Are you depressed, and what makes you sad?

[flobadob]

Firstly, I understand that depression is a complex issue to do with imbalances in the brain and such, and I know that it is not as basic as the question I ask.

However, I'm just saying if you are depressed what sort of things set you off on a downward spiral. Is it thinking about how your life panned out compared to your dreams, is it money woes, is it thinking of all the ills in the world, or perhaps none of the above, or even all the above and more.

What sort of things make you depressed and are there things you can think about to bring you back to happy thoughts?

[divegirl]

VHG and Andy H, I feel your highs and your lows.
I identify more with Andy as I try my damnedest not to let it inhale and consume he as it has done before. I have managed with out medication for two years now and some times have to fight so hard to stop going back to that place in my head.

Keep fighting it guys

Lisa x

[wolf63]

I dread visiting my psychiatrist as I know that his first question is about how I am feeling and have been feeling. I really don't know how I am feeling.

From my teens I suffered from periods where I was clinically depressed, other periods where I was high and other times that seemed normal.

It wasn't until I was in my early 30s that I was given the label - 'Bipolar'. I was given Lithium and anti-depressants and I really expected to feel better. That was 1997 - I am still on the same drugs now.

I had to give up working in 2003 because I just wasn't coping. I am financially stable and have a voluntary job that I enjoy. I have my two moggies and I love them to bits - but even looking after them sometimes feels overwhelming.

I now live in a twilight zone and my brain feels all fogged up - I find life very difficult to deal with and avoid going out unless to meet a friend or go to the voluntary job.

Dying is the only way out - it is a bit like hitting the 'reset' button. Dying doesn't scare me but living does.

I know that I don't sound like much fun to be around - but I have a wicked sense of humour and see humour is some strange places/situations.

[evedawn]

Andy-Hughes I like your comment relating to the fact that there doesn't have to be a"reason" for depression. Outwardly I am the confident positive person but inwardly I struggle every single day. I was on antidepressant for a number of years but not any longer. People would do well to remember that depression can be masked (I cover up well but it is hard hard hard slog) and the happiest people are sometimes the saddest / most stressed inside.

[cubic999]

read my other posts I have issues depressed because of women, and your lack of commitment and love. money aswell, everything ok time to cry i hate you all

[evedawn]

VHG - again I so identify with what u say. It's like when life is going really well I have a constant under current of "waiting for it to go wrong"! I worry anout EVERYthing!!Ridiculous and I fight hard against it every day but it's always lurking in the background as are regular suicidal thoughts (which I would never carry out as I could not put that kinda sadness on my loved ones)

[flobadob]

It's cool in a way that having the internet makes you realise that a lot of people have depression and it should not be a taboo subject. Does this transfer over into everyday life or is there a stigma attached to it?

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

I'm happy and stable at the moment but I know what my trigger is.
It's when I feel trapped in a situation that makes me unhappy, be it a job, a home or a relationship.
Once the obstacle is removed, I start to get back to normality. It's not the situation itself that does it, it's the feeling that I can't escape.

[andy-hughes]

I have banged on many times on the AB about my rage at the very term 'depression' - because it leads to misunderstanding by society as a whole.

Everyone gets 'depressed' - that is a normal part of the human condition.

Not everyone has 'depression' which is a major life-threatening illness, stiil misunderstood and stigmatised even now.

If I had my way, it would be re-named and its new name would have the same chilling ring as cancer - so everyone would know straight away that this is not feeling a bit fed up - this is really really serious, and needs to be approached as such.

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

What I have Andy is depression. I feel broccoli quite a lot of the time but I know the difference. I've been battling it since I was about 10 years old.

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

For broccoli read pants, or what goes in them if you follow through.

[lcg]

i have psychotic depression, so struggle every day, regardless of how many tablets i shovel down my throat. for me, it's money (or the utter lack of it). i am the only person working in my house, so feel extremely pressured to keep working and do the overtime required to keep the roof over our heads. however, the more i work, the more tired iget and the more tired i get the more depressed i get. welcome to my miserable merry go round.

[wolf63]

I suffer from paranoia, hallucinations and the feeling of living in a bizarre and surreal world. I think that one of these words need to change -"depression" or "Depression".

[craft1948]

I suffer from depression, not sadness, and have no idea of the cause. I have no family or financial problems and to the outside world I am one of the happiest (and often funniest) people going. Then for some unexplained reason I feel on edge, worry about the smallest things, and can't cope with seeing people. I can go to bed with a smile on my face and wake up a complete wreck. I can cope now on the medication I have been on for the last 5 years (which has been reduced) but find the whole thing extremely frustrating. I could also gladly throttle anyone who told me to shake myself out of it...................

[wolf63]

craft - "smile! It might not happen". My boss said that to me once - my reply could have ended my career but he knew that he was out of order. Sometimes working in the civil service has benefits. (Apart from my 31/80ths pension at age 40).

[VHG]

>>Does this transfer over into everyday life or is there a stigma attached to it?

You have to be very careful when you tell people you have depression, often they dont know what to say and run a mile.

After working for the computer company for 30 years (see my append above) I made friends all round the world.

Sometimes I would get an email out the blue from one of them asking how I was now I was retired.

After replying with an email saying the various things I was doing I would casually mention I was also a bit depressed.

And that would be that, I never got a reply from my email.

So it never pays to tell people you have depression of any sort.

[VHG]

>>>"smile! It might not happen". My boss said that to me once

I went to my GP about 5 years ago during a really bad bout of depression.

I mentioned that whenever I watched a documentary on TV about a "serious" subject it left me very depressed. This may be about global waming, AIDS, destruction of rain forest etc.

His comment was "well you should watch more of them then".

What an idiot, and this was a GP.

I rerely watch serious documentaries now.

[wolf63]

VHG - I prefer to be open about my Clinical Depression. Most people try to understand, many people have had the illness touch their life in some way.

I must admit that I seldom watch TV these days - the NEWS tends to frustrate me (too many bad and/or greedy people in the world).

I have some days where my brain seems to function normally and these days I appreciate. Most days are not good - I am surviving but not really living. My voluntary work keeps me going.

[wolf63]

PS - I mentioned to my GP about a TV programme that had caused me to get upset (more frustrated and angry than upset). He told me not to watch such programmes. :-)

[Khandro]

To those above suffering 'real' depression have my sincere sympathy, would any of them care to say what their stance is in relationship to religion?

[wolf63]

Khandro - I am an atheist.

I feel that religion is a man-made concept, designed to help the humans of long, long ago understand the world. In the world today it may still have a place in helping those who choose to follow a religion to cope with life and help them make a positive contribution to society.