Have you ever/ do you suffer(ed) from depression!?

aoibhebree

Wow I'm really shocked at the amount of people here who have answered yes, it's scary. I'm one of the (very lucky) one's who said no. I've had ups and downs in my life, but I've never felt anything near depression. I do have a close friend who is depressed, and it's such a scary illness. We might experience the exact same thing - something minor like failing a college exam, or something bigger like the death of a family member - and when we talk about it, I find it so scary how different her perspective is on everything. Like, her mother died when she was already at a very low point, and her attitude was totally apathetic - it was like she was too caught up in herself to care, or to feel any worse. And then another time she was doing really well, and then she couldn't get a book she wanted from the library and took an overdose.

I think it's so brave of sufferers here to talk about it - it really helps remove some of the stigma surrounding it.

b28

aoibhebree wrote: »

Wow I'm really shocked at the amount of people here who have answered yes, it's scary. I'm one of the (very lucky) one's who said no. I've had ups and downs in my life, but I've never felt anything near depression. I do have a close friend who is depressed, and it's such a scary illness. We might experience the exact same thing - something minor like failing a college exam, or something bigger like the death of a family member - and when we talk about it, I find it so scary how different her perspective is on everything. Like, her mother died when she was already at a very low point, and her attitude was totally apathetic - it was like she was too caught up in herself to care, or to feel any worse. And then another time she was doing really well, and then she couldn't get a book she wanted from the library and took an overdose.

I think it's so brave of sufferers here to talk about it - it really helps remove some of the stigma surrounding it.

Question is, how many will commit suicide of that high number of people?!
Or how many are suffering an illness where they wont seek help?

Snowie

aoibhebree wrote: »

I think it's so brave of sufferers here to talk about it - it really helps remove some of the stigma surrounding it.

thast really cool of you ..depression is a diffcult thing to cope with, It never crossed my mind that people with these problems that some of us who have posted have experenced could be reading them and thinking actuly maybe Im not so ****ed up.. maybe there is hope for me. thats a good thing...
:cool:

orestes

aoibhebree wrote: »

I think it's so brave of sufferers here to talk about it - it really helps remove some of the stigma surrounding it.

Here's hoping, and thank you

Snow-Monkey wrote: »

thast really cool of you ..depression is a diffcult thing to cope with, It never crossed my mind that people with these problems that some of us who have posted have experenced could be reading them and thinking actuly maybe Im not so ****ed up.. maybe there is hope for me. thats a good thing...
:cool:

It's like a boards version of a support group

wolfpawnat

I recently had a baby, and am suffering post natal depression. I do not take medication for it as I am feeding my baby. It is the most horrible feeling in the world and I really cannot wait until it goes away again, I hate it so much. My heart goes out to long term sufferers of this disease. I know my suffering will cease as soon as my hormones settle again.

Black Swan

b28 wrote: »

I suffer manic depression.
Mania you dont need to start a thread on as i expect very little people know what thats like! imagine going to work feeling though you have taken 3 e tablets!

Well, fortunately I am not chronically depressed, but many have said I tend to be a bit manic. I am young with a high metabolism rate, and would agree to being hyperactive, which is magnified by too much caffeine (like at this moment in time!), but unipolar manic? Probably not in a clinical sense. So it might be hard for me to identify with someone with a manic-depressive mood disorder, aside from being wired most of the time.

What I do to bring a bit of balance in my life is to work out daily, which keeps me fit and burns off some of the hyperactivity, thereby allowing me to relax. Not sure to what extent this might help the manic side of bipolar disorder? I've read that meds are frequently prescribed for mood disorders, but am uncertain about combining meds with daily exercise in terms of patient outcomes (without referencing the scholarly literature).

Queen-Mise

I thought I had it a few times in the last few years. But the last six months have been very nasty with depression.

It is really very bizarre, I wasn't in bad form, not giving out to kids or anyone, just didn't care. As someone explained to me, you want to cook the dinner, just not able to. No interest in life or yourself at all. It is very insidious.

I could have quite happily have stayed in bed 18 hours a day where that is not me when I'm well.

b28

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

Well, fortunately I am not chronically depressed, but many have said I tend to be a bit manic. I am young with a high metabolism rate, and would agree to being hyperactive, which is magnified by too much caffeine (like at this moment in time!), but unipolar manic? Probably not in a clinical sense. So it might be hard for me to identify with someone with a manic-depressive mood disorder, aside from being wired most of the time.

What I do to bring a bit of balance in my life is to work out daily, which keeps me fit and burns off some of the hyperactivity, thereby allowing me to relax. Not sure to what extent this might help the manic side of bipolar disorder? I've read that meds are frequently prescribed for mood disorders, but am uncertain about combining meds with daily exercise in terms of patient outcomes (without referencing the scholarly literature).

I can't even begin to describe how bad it is! you'd never want to feel like it. its like a e downer thats a natural part of your life!

Black Swan

b28 wrote: »

I can't even begin to describe how bad it is! you'd never want to feel like it. its like a e downer thats a natural part of your life!

