Depression

“Good antidote. I don't know if it always works, but action seems to help a lot more than trying to think my way out of it.”

“it's working for right now. but i know for a fact that it doesn't work for very long. i've tried it. i will enjoy it for as long as it lasts though.
:O)”

“The worst part is when you start using past failures or mistakes to predict failure in the future.

Sorry there are too damn many people who predict failure and then work toward that end.”

“I call that the 'Demons', XL. There are others too, of course.

I discovered something that seems to work for me. There have been a couple of times that making it to FYAO was difficult. I'd rush, breathing would become irregular, then I'd stop. Then, because I like the FYAO crowd so much I'd force myself to keep going and the cycle would repeat itself. Sometimes I'd take an extra shot of my inhalor which would just make me shakier.

Well, this year I told myself to count 25 paces (50 steps) and pause. Concentrating on counting kept my head pretty clear and soon I was counting to 100 paces and then I'd loose count because I started to enjoy my surroundins as I walked.

So far so good.”

“Thanks for showing up, Doug.

I don't mean to play favourites, but a FYAO without a Gremlin just would not be right.”

“what is FYAO?”

“freezing your ass off, yo bear!”

““The worst part is when you start using past failures or mistakes to predict failure in the future.

Sorry there are too damn many people who predict failure and then work toward that end.”
~theXL400

This belongs on the Failure thread. This thread is about depression. There is no correlation between the two. We are not failures, we're depressed. Thank you in advance for your appology.

This is the kind of condescending language that pisses us (me, anyway) off. Too often we are accused of being slack-ass, lazy... failures. Truth is, we're depressed, and as dibilitated as if we had a any physical ailment (speaking from my own experiences of physical sickness: appendicitis, tonsilitis, pneumonia[sp?], etc).

Funny thing - while recovering from my appendectomy, I was showered with getwell cards, flowers, and phone calls. Yet while in a state of depression, and just as dibilitated, no one pays me any attention - except to comment about what a failure I am...
last edited: 4/07/09 8:40:32 AM”

“I hear you, Joe, but I didn't take XL's post that way. I don't think he was talking about us as failures, but of the many trials that make up what I call demons (Churcill called them the 'black doge') cf. Dr. Gabor Mate.

Oddly enough there was a quotation in yesterday's paper that I found interesting: 'Depression is the inability to construct a future' by Rollo May. I Googled the credit and discovered May was an American existential psychologist and quite interesting. I think there is a point there.

Mate believes that our past is a major factor in dysfunctioal behasviour of all kinds. I think he's a bit extreme at times, but he has a point.

As for the public perception of deprssion and depressed peopler, that would fill many internet sites.

I have many very good friends. When I don't function someone will drop by every day - but I am still sdrprised when something will come up in conversation that shows that they really don't understand the illness. There are other examples of course, but I guess you have to live with it to understand.

I try not to be too sensitive to inocent remarks.

Doug”

“I hear you, Joe, but I didn't take XL's post that way. I don't think he was talking about us as failures, but of the many trials that make up what I call demons (Churcill called them the 'black doge') cf. Dr. Gabor Mate.

Oddly enough there was a quotation in yesterday's paper that I found interesting: 'Depression is the inability to construct a future' by Rollo May. I Googled the credit and discovered May was an American existential psychologist and quite interesting. I think there is a point there.

Mate believes that our past is a major factor in dysfunctioal behasviour of all kinds. I think he's a bit extreme at times, but he has a point.

As for the public perception of deprssion and depressed peopler, that would fill many internet sites.

I have many very good friends. When I don't function someone will drop by every day - but I am still sdrprised when something will come up in conversation that shows that they really don't understand the illness. There are other examples of course, but I guess you have to live with it to understand.

I try not to be too sensitive to inocent remarks.

Doug”

“Yo, Pammie !!
http://thebackpacker.com/trips/trip/1621.php”

“they really don't understand the illness

People just think they understand.
People suck.”

“Doug -
Yes - I'm quite familiar with May and the existentialist movement/philosophy. I have a couple of his books.

As an Educ. major, I explored the length and breadth of psychology - as was the case with you, no doubt. Such an impotent science, it is. Very interesting, but impotent.

