depression

On October 06 2009 05:15 JadeFist wrote:
I've had chronic depression for almost 6 years now (aka dysthymia).

The very best treatment for depression is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It is best when practiced with a therapist, however there are "do-it-yourself" books for it as well.

CBT essentially changes/redirects your thought patterns. The way you feel is entirely dependent how you react to your environment.

While the present symptoms of a major depressive episode are worse than those of chronic depression, major depression is easier to overcome.

On October 06 2009 05:15 JadeFist wrote:
I've had chronic depression for almost 6 years now (aka dysthymia).

The very best treatment for depression is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It is best when practiced with a therapist, however there are "do-it-yourself" books for it as well.

CBT essentially changes/redirects your thought patterns. The way you feel is entirely dependent how you react to your environment.

While the present symptoms of a major depressive episode are worse than those of chronic depression, major depression is easier to overcome.

EDIT: CBT has a high rate of success.

On October 06 2009 05:23 Myxomatosis wrote:
if therapy isn't an option juts due to time constraints, are anti-depressants good for a quick fix?

On October 06 2009 05:23 DoctorHelvetica wrote:


Well, they're better than other drugs since they actually help the chemical imbalances.

On October 06 2009 05:23 Myxomatosis wrote:
if therapy isn't an option juts due to time constraints, are anti-depressants good for a quick fix?

On October 06 2009 05:27 Foucault wrote:


...which aren't even proven. I've been following the debate for a long time and I've also taken psychology at University and there is much more to depression than serotonin. So SSRI:s are very uneffective unfortunately, but in many cases they are kind of a quick-fix because they numb all your feelings including anxiety and joy.

On October 06 2009 05:29 DoctorHelvetica wrote:


well prozac certainly helped me a lot more than opiates are now.

On October 06 2009 05:28 JadeFist wrote:

They help some people. There are always going to be side effects though.

I tried Wellbutrin, and while it had positive effects, it raised my blood pressure, gave me heart palpitations, and gave me paranoia.

I know most SSRI's are notorious for destroying libido and for weight gain...

It's up to you, but drugs don't fix what's causing your problem. CBT is actually really enlightening and I think you'd enjoy it. I recommend this book:

On October 06 2009 05:32 Foucault wrote:


I can see that. Some people feel pretty good on SSRI:s, some don't.

I'm a hardcore believer in proper nutrition, good sleep, and exercise. Also there is obviously a strong environmental link to depression too so most likely your life isn't exactly how you want it to be. Start somewhere and try to change things

On October 06 2009 05:32 NoobsOfWrath wrote:


I think your psychological mindset can certainly have something to do with it but drugs WILL cure the problem, just not necessarily the drugs you are on or can get. Everything in the brain and body is just chemical balances. There is no "feeling" or "magic" to it. Every mood and decision etc etc can be recreated using the correct balance of neurotransmitters on the correct postsynaptic receptors.

On October 06 2009 05:41 Klockan3 wrote:
Here is a list of steps to get better:
1: Exercise.
2: Eat properly.
3: Take your time to sleep.
4: Get good friends.
5: Start on a job you like.
6: Get a nice girlfriend.
7: Stop worrying about not being able to do everything of the above.

On October 06 2009 05:42 DoctorHelvetica wrote:


True. Unfortunately depression completely eliminated the motivation to do any of those things and the assistance of therapy/anti-depressants is almost surely necessary just to muster up the will to change ones environment.

On October 06 2009 05:34 DoctorHelvetica wrote:


I'm hoping my medical assistant classes help me since they'll force me to interact with people face-to-face. When I move to San Jose i'll likely make no friends and seclude myself and spiral downwards again.

So TL.netters in San Jose be my friendz plz.

On October 06 2009 05:23 Kennigit wrote:
I was depressed for about 6 months. I got over it through sheer will power and telling myself "man the fuck up you little bitch". Once i embraced an attitude of raping life and becoming a Ripped Nerd Baller, depression disappeared instantly. Embrace it.

On October 06 2009 06:31 Caller wrote:
I was depressed at one point.

Then I started trolling and converted by depression into cynicism.

Now I ball.

On October 06 2009 05:15 micronesia wrote:
Advice from a non-expert: If it is chronic (a large % of the time) then it is not simply a bad mood. However, you want to differentiate between brain biochemical imbalances and environmentally induced depression.

