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I was depressed once, then i realized that to be successful i needed to be happy. Haven't looked back since.
I would definitely agree with the general health advice, 7 hours of sleep, eat well, hydrate well, exercise a lot (sitting all day can be very harmful, i personally have a standing desk for when i study, and only sit during leisure and class).
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if you don't want to see a doctor try shrooms. With some positive people of course and a positive situation.
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I don't think it's depression, I think it's more of a feeling where you are actually in a good place in your life, in a way.
By getting that 4.0 and all that, you may feel a bit depressed feeling there is nothing to do -- nothing to look forward to. This can make you tired and stuff if you can't think of something worth living for anymore.
This is why life can get boring if it's too easy. What's the satisfaction of accomplishing something if it takes 0 effort?
It's probably just a chillax phase in your life, just relax. I really don't think it's depression (well you could call it that actually, but it's not the stereotypical kind where some kind of tragedy has occurred).
Also going from 5-6 to 9-10 hours of sleep in a short time can still make you tired simply cus ur body is not used to it. Your body has an internal clock and yadda yadda, yadda yadda, hopefully you get what I mean. It might take a while for you to get used to it. Maybe you're actually sleeping too much, and 8 is better, or at least for now. Maybe you are going to sleep earlier or later than you are used to, etc.
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the key to depression is taking tests and going to the doctor, if this is a prolonged feeling for more than 2 weeks than yeah you should probably see a doctor. if its for more han 2 months than you definitely should.
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On February 01 2012 10:08 beg wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 09:39 run.at.me wrote:On February 01 2012 09:06 beg wrote:On February 01 2012 09:03 run.at.me wrote: despite you not being able to find the cause of whats making you feel the way you do, there is something in your life(/past) that isn't being addressed. Unless its a chemical imbalance (very unlikely, you would have a number of symptoms that you have not expressed), this is most likely a subconscious response to unaddressed issue(s). 'There's nothing it could be..' we tell ourselves, because it's easier to sweep dirt under the rug than deal with uncomfortable things in life. These issues don't have to be 'i was molested as a child' issues, but rather simple things like the direction our life is going, the question of whether your friends are 'truly' your friends, and etc.
See a psychologist, talk about life and try to see what the real problem is, as this is not a phsyical one are you a psychologist? or studying psychology? i literally have the same symptoms as OP, except that i smoked a lot of weed, which might be the real reason for me. but a psychologist diagnosed me as depressive, even though i told her about everything :/ ... to say it with dragon's words... "what dose mean?" nah neither a psychologist or psych major, I've just lived through enough of my parents problems, and then with my own shit, having seen a psychologist (an average one...) i've smoked plenty of weed too, can't anymore coz my mind goes crazy (i went through bad anxiety phase and cant smoke anymore... sad story), but it's not a 'cause' for depression... Heres the thing with psych's - they like to 'diagnose' and people get labelled. All depression is, is a frame of mind - and you are labelled 'depressed' when you are in this frame of mind without there being a necessary or apparent cause. People feel like shit all the time, but it comes and goes, but 'depression' is when this shit feeling lingers more than it should and without reason. Depression can also just be learned behaviour, like from your parent. Lets say your mum has bouts of depression throughout your childhood and onwards, this emotional response to whatever will likely be passed on to you, without you ever actually being aware of it. This is just an example of how simple depression can occur, and why people who have feelings of depression never actually understand why. It's just excessive negative thinking... and it is habitual and learned and can be turned around with the right 'training' you could say - pinpointing irrational conclusions, not allowing yourslelf to sit in self-pity, etc etc all that psychology crap. Its funny to see how people think depression is like getting the cold. 'Stop whining everyone gets depressed'... these people lack so much intelligence im surprised that have the capacity to function on day to day basis. most people here talk about losing all motivation. maybe you are right with your statement about unadressed issues, but on the other hand losing all your drive isn't a "frame of mind", is it?
