Depression

“working out, hiking, bushwhacking, and playing with kids are the best anti-depressants.”

“hog, that's hilarious.”

“Hog, I have "Ineptitude" hanging in my office. Describes my attitude perfectly! :D”

“Hog, I love their stuff!”

“Did you see their take on valentines candies with messages? Man, those are cruel! I love 'em!”

“snow, could i get a couple of them blue V's?















how bout a couple more for ma ole lady.......uuheh heh heh...”

“I really think it's great that folks are discussing this topic openly and I think you guys are all awesome! My Fiancee has been taking Effexor for years and she is positive that it has really helped her out and I have had issues with anxiety (crack puppy II?).
LyndyS makes a great point about diet and vitamin supplements, I think the majority of Docs would be dismissive towards nutritional strategy vs. meds, I think it's a great idea to start with nutrition because it certainly can't hurt (especially considering the side-effects all drugs possess). Someone mentioned herbal supplements, the most popular herb used for depression is St. Johns Wort (no, it's not ganja!), but be really careful if you try this course because St. Johns Worn has been shown to be FATAL when used in combination with other antidepressant meds. I also think Phaedrus is right-on, Backpacking is THE best medicine, but trip planning definitely is not! :)

I've seen a bunch of drug names floating around, so maybe I can help clarify the different drug classes that are being talked about, and no, I'm not a doctor (but I play one on television!), no seriously, I'm just a plain ole scientist.

All antidepressant drugs that have been mentioned; lithium, prozac, effezor, paxil, zoloft, zyban(Wellbutrin), and celexa are different chemical entities with diff mechanisms of action, but basically work the same in that they try to adjust levels of hormones and neurotransmitters (epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine...) in the brain to help folks with depression. These drugs typically take a month or two before any effects can be felt and do not produce a drug high (typically) associated with abuse.
The benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax) are used to treat problems with anxiety (also called anxiolytics) and sometimes for depression as well. These drugs work on receptors that depress the CNS, are habit forming, have potential for drug abuse, and should not be used for long periods of time, because they cause physical dependance.
Analgesic pain-killers (opiates) such as oxycontin, codeine, and morphine, are used to block pain transmission in the brain. These drugs are very powerful, have a high potential for abuse, and can also produce dependence.

Everyone please take care and don't forget that we are all brothers and sisters (except trolls), and git yer butt out in the woods! SOON!!!”

“Ultra - if this was a serious question, email me.

I wish I had time to rant about Depression and meds, but I'm headed out of town in a few hours.

Check out Aaron Beck's stuff on depression. He makes lot of sense to me.”

“It was serious enough, but I'm not in danger. I guess I was just hoping I wasn't alone.

Thank you.”

“Great link hog, Think I should send a tin of the hearts to my ex?”

“Gojo, I took Paxil for awhile also. I can tell you two bad things about it . . . it absolutely killed my appetite (which as you saw evidence of upon meeting me, is not in my best interest). Number two, and I am not saying this to insight any immature remarks, it absolutely killed my sex drive. I'll be the first to admit, that it wasn't that great during that period of my life anyway, but when I say "killed," I mean dead.”

“Oh, one other thing, for the first several wks. it made me very nauseated. That did eventually go away, but it was hard to take the pill knowing I was going to feel like that for most of the rest of the day.”

“My mom has it, and it's very hard for me to deal with/understand.”

“Try imagining that you have no motivation to do anything. Nothing makes you happy. Eating, sex, whatever, it's all meaningless and pleasureless. Start there and imagine the days going by like that.

You get an idea, but it's worse in person.”

“Very accurate. It's also like nothing can touch you, or if someone does, you can't respond because there's a wall between you and your skin.”

“Yeah. Good metaphor. It's a dispossession of feeling and interest.

Throw in a little existential query, and you're off and running down a path of unhappy despair.

But we do recover...”

