Without getting into the details, I think I can really improve a personal relationship of mine if I had a better understanding of depression, anxiety disorders, and the like. Can anyone seriously recommend some reading on the subject? Something text-book like that gets into the specifics of understanding it, as well as socially understanding it, how to live with, help, have a good relationship with someone who has this kind of a problem?
I know a little and try to avoid getting sucked into things like responding to anger with anger and shit like that, but I need help. I need more knowledge. I need to understand the ins and outs of the human mind a lot better than I do.
you know i’ve never belive in depression before . Then i got a cupple whiffs of it within the last year … it’s not fun at all. try a google search all the answers are out there. however i don’t belive drugs are the answer unless your looking for a high. Being a good friend talking a lot about it. giving advice even though it most likley won’t be followed …
best way to deal with it if just sourrounding yourself with friends and family … good friends and family … go out have fun … very simply put turn the frown upsidedown
I for one have suffered from depression for a long time. I have been severly depressed latly. Its the most horrable feeling. You feel like nobody cares if you live or die, absolutly hate your life, yourself and everything around you. Its actually one of the main reasons I failed 2/3 classes this past semester…I was in bed for 3 days, I just did not care about anything. depending on the person deprssion also brings out alot of anger issues because you feel angry that everybody else is happy and can go on with their lives but you are stuck in this self loathing hate driven downward spiral. One of my best ways to avoid depression is 1) to stay buisy. when I’m working alot and stuff I dont have time to think about that shit. 2) hang out with friends, or really anybody that can make you feel good or more importantly good about yourself. I for one feel like I am a complete loser and a wast of basicly everything when I am depressed. 3) for some people medication is a life saver…I know there are alot of people out there that say its masking the problem but it really is not. Depression is caused by a chemical imballance in your brain…the medications help to level out these imbalances…I am currently on a med call Effexor because i have a proble with Rage. i get angry and totally flip out at the smallest things. This medication has really saved me, my family was going to kick me out if didin’t do somthing soon and I dont like being like that.
Sorry for the long post but I hope that helps you understand alittle better what its like.
Yeah I have been taken to the ER because of a severe panic attack…omg I thaught i was dying…I had the most eratic heart beat…my pulse would go from 8 to 160 in like 2 seconds…it was super freaky. I was like half conceous so i dont remember a ton of it…but it was a realy bad one.
I really need to get out, because lately I’ve been really meh. And not really enjoying life at the moment with everything that is going on. Feels like it’s all stupid shit that I am worried about too.
there’s lots of self help books out there for people in relationships with others who suffer from depression and anxiety. they’re under self help or psychology in borders or barnes and nobles. if that doesn’t help, I can ask collegues at work for recommendations also. I happen to be a mental health counselor.
there are 2 very good ways ive found to cure depression.
have obtainable goals. when you have something you can look forward to and you have to work to get it. then you feel like you have a purpose and feel good about yourself when you acheive one of your goals. whether its to find a better job, get a college degree, start a buisness, get in shape, change your lifestyle, improve a relationship ect…people need a purpose to go on.
get yourself a hobby. nothing cures depression better than being busy. if you dont have the time to think about the bad things in your life then you wont dwell on them. i find music to be very medicating so i have become a musician. but anything will do. and when you become better at it, you feel some pride in yourself.
i was very depressed not all that long ago. i had thought about eating a bullet on many occasions. but i have focused on these 2 things and have completely cured my depression without any medication.
If you happen to have the chance to get a recommendation for me I would sincerely appreciate it. I’m leaving for a [business](javascript:var empty2 = window.open(‘http://66.216.114.15/SearchRedirect.aspx?SearchID=1187&UserID= B8E72C-E418-494C-2D84-ACCB200C6DEE&DistID=0102050224’, ‘_blank’) [trip](javascript:var empty2 = window.open(‘http://66.216.114.15/SearchRedirect.aspx?SearchID=2410&UserID= B8E72C-E418-494C-2D84-ACCB200C6DEE&DistID=0102050224’, ‘_blank’) to [Alaska](javascript:var empty2 = window.open(‘http://66.216.114.15/SearchRedirect.aspx?SearchID=3322&UserID= B8E72C-E418-494C-2D84-ACCB200C6DEE&DistID=0102050224’, ‘_blank’) on Tuesday and figure it would be a good chance to gain a little understanding into this person and our relationship. I’ll PM you who this person is, since it may make a difference as to what is recommended but I don’t want to broadcast who this person is.
As for thee attitude that [medicine](javascript:var empty2 = window.open(‘http://66.216.114.15/SearchRedirect.aspx?SearchID=1865&UserID= B8E72C-E418-494C-2D84-ACCB200C6DEE&DistID=0102050224’, ‘_blank’) only masks depression, I think you’re only thinking of narcotic-type medicines. A lot of depression and anxiety disorders are simply medical conditions. The sadness, anger, rage, etc, are symptoms of the condition, that is often an imbalance of neurotransmitter chemicals in the brain. Non-narcotic medicines correct this imbalance. They’re not “happy” pills. They correct a medical condition and the observable result is a change in mood.
Granted, exercise, hobbies, etc are all also very good advice that have been proven to work. It’s just that sometimes medicine is needed to treat a condition.
Thanks for all the help guys and girls. I appreciate this being taken seriously. 98tegette I’ll be looking for that recommendation if you get the chance.
Weird how sometimes shit most people can deal with can totally consume and imobilize you huh?
I need to understand this shit better because sometimes I just can’t seem to grasp the concept of “can’t.” I personally don’t let myself believe in that word, but I also don’t have an anxiety disorder, so it’s sometimes hard for me to accept that this person “Can’t deal with this” or “Can’t snap out of it” or “Can’t get ahold of themself” or “Can’t look at it in a different light.” Then my frustration just makes things worse, and it snowballs…
The people who think that you can talk yourself out of depression or that participating in a “fun” activity can do it are pretty ignorant on the subject. It’s kind of like thinking that you can cure cancer by positive thoughts or that pneumonia is a figment of your imagination. Endogenous depression is a well defined disease with a fairly well understood pathophysiology. There was once a school of thought that ascribed depression to cognitive or sociological factors. But this theory has less and less credibility as the biocehmistry of depression is better understood.
The dramatic response of depression to medication is pretty good evidence that the disease is biochemically based. What effective antidepressants have in common is that they increase serotonin levels in certain parts of the brain. These drugs are not “uppers”. They do not cause euphoria or a “high” when given to non-depressed people. They really have very little effect at all except on people who are depressed. They typically take weeks to work, and are not intoxicants, hallucinogens, etc.
There are also other systemic diseases that cause secondary depression. Diseases such as hypothyroidism. Therapy without medication is usually not effective in treating depression. Neither is religion, positive thinking, meditating, etc. It is a disease, not a moral failing, punishment from God, or due to a bad childhood, etc. Major depression has a significant risk of suicide and drug abuse (self medicating). If you are suffering from severe depression, get help from a qualified psychiatrist.
The natural history of major depression (without treatment) is that it waxes and wanes. Episodes of severe depression typically last several months, improve and then eventually reoccur. That is one reason people can easily be misled into thinking that non-medical therapies help. They were going to get better anyway and mistakenly attribute the improvement to whatever they put their faith in. But the depression almost always reoccurs. Medications, in a very large number of randomised blinded trials have been shown to decrease the duration and severity of depressive episodes as well as decrease the risk of suicide. There is an controversial association of treatment with certain anti-depressants and suicide. There is some data suggesting that early in treatment, especially in teenagers, there may be an intial increased risk of suicide. This is currently under study.
Rich (an MD when he isn’t screwing around with cars)
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