I developed a close relationship with my psychologist last year. Our appointments were the highlight of my week. I truly appreciated having an educated ear with which to share my story, but in the end, she was unable to offer any solutions. Nothing empirical with her science. That must be rather frustrating from her end of the couch. God love her...”

“I agree Gojo, Oh and Gremlin got the direction of my original post.

I know how horrifying real depression can be. I have walked way to many friends through some times where it just seemed nothign would go right. I have seen the effect when senior officers just seemed to want to lay down and quit.

My original degree was in Psychology (and like you I have absolutely NO real respect for them). It is not a medical profession since they often just shoot from the hip with inadequate testing prior to medicating the patient.

The real challenge is to GET to the real root problem. Like a patient with a broken leg the doctor keeps prescribing pain killers without actually setting the fracture.

One of my volunteer activities is working with people with substance abuse problems. An it often gets down to the person being willing to face the challenges and decide THEY want to change. Sometime they have had their dreams kicked in so many times it is virtually impossible to get them started.

I can sympathize with family members who have lived through that hell. One of my closest friends had the grand slam of emotional crisis hit when JOB, Family, family Business, significant other, personal health etc etc all crashed at one time.

Today he is getting it back together. He can help others because he survived, but you know he had to learn he was not alone.”

“It is not a medical profession since they often just shoot from the hip with inadequate testing prior to medicating the patient.

~XL

Psychologists do not prescribe medication. Psychiatrists, who are MDs, do.

and like you I have absolutely NO real respect for them
~XL

I'm sorry I came off as seeming to have no respect for psychologists. Oh comtraire - I have all the respect in the world for someone who dedicates their life's work to helping others through psychological counseling. They try like hell, but alas, the physiological truth remains. Perhaps some day their efforts, coupled with the efforts of the medical community, will culminate at a cure - won't know unless they try.

XL -
I, too, got the direction of your original post. What stuck out were the two sentences I highlighted. Since you "know how horrifying depression can be" (which you cannot - from the outside, ayway), you would know the insensitivial potential of those two sentences.

I wonder if they weren't a Fruedian Slip?
last edited: 4/08/09 6:13:34 AM”

“Oops - I thought the two sentences were from a longer post. I went back a few days and discovered they stood alone.”

“Might be your slip is showing...(LOL)

And as for your assertions....keep walking the trail and you will soon figure it all out (LOL). P.S. you are getting there...(LOL)”

“Gojo, I think people who are close to loved ones who suffer do realize how horrifying the condition is. We experience it, just not from your perspective. Caring for, (not just emotionally, but also making sure the person suffering is taken care of when they cannot function), gives one deep insight.”

“Sass is right Gojo, I know the difference between Psychologist and Psychiatrists btw (LOL)

A Psychiatrist is a person who studied medicine which they do not practice and practies Psychology which they never studied (LOL)>....

The sad thing is many Psychologists get in with the MDs who prescribe meds. I have dealt with it with my son and his mother. Eventually the doc had my son on so many drugs that when I took him to the hospital he was having "episodes". Shortly after getting him off the drugs many of the symptoms subsided.”

“I was lucky in a way. In 1999 I got a therapist that was just right for me and a treatment philosophy (cognitive behavioural theory) that worked better than anything else.

I have very mixed feelings about medication. I know a few people whose lives were redeemed by successful medication, but in many cases the treatment is worse than the illness. Unfortunately, perhaps, I cannot function on any medication they currently have. Therapy, rest and lifestyle modification work best for me.

I mentionned that I seem to be feeling better. Lifestyle modification will now consist of pushig the envelope of functionality. We'll see how far I can go.”

““The worst part is when you start using past failures or mistakes to predict failure in the future.

Sorry there are too damn many people who predict failure and then work toward that end.”
~theXL400

This belongs on the Failure thread. This thread is about depression. There is no correlation between the two. We are not failures, we're depressed. Thank you in advance for your appology.

This is the kind of condescending language that pisses us (me, anyway) off. Too often we are accused of being slack-ass, lazy... failures. Truth is, we're depressed, and as dibilitated as if we had a any physical ailment (speaking from my own experiences of physical sickness: appendicitis, tonsilitis, pneumonia[sp?], etc).

Funny thing - while recovering from my appendectomy, I was showered with getwell cards, flowers, and phone calls. Yet while in a state of depression, and just as dibilitated, no one pays me any attention - except to comment about what a failure I am...”
gojo


THANK YOU GOJO! i didn't respond to him because i was too angry.”