“I heard a statistic awhile back that surprised me..they estimate that at some point in their lives, 1/4 people suffer from depression.”

“so get help!”

“If I were only 1/4 of a person, I'd be depressed too!”

“Does that include nfl 1/4 backs? They make a lot of money, and it seems they could find SOMETHING to be cheerful about.”

“Not even cartoon characters are immune:

”

“Cut & paste:
http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/images/dilbert2003914520206.gif”

“regular depressions bad enough... manic is far worse. Of course that could explain all the trips to REI...”

“It's hard to see someone with it and that's not much anyone can do about it, but be by their side to let them know we're there to help. My Mom suffers from it,has had it since the menopause(mental pause)-it's a joke... My friends and my daughter refer to it as that. Actually it sucks, my mom has been though all kinds of medications, therapy, and in and out of the hospital since. They just have to keep changing her meds, since then, I believe she becomes immune to them after awhile. I could go on and on about it but won't, it's too difficult to explain, cause anyone with depression has it for different reasons, whether it medical or self inflicted.”

“Self-inflicted!!?? WTF?!”

“am i the only one who's not depressed around here?

maybe i'm in denial!”

“Nah, you're just lucky...”

“actually, my wife had a case of 'depression' for quite a few years. after my bouts with cancer and my 'fuk it, i'm alive today' attitude', she knew that she could handle it, without medicine. after a lot of trips to the doc, we found out that there were underlying medical conditions.

at that point, she took control. changed her diet, she began a strict workout routine, and told me that she was going to feel better, no matter what she had to do... but no medication. she's been flying high, for the last couple of months.

i had numerous friends, classmates, etc. in college that were dealing with 'depression'. some just changed their lifestyles and attitudes and said that they don't know what was wrong, but they were glad that it was over.

many decided to go to the doc and get medicated. the medication changed them, but they hadn't beaten it.

i don't know anyone who chose medication that ended up being the same person that i first knew. you might think "good. that's why they do it!"

i wonder though... is that person that you started out as, who would be considered the REAL you.... is that person so worthless that you feel that they are not needed or wanted?

i'd think that 'phaedrus' should be the expert on this point!”

“I was going to stay out of this completely...until reading rad's post. Like his wife, I am CONVINCED that good nutrition and strict fitness programs can cure mild depression. I get very muddy thinking when I am eating junk and not working out regularly. Running keeps me sane. The really tricky part, though, is when I get depressed running is the first thing to go! The things that I know work best are the first things I stop doing when I start getting funky. Crazy. Frustrating.”

“Boy, it's nice to see people openly talking about depression. I have Bi-Polar Disorder, so I know a little about the subject. I just hope that, now that everyone knows I have Bi-Polar, I am not an "outcast"-lol. Well, come to think of it, I kinda am an "outcast"-lol. My "two cents" on the subject of depression are, acceptance is the hardest part. Once you can accept that you suffer from depression, you will start to heal. God Bless, Kirk.”

“I have a sister that is bi-polar. I HAD two sisters that were bi-polar.”

“I'm sorry to hear that Running Girl. I know I have been to that point in my life too. Bi-Polar Disorder has the highest rate of suicide, among all mental disorders. I will say a prayer for you and your family.”

“humour is cool, Artex, and everyone else. Depressives are often wickedly funny and I'm one of those hyper-active comical types. I have a free period and then lunch hour and so here goes.

There was a Scots psychiatrist (whose name I cannot remember - help) who died a year or two ago that claimed that depression was linked to life experience(s). He believed that this affected the production of neurotransmiiters. His research was largely anecdotal and lacked the hard, quantifiable beta that our society insists upon. I do, however, think he had an interesting point.

Now, there are, I suspect, many kinds of depression. I fancy myself a gourmet cook, but became anorexic during my first serious bout of depression. I am also very social, but became agoraphopic about thirteen years ago - it's pretty much in remission, but it's still there. I have mentionned before that I was a battered child and I think this has a lot to do with my situation - not in the obvious way (sadness), but in my chronic, almost obsessive overachievement - always proving myself (my battering was almost mostly verbal - I learned to fight back early). I literally spent most of my life running head first into brick walls. That one was for LyndyS.