How to you mitigate your bipolar mood disorder? Meds? Other interventions?

b28

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

How to you mitigate your bipolar mood disorder? Meds? Other interventions?

i'm on a bunch. lithium is what i use. i used to use olanzapine but had too many side effects. but i do get therapy for my moods. its a very difficult illness to live it.
along with the mania i suffered panic attacks which i used xanax for which became a disaster!

medication is one quarter of the treatment of this illness i guess but to me its three quarters and a constant dynamic lifestyle helps also!
i personally dont find counseling any good.

honru

This has been a really illuminating read. It's unfortunate that a label such as "depression" has narrowed general perception of what "feeling depressed" and "major depression" are.

I do not think I have suffered from depression. I went through quite a low part of my life during my teens but fortunately circumstances weren't too unfavorable. I was certainly numb but not depressed.

Though I haven't had them in a while, I have experienced sporadic panic attacks. They were bothersome and scary as I felt a complete loss of control, and most of the time they would occur for no apparent reason at all. A small amount of attention on my breath rate would be enough to trigger one. Since those times I've maintained a deeper breathing pattern and don't really endure them anymore.

I don't know if there is a correlation between anxiety attacks and depression, but I do know that feeling of not being able to rationally change your perceptions. Quite an isolated place to be in.

Abi

f®eak s©enery wrote: »

This has been a really illuminating read. It's unfortunate that a label such as "depression" has narrowed general perception of what "feeling depressed" and "major depression" are.

I do not think I have suffered from depression. I went through quite a low part of my life during my teens but fortunately circumstances weren't too unfavorable. I was certainly numb but not depressed.

Though I haven't had them in a while, I have experienced sporadic panic attacks. They were bothersome and scary as I felt a complete loss of control, and most of the time they would occur for no apparent reason at all. A small amount of attention on my breath rate would be enough to trigger one. Since those times I've maintained a deeper breathing pattern and don't really endure them anymore.

I don't know if there is a correlation between anxiety attacks and depression, but I do know that feeling of not being able to rationally change your perceptions. Quite an isolated place to be in.

It is related. What I was told was that they were occuring due to stress, and more specifically, stress that had not been dealt with. That was an eye opener. You then are forced to look at your life and pin-point things that may have triggered it off. We generally just 'cope' with whatever is thrown at us, and get on with things. A panic attack tells you your mind is not at ease with something, or a few things.

Your post is perfect in that your instant reaction is to apply logic to it, but there is no real logic. Just find ways to incorporate relaxing activities in your life, and properly deal with problems when they arise.

Elessar

Nope, thankfully. Happy as a clam I am.

I think you'll find, by the very nature of the internet it tends to have more depressed people than, say, a random group of people in the street. So keep that in mind.

Abi

wolfpawnat wrote: »

I recently had a baby, and am suffering post natal depression. I do not take medication for it as I am feeding my baby. It is the most horrible feeling in the world and I really cannot wait until it goes away again, I hate it so much. My heart goes out to long term sufferers of this disease. I know my suffering will cease as soon as my hormones settle again.

It isn't a disease! :pac: PND is caused by a depletion in hormones, but the biggest offender is lack of sleep. So when people tell you to take all the help you can get, take it!

Dudess

Elessar wrote: »

Nope, thankfully. Happy as a clam I am.

Plenty of people who are "happy as a clam" get it, and still appear that happy. Sadness/happiness aren't really relevant. It's true, as snyper said, depression is a very misleading name for this illness.

Elessar

Dudess wrote: »

Plenty of people who are "happy as a clam" get it, and still appear that happy. Sadness/happiness aren't really relevant. It's true, as snyper said, depression is a very misleading name for this illness.

Really thats terrible. I'm glad I'm genuinely happy then!

Darragh29

I think anyone who has any concerns about them possibly suffering from depression or who thinks they might be going mad, I think should visit this website...

http://www.depressiondialogues.ie/

I once thought I was going mad and suffering from depression and someone pointed me in the direction of the man behind this website, Dr. Michael Corry.

His philosophy on these matters is that if you are stuck in a situation that is stressful or traumatic, then you will start suffering from depression, no matter who you are! I have to say this man is the wisest man I've ever met and his approach to dealing with difficult situations saved me an awful lot of hardeship and suffering. I was stuck in a situation that I didn't see a way out of and once I understood the cause of the problem and how the situation I was in, was causing the way I felt, I could sort it out.

Lobelia Overhill

I've had some form of Depression since I was a teenager, and I'm now in my 40s. I don't take pills for it, I was on meds a few years ago and they didn't help one bit, they made things worse, I now have problems concentrating and my short term memory is shot.

I try to cope as best I can, I'm not helped by an ignorant feck of a brother who thinks I'm a lazy bollocks who's using Depression as an excuse, since "everyone knows" Depression is a short-term problem and tablets cure it :mad:

SkepticOne

Darragh29 wrote: »

I think anyone who has any concerns about them possibly suffering from depression or who thinks they might be going mad, I think should visit this website...

http://www.depressiondialogues.ie/

I once thought I was going mad and suffering from depression and someone pointed me in the direction of the man behind this website, Dr. Michael Corry.