People don't just wake up one day and want to do nothing for the rest of their lives. Losing drive is a symptom of depression, not a cause. And it effects people at different levels, especially those who are typically very driven and active. I don't have high drive, I never have, I don't like to study hard (or study at all), I want money but I don't work hard to make it, sometimes I stay up all night doing nothing and sleep all day. I can get depressed, but then I can feel better days later. This may have to do with the fact that I've experienced feeling like shit enough to know that it only takes a good day to make you feel better, and from there you start thinking more positively. Its important not to get caught up in feeling upset/depressed for a week, and turn it into a much bigger issue than it really is. If you feel bad for weeks on end, then yes things need to be addressed. But its essential that people are aware that everyone has shitty days/week, and that is OK, life goes on, you are not by definition 'depressed.'
As the OP said he's only been feeling this way for 2 weeks, it seems a bit exaggerated to label yourself depressed after feeling bad for 2 weeks, although its significance should not be ignored. There may be problems, ones that CAN be resolved, and move on from. This is life, get used to it
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On February 01 2012 08:52 beg wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 05:47 AnachronisticAnarchy wrote: Sounds like depression to me. I was depressed from age 4 onward to varying degrees, sometimes managing nothing but just laying on my hammock and other times almost completely normal. Also, I had trouble telling I was depressed, despite the fact I was, literally, doing nothing but laying on the hammock all day sometimes. Still, no matter what the team liquid posters say, you still need to see a doctor. Depression is a chemical abnormality in the brain and will kill you if you try to ignore it. + Show Spoiler +what do you mean? it obviously won't kill you. also, the serotonine theory is pretty shitty and most likely wrong, imho. look at this substance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianeptine ..it's a selective serotonin reuptake enhancer (SSRE), which does the opposite of an SSRI . yet it works. the only reason why people made up the theory about serotonine, is because increasing serotonine levels was proven to decrease the symptoms.
Yes, depression will kill you. Not directly of course, but that's only a technicality. If you try to ignore depression, you enter a downward spiral involving fun things like the loss of the ability to reason effectively and then you off yourself. Fairly straightfoward.
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Your story is similar to mine -- in college I had trouble with motivation, became isolated, smoked a lot of dope, and generally felt worried. But I certainly would not say that I was "sad" in the traditional sense. More like numb. I made it through like I made it through everything -- just doing enough to get by. I never went to see anyone about my mental issues because I felt like doing so would make me weak. Eventually things got better; I went to law school in a different town and came out of my shell. I started to feel emotions and for the first time in my life I felt challenged in a good way. The first 2 years of law school I was in peak mental, physical and emotional shape.
Then the 3rd year was really boring. I did what it took to graduate, started working. After 3 years of work, (up to about 8 months ago) I was in a really bad place. No thoughts that weren't negative, inability to focus on work, no desire to be creative, constant physical problems, withdrawing from friends and family, hurting people I worked with and was in relationships with. Ugh. Two things happened. First my girlfriend at the time told me (in a nice way) that I should see a therapist. Then I told some friends about what was going on, and it turns out that a lot of my friends had been to therapy/were or are on meds.
At the time I was so low that I did not want to go to therapy, because I could not imagine telling someone else about the thoughts I was having (basically that there were constant voices in my head insulting me and second-guessing every choice I made or didn't make. I found a doctor and got on some drugs. It took a few months, but eventually a found a combo that works for me. Now it is like night and day. I don't feel "happy" in a euphoric way, I just feel normal. Sad things make me sad; happy things make me happy. Before, everything just made me feel shame.
When I first went to the Dr. all I wanted was to regain how I felt in law school (btw, most people hate law school). Now I realize that I had been clinically depressed since AT LEAST first year of college and likely before that.
TL;DR -- I worked through my depression issues in college without therapy or medication, but, doing so I missed out on what college could have been if I had been a bit more right in the head. If I was doing it all again, I would see somebody earlier rather than later.
btw: Learning to control your emotions and not being so "caught up" in things is good and is part of growing up. This is why kids have shitty poker faces. But not enjoying fun things at all is a symptom of depression.
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On February 01 2012 12:02 run.at.me wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 10:08 beg wrote:On February 01 2012 09:39 run.at.me wrote:On February 01 2012 09:06 beg wrote:On February 01 2012 09:03 run.at.me wrote: despite you not being able to find the cause of whats making you feel the way you do, there is something in your life(/past) that isn't being addressed. Unless its a chemical imbalance (very unlikely, you would have a number of symptoms that you have not expressed), this is most likely a subconscious response to unaddressed issue(s). 'There's nothing it could be..' we tell ourselves, because it's easier to sweep dirt under the rug than deal with uncomfortable things in life. These issues don't have to be 'i was molested as a child' issues, but rather simple things like the direction our life is going, the question of whether your friends are 'truly' your friends, and etc.