I can't deal here with Stumprider's questions on societal causes. I think there's always been depression around; read some literature, particularly children's literature from classical times. I do think that modern life with its stresses and emphasis on mental achievement makes it more difficult to function (school, trade/profession, complicated family situations) with depression than it perhaps was in a simpler time. I also believe that we shall never be really successful at treating eating disorders as long as we blame them on societal causes rather than examining them as manifestations of depression.

My own saviour was 'cognitive/behavioural therapy' and a therapist with whom I clicked (important). The most difficult part was talking about myself for an hour or more (and I'm doing it now). A large part of the therapy was, 'Look at yourself. Can you hear what you're saying? Think about what you just said.' This is an approach which appealed to my intellectual side and left the issues which I could never heal aside (for a while).

Now (for something completely different), medication. I think that because it alters the production of neurotransmitters, medication must of necessity alter our reaction to those things which give us strong emotions - food and sex. In my personal experience, Paxil had its use, but although my sex drive was not altered it prevented me from achieving orgasm while I was taking it. Prozac and librium were just too scary in their effects on me, likewise Zoloft.

I also believe that the temptation to offer such meds (I forget the initials) on a long term basis is wrong except in the most extreme cases, which do exist.

Paxil and nurse therapists at local, state run clinics perhaps saved my life. I was just buzzing during my last breakdown. Paxil calmed me down enough to start to make sense out of my therapy sessions; without it I could not have sat through one. I'm a high school second language teacher and it is impossible for me to do my job on any of these medications (we're called 'wounded healers', Gojo. BTW I've missed you and Sarabelle. How's the health?) and I stopped taking them when I went back to work.

Several people mentionned the palliative qualities of outdoor activities, as well as nutrition in its broadest sense. Vitamins or otherwise, I think that the, indoor, sedentary life-style many of us lead has a deleterious effect on our moods in general and on potential depression in particular.

My last year of therapy was spent on the examination of why every relationship I've ever had has suffered meltdown into a small pile of toxic waste on some woman's kitchen floor. I recently had a very unusual (for me) relationship with a much younger woman (see my 'Bummer!' thread). It was great, like two other similar ones that I have had. I used to think it was because I allowed myself no expectations (the bane of my life). I now think it was because I was afraid to let anyone come close to me. I believe my childhhod instilled in me a deep fear of being hurt or even harmed be people who love me and that the necessarily temporary nature of of such relationships was a protection - not to mention the added benefit of no expectations or commitment.

It took some pretty horrendous situations with the young lady in question to bring me face to face with what was essentially myself. My therapist and I couldn't do it alone and it re-inforces my belief that there are no accidents. My last relationship came at a time when I was at last ready to face this in myself. I now believe that I can enjoy a more stable relationship in the (near, I hope) future and I have never been so at ease with myself.

Thus, I don't believe there is a single answer or panacea, each element has its use and place. Luckily, I have never been psychotic or destructive and my voyage is an easier one than that of many others. I do know that I spent ten years knowing I would have a relapse and was determined to get help when it came. Perhaps this attitude also aided my recovery. I have been in 'remission' now for three years. I am now so at peace with myself that I can allow myself to be sad - normal sad is a new sensation for me - and it's not that bad.

Happy trails.”

“Good one, Radagast. :)

They don't do electro-chock therapy for depression, though!

Gremlin, good luck. One thing I've noticed about depressive types is that we're usually pretty smart introspective people. If we can get past our own shortcomings and forgive ourselves, we end up being good at a great many things (including relationships).”

“If you feel you are suffering from depression or just extreme levels of stress/fatigue, see a doctor. Don't necessarily follow all of the doctors advice, but get checked out... get blood tests (a pretty good battery) - and don't just write it off to psychological causes, attitude or things you could/should be dealing with through diet. And don't let your doctor write it off too quickly.

