maisie
Italia, my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD (I think its the same thing you referred to, just different countries call it different things).

He hates taking his medication. My sister really has to push him to take it. If he forgets/chooses not to take it (he is 16) she can really tell by his mood. Either he is bouncing off the walls, or completely calm and rather laid back. There has been a big hoo-ha lately over here about the medication used to treat ADHD and whether other therapies could help more.
ADD and ADHD are almost the same thing...however, they differ because the H actually stands for Hyper...meaning he tends to bounce off the walls, get overly excited, can''t calm down on top of having trouble with everyday focusing ...where as ADD just means trouble focusing without the hyper tendencies.

I did the same thing with my med...I''d purposely ''forget'' or simply flat out refuse. Some meds make kids feel fuzzy around the edges. It calms them down to a degree that feels almost dream like. He may really dislike that feeling and is acting out.

Once I was off the med, my parents insisted I seek out other ways of coping--because clearly I did have a gap between expected behavior and how I sometimes acted. My therapist used concentration therapy...we''d do activities for a set time period...10 minutes, 15 minutes and so on...I was required to stay completely focused for the duration of time, if I lost focus, we reset the clock. It was hellish in the beginning, but within a few months I was highly functioning. Now, mind you, this was in the dark ages of ADD.

The good thing about ADHD, kids usually tend to outgrow the hyper part. And I personally feel like I''ve outgrown ADD altogether...however, sometimes my mind works faster than my fingers--which is frusterating.

Sorry for the thread-jack.
Yes I can see your point about the fuzziness he might feel with the tablets. I can''t imagine how awful the concentration therapy would have been for you. What an extreme amount of pressure to put you under.
7.gif


I''m glad you have outgrown it.

I am also sorry for the threadjack.
No No No...concentration therapy for me was amazing. I never felt pressure because it wasn''t an extreme amount of time, and I was old enough to appreciate it. Besides that, it totally helped.
 

Maisie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Oh I''m sorry! I thought it would be awful for you. I am glad it helped
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LitigatorChick

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It took me forever to realize I had PP Anxiety. Unlike depression, us anxiety folks are very very good at hiding it....

Anyway, I found talking to my doctor, getting on medication, and getting into therapy to be awesome. I feel a billion times better and my life is better than ever. Please ask for help!!!
 
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