See a psychologist, talk about life and try to see what the real problem is, as this is not a phsyical one are you a psychologist? or studying psychology? i literally have the same symptoms as OP, except that i smoked a lot of weed, which might be the real reason for me. but a psychologist diagnosed me as depressive, even though i told her about everything :/ ... to say it with dragon's words... "what dose mean?" nah neither a psychologist or psych major, I've just lived through enough of my parents problems, and then with my own shit, having seen a psychologist (an average one...) i've smoked plenty of weed too, can't anymore coz my mind goes crazy (i went through bad anxiety phase and cant smoke anymore... sad story), but it's not a 'cause' for depression... Heres the thing with psych's - they like to 'diagnose' and people get labelled. All depression is, is a frame of mind - and you are labelled 'depressed' when you are in this frame of mind without there being a necessary or apparent cause. People feel like shit all the time, but it comes and goes, but 'depression' is when this shit feeling lingers more than it should and without reason. Depression can also just be learned behaviour, like from your parent. Lets say your mum has bouts of depression throughout your childhood and onwards, this emotional response to whatever will likely be passed on to you, without you ever actually being aware of it. This is just an example of how simple depression can occur, and why people who have feelings of depression never actually understand why. It's just excessive negative thinking... and it is habitual and learned and can be turned around with the right 'training' you could say - pinpointing irrational conclusions, not allowing yourslelf to sit in self-pity, etc etc all that psychology crap. Its funny to see how people think depression is like getting the cold. 'Stop whining everyone gets depressed'... these people lack so much intelligence im surprised that have the capacity to function on day to day basis. most people here talk about losing all motivation. maybe you are right with your statement about unadressed issues, but on the other hand losing all your drive isn't a "frame of mind", is it? People don't just wake up one day and want to do nothing for the rest of their lives. Losing drive is a symptom of depression, not a cause. And it effects people at different levels, especially those who are typically very driven and active. I don't have high drive, I never have, I don't like to study hard (or study at all), I want money but I don't work hard to make it, sometimes I stay up all night doing nothing and sleep all day. I can get depressed, but then I can feel better days later. This may have to do with the fact that I've experienced feeling like shit enough to know that it only takes a good day to make you feel better, and from there you start thinking more positively. Its important not to get caught up in feeling upset/depressed for a week, and turn it into a much bigger issue than it really is. If you feel bad for weeks on end, then yes things need to be addressed. But its essential that people are aware that everyone has shitty days/week, and that is OK, life goes on, you are not by definition 'depressed.' As the OP said he's only been feeling this way for 2 weeks, it seems a bit exaggerated to label yourself depressed after feeling bad for 2 weeks, although its significance should not be ignored. There may be problems, ones that CAN be resolved, and move on from. This is life, get used to it
Good point -- two weeks is a short time. I missed that part. I would say that a month of feeling the way that the OP describes and not understanding why would be a sign that it might be time to get some help.
Also, there really is no reason not to see a counselor if you are at college -- its usually free. Trust me, this shit gets expensive when you are out on your own. At worst, you go in, they tell you what they think, and then you are free to do what they say or not. Getting a perspective from someone not inside your own head can be helpful.
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Thanks for all the replies guys, its wonderful how thoughtful and caring the TL community really is
To clarify a couple points - I'm not a heavy pot smoker, very very casual if that. -I think i will seek help and go to my university's counselor -I will cut down hon and I actually went to the gym at school today (something I havent done in months!)
all the best guys
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I've been feeling pretty down too, so I feel you OP.