“i'm working hard at coming back, and now i'm trying to quit cigarettes. made me think of this poem i wrote a few months ago.

Tension

If the rope were wet
And it were pulled tight
so tight
I would be the single droplet of water
on the rope strung so tight
The bead
as if to dance
and then
the sunlight on the horizon capturing me
with grace
just before the
fall so far
Captured like a firefly
Then disappearing as if crushed
My light goes
My dance ends
And the long fall
through the dark night
begins

Pamela”

“THANK YOU GOJO! i didn't respond to him because i was too angry.”
~dizzybtch

It reminds me of when I was teaching...
At department meetings, the couple of para-pros would carry on as if they knew what was going on. They were embarrassingly clueless, however - and knew it deep down inside. Even though they spent their workday alongside teachers, they had none of the duties and responsibilities we had. They amounted to being nothing more than glorified babysitters that would watch the students while we stepped outside behind the gym to smoke weed.

Perhaps XL will finally apologize now that he has seen the error of his wording...”

“none of the duties and responsibilities we had...watch the students while we stepped outside behind the gym to smoke weed

Umm, seems a little contradictory to me there, Cheech...”

“Weed helped keep the nerves calm, thus reducing the probability we would massacre students.

Wow. I just got an email from another TTer thanking me for my ownage of XLs insensitivity!”

“My brother is like that - he was diagnosed ADHD and bipolar as a kid and recently decided that pot "solved" all his emotional problems. This is fine with me if it works, but he also decided that he shouldn't need to go to school or have a job - and that my family should just shell out money for him to buy weed. So now, once every couple months he shows up at my mom's house demanding money, then throws a fit when she says no, breaks a bunch of stuff, threatens suicide, and ends up in an institute for a week or so.

It's pretty troubling - he's always had trouble with depression and other emotional issues, but now he truly believes that weed solves all his problems, and therefore if we don't fund it, we don't care about it. What a mess
last edited: 4/08/09 2:38:40 PM”

“I was joking about weed, for crying out loud.

It's funny when others know how I'm feeling when I, the sickly one, don't even know. They must have a gift from God.

I did the meds thing - a variety to boot. Nada.”

“haha, well, I wasn't... but I've heard of people claiming weed helped with their moods.”

“rosey gets real pissy if anyone disses his heavy weed use.”

“they tried me on a couple of new meds in the last few months. i finally told them that i wouldn't do anymore of their drugs.”

“yes, sometimes people should just admit they really are clueless on a subject (xl400), apologize for sticking their foot in their mouth (xl400) and stfu and move along(xl400).”

“LOL...GFYS Baume if what I say is misinterpreted it is not my fault it is the fault of the receiver.

LOL, I can usually tell a Professional victim within 20 minutes of talking to them. Their life is consumed by people, places and things. They spend days looking to be rescued, or looking to have the world change to make them HAPPY.

I still laugh when I remember the twit who had crawled out on a roof above a major drop and was threatening to jump if "whatever" did not happen (polish hostage situation).

The Fireman who crawled up there spent 2 hours in 20 degree temps talking to her. When it became evident she wanted people to buy into her #&%!$. He finally looked at her and said,"Lady do me a favor, its freezing, I am cold my ass hurts from sitting on this roof. Either go ahead and jump or come down the ladder."

She came down.

I pretty much face Profesional Victims like I do addicts. If you want to get well you will, if not..."Worms gotta eat too."”

“there's a difference between "victims of society" and depression. you don't seem to acknowledge the difference. it would lead me to believe you don't really understand depression. you not understanding depression would lead me to think you should refrain from making further comments on the subject and report to the "victim of society" threads such as extended unemployment benefits found in the "thank you house of delegates" thread. i'll be nice to you there.”

“I am guessing you enjoy where you are baume. Its nice to be there, stay there. But I have seen WAAAY to many crawl out of that pit when they found the problems and took the effort to face them.

Suffering depression is not life ending. I mean its not like a person could really achieve anything if they were depressed (LINCOLN was President).

There are a slew of diagnoses of Depression (but I am sure you know that). Some are unrecoverable, I know I have lost friends to it.