On October 06 2009 08:01 Milton Friedman wrote:


What exactly is a chemical imbalance? A different proportion of chemicals compared to a "normal, healthy" person? What's more can it not be said the depressed have a chemical "imbalance" since ultimately all emotions are the result of chemicals in the brain? I mean, if the environment makes you depressed then the depression must stem from some level of chemicals in your body. In which case why does a distinction need to be made?

This may sound like I'm being derogatory but my questions are genuine.

On October 06 2009 05:14 DoctorHelvetica wrote:
I'm now an anti-social and severely depressed recluse who abuses barbiturates. Woo~

I'll be going back to a psychiatrist shortly. Once I work up the motivation to do anything that isn't self-destructive or related to my nerd hobbies.

On October 06 2009 07:19 Monstah-_- wrote:


lol



too bad you troll horribly.

On October 06 2009 08:14 MTF wrote:
Major Depressive Episode, according to the DSM-IV-TR criteria:
+ Show Spoiler +

More types of depression listed here by their DSM-IV criteria. (scroll down to mood disorders)

I have two people in my life who have been dealing with depression over long periods of time. Anti-psychotics/depressants in combination with therapy have helped both of them. I have also heard several accounts, including from a professor in a public health class, that St. John's Wort can help with depression and does not require a prescription (unless you live in Germany).

In general, I'd say if you think you have depression, go talk to somebody who is qualified to accurately judge such.




You seem like you know better than to be abusing barbiturates, especially while already depressed, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to strongly suggest you light a fire under your ass for your own well-being and get to that psychiatrist.

If only I were a mod...I'd threaten to ban you for motivation's sake.

On October 06 2009 05:41 Klockan3 wrote:
Here is a list of steps to get better:
1: Exercise.
2: Eat properly.
3: Take your time to sleep.
4: Get good friends.
5: Start on a job you like.
6: Get a nice girlfriend.
7: Stop worrying about not being able to do everything of the above.

On October 06 2009 05:19 Foucault wrote:
Yep, I have when I was around 20, like 10 years ago now.

I've eaten numerous SSRI:s. They have pretty much the same effect, you feel "better" in a way, but more like numb.

What worked more for me is exercise, cardio especially. Also get a good multi-vitamin, a B-complex and Magnesium. Eat well, sleep well, be pro-active and fix stuff in your life.

On October 06 2009 08:33 CharlieMurphy wrote:



Exercising is so important imo. A healthy body really does create a healthy mind. Not only is your body and brain functioning better because of your health, but your outward appearance is better and gives you a better overall feeling of self.

set a goal and rape it. Carpe Diem

On October 06 2009 09:55 Quint wrote:
I can't even begin to describe how wrong some people are about depression in general - believe me, doing sports or setting goals will not cure it. If you want to do something about it yourself, my advice would be to ask yourself honestly why you act in specific situations in a certain manner and then try to find the root and confront it.

On October 06 2009 05:23 Kennigit wrote:
I was depressed for about 6 months. I got over it through sheer will power and telling myself "man the fuck up you little bitch". Once i embraced an attitude of raping life and becoming a Ripped Nerd Baller, depression disappeared instantly. Embrace it.

On October 06 2009 10:20 Shauni wrote:


Yeah... When reading this thread all I could think of was 'agh retards'.

On October 06 2009 10:53 Chef wrote:
For years I thought I had major depressive disorder. But over the last month I've been thinking a lot about it and I think it's not sadness at all that I regularly feel. It's stress.

The reason I misdiagnose myself is because I think about things that should be saddening... Being lonely or thinking my future will be unhappy. But lately I realise that when I'm really sad, the feeling is not the same as these aforementioned things, and it doesn't last days on end, it only lasts a few hours and it isn't everyday. The stress however is something I feel everyday.

For myself, I choose not to engage with professional therapy/drugs to solve this issue I have. Maybe it's a trust issue with professionals, but for drug therapy it's a fear of altering my mind and the side effects that might be as bad as the condition it cures. I like to think that with conditions of psychology and the mind, at least sometimes they can be overcome by positive thinking, and are actually compounded and made worse when one thinks of themselves as a helpless victim of them. Yeah, it's a chemical imbalance in your brain and not everyone has the same trouble, but the brain isn't useless. Every thought you have is just the result of chemical reactions, so maybe it's not impossible to balance those chemicals yourself.