On February 01 2012 10:51 Ankh1221 wrote:4- Keep your inboxes empty. Basically, this just means don't let shit pile up. Whether it's homework, or laundry, or your actual E-mail, it just feels good to have empty inboxes. You may be one of those people (I'm one too) who doesn't really get stressed out about shit piling up (it goes along with the pothead bit). Yet, even for us resilient folk, too much shit on you plate will start to wear you down, and there's actually a great feeling accompanied by clearing your inboxes. $- Here I'm gonna let you in on a little secret that most people have no clue about, yet it's possibly the most beneficial activity any person could ever partake in. It will take you to heights previously unimaginable. Meditation. + Show Spoiler +Holy fuckstockings let me say it again. Meditation. This shit will save your life, I kid you not. Sitting silently for 5 minutes a day, trying not to let any thoughts overcome your brain, trying to keep your mind empty and calm. It will be totally futile the first time you try it (especially for us hyperactive gamers) and you'll just end up daydreaming about tits or something. But take it seriously and work on it every day, 5 minutes a day for one week. On the seventh day you will open your eyes after the meditation and feel this incredible sensation of being calm. It is unbelievable, and it's addicting once you start. Please, please, please, I beg of you please try this out, 5 minutes a day for just one week. 35 minutes. It is the number one thing that has helped me stay positive, successful, and out of depression. Please try it. It's so wonderful.
I'm no postdoctoral-clinicopharmatherapist or anything, but I do have some experience with this stuff. All my life I've had seemingly random spurts of depression and lethargy, and often I would have to take a week or two off from school until I got myself back on track. It was never a serious problem until two years ago when my dad died of cancer (i'm 16 now). He was everything to me and his death tore me to bits. All that year I had zero in my life. There was nothing but sleep, and sudden bursts of severe sobbing from time to time. I refused to take antidepressants as I don't believe in being under the influence 24/7 on anything. I was totally lost, until I discovered the marvelous miracle of meditation. Or perhaps it found me. Anyway, I started meditating consistently, first for 5 minutes a day, increasing that number gradually. Thanks to the meditation, I soon had the motivation and energy to start exercising, doing my homework, sleeping on a schedule etc. Now I'm a totally functional person and I have huge dreams and aspirations. I'm telling you this stuff works from experience. Don't wait until you hit rock bottom though, take charge right now and sit on your fucking carpet for 5 goddamn minutes cross-legged or whatever your chicken-fucking-legs can handle. It will get your life in order for you. All you have to do is give it 5 minutes a day.
I digress. Feel better, man.
I will do this
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I've seen counselling services.
They do help.
But it's not like a magic pill where you go and then everything is all better.
You go, you talk.. it's a process. Sometimes you leave, feeling nothing.. but start to reflect and feel good a day later. Or you leave feeling great and then feel depressed again 3 days later.. It's just a process..
But it helped me after a bad relationship.
Nothing wrong with getting help.
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On February 01 2012 12:02 run.at.me wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 10:08 beg wrote:On February 01 2012 09:39 run.at.me wrote:On February 01 2012 09:06 beg wrote:On February 01 2012 09:03 run.at.me wrote: despite you not being able to find the cause of whats making you feel the way you do, there is something in your life(/past) that isn't being addressed. Unless its a chemical imbalance (very unlikely, you would have a number of symptoms that you have not expressed), this is most likely a subconscious response to unaddressed issue(s). 'There's nothing it could be..' we tell ourselves, because it's easier to sweep dirt under the rug than deal with uncomfortable things in life. These issues don't have to be 'i was molested as a child' issues, but rather simple things like the direction our life is going, the question of whether your friends are 'truly' your friends, and etc.