Some are horribly misdiagnosed. Many are the result of enouraged actions of health professionals. Baume, one of my closest friends was in the midst of a divorce when he was sent to see a Psychologist becuase of the divorce. The quack talked to him for 20 minutes and decided he had to be ON DRUGS for Depression. Three months later his performance had dropped to a point where he was facing termination.

We took him to another profesional who put him in the hospital and cleaned him (baselining) up and discovered...he was NEVER depressed but the first doctor needed to get the diagnoses to get the money from insurance.

Sadly I have seen too much of that in my life. So you EXPERTS go ahead, and tell me of all the GREAT benefits to spoon feeding pablum to some victim. I am sure its nice and touchy feely and I am sure it makes the care takers feel "POWERFUL" and "GODLY" and strokes their enormous egos having that 'Christian value crap". But its no different than letting a chronic alcoholic have a free open tab at the bar.

If a person is too sick to function in society there are places to protect them. If they wish not to go there then they must learn to operate within the bounds of civilized society.

My favorite was a scum who stood in front of a judge and was getting a 25 year Federal Prison sentence (going to max in Michigan) for some horrible crap. His PISSSYCHIATRIST and counselors were imploring the judge to overlook his crimes because of his "chronic depression".

He looked at the judge with well practiced "PITY ME" and said,"Judge I don'...I Doan....(fake crying here) I jus doan tink I'se can do Tweny fife yeahs."

The judge looked at him and said,"Then do as many as you can."
last edited: 4/09/09 7:09:49 AM”

“you've made my point perfectly. i'll not discuss this with you further.”

“[img]“you've made my point perfectly. i'll not discuss this with you further.”
baume 66
7:55:55 AM
4/09/09[/img]

Translation,"Crap okay this one won't let me buy into the victimhood crap."

Good plan there Baume. LOL”

“ok, i lied. i have another comment.

your obviously quite confused here. i've not claimed to suffer from depression. i've not claimed to be an expert on depression. i've most certainly never claimed to be a victim of society. i've lost family to depression. it wasn't used to play victim of society. it wasn't used as a crutch. it was debilitating. it led to the death of a loved one.

the nice little box you want to put all depression into just doesn't fit. the fact you continue to give your examples of the victims of society you've had to deal with shows how much you really understand (or don't understand) of depression.”

“My point well proven, too.
XL has typed more words to this thread in just a few days than I have since it's inception.

"She speaks, yet she says nothing - what of that?"

Just like those loud-mouthed para-pros at department meetings. They believe that by saying much, something will finally find some relevancy.

I notice he LOL's alot. It doesn't take a psychologist to read the meaning between those els and ohs.

XL -
Please dismount that high-horse and apologize to those whom your "failure" comments offended - we are more numerous than you know. I want to believe you had no intention of offending anyone, yet some were. Common decency would merit an apology, eh?”

“Stovie, please stop slandering me. You know nothing about me, what I do, and how I spend my time. I know you're trying to be an aggrivating twerp, but just give it a rest, OK?”

“I'm not sure he knows how RM. For some negative attention is better than none.”

“This thread delivers!”

“Just talked with a friend, who is feeling really low and depressed these days. I am really sorry for him. What can I say? Not much I can do, but have a chat with him and listen. The hilarious thing is, he is a stand-up comedian, who is participating in a countrywide competition for comedy and performing arts. A depressed comedian? When I pointed that out to him, we laughed our arse off :-)”

“What would really pick him up is if you became a "friend with benefits". ;-)”

“...yeah, right...
:-)”

“What is it the blue fish on "Finding Nemo" says? "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."”

“Man I know that depression thing, which I have found often comes from not feeling like you are "worth while". Sadly some of the most incredible comics have it. I think many of them see it as a way to try to "beat the rap".

There is only one solution I have ever found.

Then again Euro I would think just hanging out with you would a a good cure for depression.
last edited: 5/15/09 6:40:25 AM”

“:-)”

“Yeah, just tell him to log onto Latta and look at your Avatar.. works for me.. LOL

'32oz”

“Most of the funniest people I know (including me) suffer from depression. Not necessarily sadness - that is a mood, not an illness.”

“Ooooh No! I am rather not telling any of my 'real life' friends where I meet my 'imaginary' internet friends. I fear they might not understand.

Didn't know my avatar could have such an effect, 32oz :-) I mean, I am wearing a helmet and balaclava.”