For a few years, I had a number of symptoms of depression (not enough to make the diagnosis, pyschiatric diagnosis was a big part of my job at the time) - and I attributed it primarily to stress - divorce, single parenting, big commutes... etc.... and I let my doctors off the hook too easily. I talked to them about it during check-ups, but I let them write it off as stress.

When I changed jobs (to try to reduce my stress) I also changed health insurance coverage and was able to switch back to a doctor I had seen years earlier. I took advantage of the new incurance to get my next check-up early and talk to my doc. He ran a broader set of blood tests than my other doctor had used and these showed extreme levels of calcium that turned out to be cancer.

If you have significant symptoms of depression - get a good medical work-up for it. Odds are that the work-up won't find anything in particular, but there is a chance that the work-up could cure your symptoms and/or save your life. When I worked at a psychiatric hospital, I came across people who had been treated for years for depression that was caused by another condition (e.g. tumor, Huntingtons, thyroid condition..).”

“Depression: nature's way of telling you your life sux.”

“Shaddup, squirrel bait.”

“On my last trip to the doctor's office she asked me whether I was depressed. I said only when I look in my checkbook when you guys are through with it.

I spent a year on Paxil and spent more money than I wanted to for office visits, counseling, and prescription co-pays. I can't afford depression anymore!”

“Gremlin, I have read a lot of your postings about your life so your post here is mostly not new to me, but I don't understand your reference "that one is for LyndyS". Could you explain it or email me at lyndi10@yahoo.com

I know that abuse, both physical, verbal or sexual, can cause all kinds of emotional and physical ailments. But I don't think that abuse was the issue for my daughter. Now that she is doing so much better we have much more normal discussions about cleaning her room or getting along with her sister. Before though, we were more into meltdown management. She literally was not in any outside activities because just school was more than she could emotionally handle. Now she has too many activities and we are trying to get her to prioritize so she doesn't stess herself out.”

“I have GAD and I have had 3 Panic Attacts and it was not nice but I am better now that I am on Meds!

8)”

“I don't want to go into this too much since it is personal, but my relative died, and it sent me into a depression.

It's just like the commercials on tv say that are pushing their meds on you to take. You are listless, don't have any energy for anything, even if it's fun.

Excersize does help in conjunction with meds & counseling. Depression can and will come back after a bout has passed. You should take an antidepessant for atleast a year. That helps in keeping it from coming back.

My heart goes out to anyone with it, especially the people with Bi-polar disease, which I hear is so much harder to deal with.

Depression can be a cripiling disease that brings you down enough that you can want to kill yourself. Also it ruins your life by depleating you of the engery to accomplish what you want out of life.

Anyone with questions can contact me anytime at lipstickhiker1@aol.com.”

“Hang in there everybody...a brighter future is just waiting over the horizon. Think happy thoughts.”

“kick yer blues by listening to all van halen albums with david lee roth-good times music with kick a$$ guitar.Also recommended is some megadeth--tunes like 'holy war' and "peace sells...but whos buying" will whip you out of yer depression.”

“And music!!! I forgot to mention music. Music is a great healer. Thanks for the reminder, davexx”

“I think happy thoughts when the end of the week gets here and I get to go backpacking!

8)”

“I wasn't referring to your daughter, rather the possible effects on you. I notice that you were able to recognise symptoms in your child and react quickly and intelligently - which included the elimination of at least one cause. Your doctor probably mentionned it as a possibility among others and you were able to judge. Good on ya.”

“I wonder (seriously for a change) if my trail talk posting habit is an attempt to deal with a "depressed mood."”

“Anyone out there drinking too much?That can be a sign of depression. It's called "self medicating one's self".”

“Her first post was so atypically lucid and then she looses it. What do you use to self medicate?”

“Catfight, catfight.”