See a psychologist, talk about life and try to see what the real problem is, as this is not a phsyical one are you a psychologist? or studying psychology? i literally have the same symptoms as OP, except that i smoked a lot of weed, which might be the real reason for me. but a psychologist diagnosed me as depressive, even though i told her about everything :/ ... to say it with dragon's words... "what dose mean?" nah neither a psychologist or psych major, I've just lived through enough of my parents problems, and then with my own shit, having seen a psychologist (an average one...) i've smoked plenty of weed too, can't anymore coz my mind goes crazy (i went through bad anxiety phase and cant smoke anymore... sad story), but it's not a 'cause' for depression... Heres the thing with psych's - they like to 'diagnose' and people get labelled. All depression is, is a frame of mind - and you are labelled 'depressed' when you are in this frame of mind without there being a necessary or apparent cause. People feel like shit all the time, but it comes and goes, but 'depression' is when this shit feeling lingers more than it should and without reason. Depression can also just be learned behaviour, like from your parent. Lets say your mum has bouts of depression throughout your childhood and onwards, this emotional response to whatever will likely be passed on to you, without you ever actually being aware of it. This is just an example of how simple depression can occur, and why people who have feelings of depression never actually understand why. It's just excessive negative thinking... and it is habitual and learned and can be turned around with the right 'training' you could say - pinpointing irrational conclusions, not allowing yourslelf to sit in self-pity, etc etc all that psychology crap. Its funny to see how people think depression is like getting the cold. 'Stop whining everyone gets depressed'... these people lack so much intelligence im surprised that have the capacity to function on day to day basis. most people here talk about losing all motivation. maybe you are right with your statement about unadressed issues, but on the other hand losing all your drive isn't a "frame of mind", is it? People don't just wake up one day and want to do nothing for the rest of their lives. Losing drive is a symptom of depression, not a cause. And it effects people at different levels, especially those who are typically very driven and active. I don't have high drive, I never have, I don't like to study hard (or study at all), I want money but I don't work hard to make it, sometimes I stay up all night doing nothing and sleep all day. I can get depressed, but then I can feel better days later. This may have to do with the fact that I've experienced feeling like shit enough to know that it only takes a good day to make you feel better, and from there you start thinking more positively. Its important not to get caught up in feeling upset/depressed for a week, and turn it into a much bigger issue than it really is. If you feel bad for weeks on end, then yes things need to be addressed. But its essential that people are aware that everyone has shitty days/week, and that is OK, life goes on, you are not by definition 'depressed.' As the OP said he's only been feeling this way for 2 weeks, it seems a bit exaggerated to label yourself depressed after feeling bad for 2 weeks, although its significance should not be ignored. There may be problems, ones that CAN be resolved, and move on from. This is life, get used to it i just realized "frame of mind" doesnt mean what i thought it means. so your post actually makes more sense now
dunno if you read all my posts, but i literally lost all my motivation for everything, even my most beloved hobbies. i really wish i knew why... tried to find a psychologist, but in germany you have to call hundreds of psychologists or be really lucky... and i just can't fkin do that.
anyone got some ideas? yea yea, excersise, meditate, eat good... i'm trying to do all these things, but i never was able to keep anything of it up for longer than a month maybe.
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On February 01 2012 08:52 beg wrote:Show nested quote +On February 01 2012 05:47 AnachronisticAnarchy wrote: Sounds like depression to me. I was depressed from age 4 onward to varying degrees, sometimes managing nothing but just laying on my hammock and other times almost completely normal. Also, I had trouble telling I was depressed, despite the fact I was, literally, doing nothing but laying on the hammock all day sometimes. Still, no matter what the team liquid posters say, you still need to see a doctor. Depression is a chemical abnormality in the brain and will kill you if you try to ignore it. what do you mean? it obviously won't kill you. also, the serotonine theory is pretty shitty and most likely wrong, imho. look at this substance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianeptine ..it's a selective serotonin reuptake enhancer (SSRE), which does the opposite of an SSRI . yet it works. the only reason why people made up the theory about serotonine, is because increasing serotonine levels was proven to decrease the symptoms.
Someone mentioned that depression was a state of mind earlier and that is most likely the best way to descripe it. The problem is that this state of mind is extremely hard to escape again. You get more depressed from being depressed. Therefore the decrease of symptoms from medicine (SREs, SSRIs, SNRIs) is extremely important. Relieving the burden of the depression by treating symptoms becomes a part of the cure.
Depending on how long you have had a depression and how serious your symptoms are you should seek out a doctor or a psychologist. In Denmark it is always the doctor you should seek out first, since he can prescribe a psychologist to make it cheaper for you. A psychologist is mostly longterm, while pills are mostly a shortterm help. Both has advantages but a combination is recommended if your depression is medium or above.
Apart from that a few general principles apply to treating depression: Plenty of exercise, getting your rocks off, exercise in relaxing your mind (meditation, relaxation and more) and eating/drinking healthy.
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I think you may have a gaming addiction. I had the same thing. I played vanilla SC so much back in college (1997) that I actually failed a semester and had to withdraw all my classes. I also stopped talking to my friends.
You should try to ween yourself from HoN. I know it's tough but you have to. Know that you need to work hard and play hard. That's what I do now. I'm actually a Ph.D. working in a research lab now. But I still game, I just make sure my work is done first!
It's tough, but you can do it.
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