Do you suffer from depression?

[gingersmom]

Being depressed, feeling blue or down does NOT mean you need medication. Too many people take unnecessary meds because they THINK it will help them. Sounds to me like you need someone to talk to, is all. You may want to consider seeing a therapist to help you to cope with your separation anxiety. But please consider medication as a LAST resort only.

 

[gingersmom]

Originally Posted by Princess-Pickle

I don't know really...
I'm always worried about things.
For example: My cousin from America is coming to visit this week, and I've been struggling to sleep worrying about silly things like "He might break something"!
If I had to choose I would say I am depressed.
It might have something to do with my mum...

That's called being neurotic, always being worried about something. I am slightly neurotic, and it is genetic in my family. Being worried and anxious does not equal depression.

Being unable to do anything OTHER than sleep is depression. NOT caring about things (the opposite of worrying) is a sign of depression.

I'm really concerned about people reading into this thread the wrong way.

I guess the bottom line is, if you think you are depressed, please see your primary care physician and start a discussion about it.

It might just be that you're normal, whatever that means.

 

[rockcat]

Originally Posted by GingersMom

Being depressed, feeling blue or down does NOT mean you need medication. Too many people take unnecessary meds because they THINK it will help them. Sounds to me like you need someone to talk to, is all. You may want to consider seeing a therapist to help you to cope with your separation anxiety. But please consider medication as a LAST resort only.

Relax. I'm not going to run out and find a doctor just to get a perscription.

I probably won't do anything at all - just looking at options.

 

[trixie23]

I voted yes... Ill spare details.

 

[zissou'smom]

Thankfully, of all the things wrong in my head, depression isn't one of them.

 

[cdubbie]

I think everyone in life at some point will have a bout of depression. A "normal" human conditon IMO.

It is when people are medicated easily to deal with a typical, yet painful, life occurance and they medicate to avoid any and all suffering that I find the term "depression" overused. An awful lot of Americans seem to think they should never suffer about anything ever, and a pill will take bad feelings away. I think that route is a disservice; pain and suffering can be beneficial in the long run, and everyone eventually suffers from painful life events.

That being said, I dont discount there is a true clinical depression out there, BUT, I think many many many people would feel less "depressed" if they ate better, exercised, got enough proper sleep, and worked on their spiritual life and/or helped others. It is easier to cry "depression" than to take care of yourself on all levels much of the time.

 

[stacyd1987]

When my parents started taking me to see psychiatrists when I was 3 due to the nature of my adoption, they all said that I should be on some new and/or old form of ADHD pill. As soon as I had started taking those darn things they said that I needed anti-depressant pills. Ever since then I go through bouts of depression when life gets waaay too stressful but I think I've gotten better at handling it than acting like a total emo.

I'm sorry if that insults anyone but I was always with the gothic/emo/misfits in school because of my attitude. Not that it's changed since then, I've just gotten better at masking it with a smile.

 

[gailuvscats]

What's an emo?

 

[beccory]

I was diagnosed with depression in grade 6, at age 12. I was medicated for years and years, on various medications that didn't work, until they finally realized that I had BIPOLAR, not just depression, and put me on the proper medication. I actually have about 5 or 6 years of my life that I hardly remember at all because I was just not even in my body. photographs of the time are creepy- my eyes are just dead, blank, empty! scary stuff. But, I started doing better after I got on the proper medication in my junior year of high school, and I've now been happily unmedicated for about two and a half years.

I've been having a bit of a relapse lately but nothing so bad that a nice walk won't help enough that I can function. I'm aware that someday I may have to be medicated again, but that's just part of who I am and I accept it.

 

[babyharley]

Lets see...

We lost everything we own in the flood.
I'm living with my psycho mother in law.
I have nothing of my own.
No privacy.
No money.
No place to call my own.

Yes, I am depressed!

 

[angel]

yes I do

 

[cdubbie]

I find it hard to believe that a segment population (TCS) has 67% of its people truly suffering from a clinical depression.

 

[gingersmom]

Originally Posted by CDubbie

I find it hard to believe that a segment population (TCS) has 67% of its people truly suffering from a clinical depression.

Why is that so hard to believe?

First, this is an online community, which gives people that don't have much for a social outlet IRL a place to go to meet like-minded people, and lots of folks who spend lots of time on the computer rather than out in the real world DO have a tendancy to have a higher percentage of depression - it can come with isolation, be that self-imposed or not.

Second, I have found - in real life - that most folks that I know that have furry pets tend to have slightly depressive personalities - the pets are what keep us going, they give us a reason to get up every day, they give us unconditional love that we don't get elsewhere in our lives...personally, I'm not surprised that the percentage is so high.

However, to clarify, not all forms of depression are clinical. For example, Babyharley's depression is event related, and not chemical.

I think that there are tons of folks out there that are depressed and just don't recognize it. The way the world is today, life pressure's, the economies, the wars and conflicts - I would think that the true percentage of folks that experience depression would be much higher than 67%.

JMO.

 

[rockcat]

Originally Posted by babyharley

Lets see...

We lost everything we own in the flood.
I'm living with my psycho mother in law.
I have nothing of my own.
No privacy.
No money.
No place to call my own.

Yes, I am depressed!

Oh, honey, who wouldn't be!

 

[tnkittymom]

I would say yes, but not sure what category. My doctor never specified. I was on Zoloft for a few months. I'm not taking anything now, but I do suffer from the symptoms of post-partum depression. I think most of my problems are the fact that I was always a very independent and out-going person. Now, I'm a stay-at-home mom, with a 1yr old, no job (other than home), and no means to go anywhere (one of our vehicles died, so my husband takes the other to work). My husband works really long hours. There are days that he'll be here with us for about an hour, go to work, and not get home until after our daughter is asleep for the night. I get so upset at times, because I saw my "friends" slowly back-off when I got married, and the ones that stayed around pretty much vanished when I had our daughter. I feel trapped most of the time, because all I have is what is here...my daughter, our dogs, our cats, and the computer. My life has become so monotonous that there are times that I don't even want to get up, because it's the same thing day in and day out. Every single time that I try to make plans, something happens that I don't get to do it. I don't even try anymore. I just go day by day. I don't want to go back to the doctor, because he'll want to put me back on meds, and I'd rather not do that. I've always been very optimistic and goal-oriented, so I deal with it the best way that I can, even though, I'm not doing a very good job IMO. I just have to keep going for my daughter's sake. Now how that needs to be categorized, I don't know.

 

[babyharley]

Originally Posted by Rockcat

Oh, honey, who wouldn't be!

I'm not sure, but if anyone has delt with this before and HASN'T been depressed, let me know!

And like Betsy said- yes, this is event related depression, but its still depression- no matter what causes it.

Try going through this and not being depressed. I dare you.