His philosophy on these matters is that if you are stuck in a situation that is stressful or traumatic, then you will start suffering from depression, no matter who you are! I have to say this man is the wisest man I've ever met and his approach to dealing with difficult situations saved me an awful lot of hardeship and suffering. I was stuck in a situation that I didn't see a way out of and once I understood the cause of the problem and how the situation I was in, was causing the way I felt, I could sort it out.

Is this possibly one of the points that Disease Ridden was trying to make - that depression may well be a chemical imbalance, but that this imbalance may in turn be caused by the situation you find yourself in?

What do people think?

wolfpawnat

Abigayle wrote: »

It isn't a disease! :pac: PND is caused by a depletion in hormones, but the biggest offender is lack of sleep. So when people tell you to take all the help you can get, take it!

Sorry I should have said condition - I still have a bit of baby brains:o I actually get plenty of sleep, thankfully:) But as I said, PND is a hormonal problem more than anything.

I feel so sorry for the people have to deal with it themselves/or members of their family everyday and it is very difficult for them.

Disease Ridden

SkepticOne wrote: »

Is this possibly one of the points that Disease Ridden was trying to make - that depression may well be a chemical imbalance, but that this imbalance may in turn be caused by the situation you find yourself in?

What do people think?

Yes, I believe I read before that the chemical imbalance that causes depression generally comes about as result of over-using and depleting the brains natural reward system when you find yourself in a continuous, stressful situation; your brain tries to compensate for the negative emotions that the stressful situation brings. Something very similar is often found with long term drug users; after they stop experiencing the artificial highs of the drugs ie. following withdrawl, they may never be able to feel pleasure like they once did...they start suffering from anhedonia as a result of over exertion of their brains reward system while they were using drugs.

Terry

f®eak s©enery wrote: »

This has been a really illuminating read. It's unfortunate that a label such as "depression" has narrowed general perception of what "feeling depressed" and "major depression" are.

I do not think I have suffered from depression. I went through quite a low part of my life during my teens but fortunately circumstances weren't too unfavorable. I was certainly numb but not depressed.

Though I haven't had them in a while, I have experienced sporadic panic attacks. They were bothersome and scary as I felt a complete loss of control, and most of the time they would occur for no apparent reason at all. A small amount of attention on my breath rate would be enough to trigger one. Since those times I've maintained a deeper breathing pattern and don't really endure them anymore.

I don't know if there is a correlation between anxiety attacks and depression, but I do know that feeling of not being able to rationally change your perceptions. Quite an isolated place to be in.

Fair play to you for getting over the panic attacks. I'm still struggling after 16 years since my first bad one.
I've been diagnosed with sever agoraphobia.
I have a really strong fear of having a panic attack. So much so that I sometimes bring one on through that fear.
It's a nice little vicious circle I got myself into.

As for them being related to depression, not being able to deal with them can leave you very ****ing depressed.
Being stuck inside all day long for months at a time is not good for your mental or physical health.

I try to rely more on breathing techniques than pills these days (currently jonesing for some xanax, but I'm not going to take any today), but alcohol is my downfall.

Dudess wrote: »

Plenty of people who are "happy as a clam" get it, and still appear that happy. Sadness/happiness aren't really relevant. It's true, as snyper said, depression is a very misleading name for this illness.

So true.
Part of being depressed can involve you being extremely happy yourself.
I know that's particularly true for bi-polar, but it's also found in other instances of depression.

I can remember being extremely happy for no reason at all, only to feel like crap a few hours later.

Fcuk wrote: »

Like yourself I tried it twice in a weekend. How I failed. FML internet whim etc.

Cured now. Like yourself I had a good Doctor

Black!

Should anyone wish to discuss this on a serious forum, then I suggest visiting the Long term illness forum.
Anonymous posting in enabled there.

Insect Overlord

I clicked "yes" on the poll before I started reading the thread in full. I was never given an official diagnosis of depression. I went to see the counsellor in college about 17 months ago, before the Christmas exams, had 2 sessions just talking about everything that was getting me down and made provisions to see her again for regular sessions from January onwards. She was suitably concerned to suggest that I was suffering from mild depression, but, like I said, it wasn't a proper diagnosis. I never did go back to see her.

I'm not agoraphobic. I've never gone through panic attacks. I've never attempted suicide. I guess that's why the counsellor didn't make any more urgent arrangements at the time. I do, however, have a strange tendancy to think up (at random, spur-of-the-moment times) what methods would be most effective, but luckily I don't do that very often. I've gone through internal monologues (think JD in Scrubs, but more violent ) of scenes where I exact revenge on childhood bullies, old teachers, bad local sports referees. I'm not a violent person, but sometimes I go through phases of wishing I could have been tougher as a child. Again, I'm happy that it hasn't happened in a while, because those kind of thoughts are not "normal".

I've always been aware of depression. I know that there was an instance of suicide in my family history, at least one, so that plays on my mind a lot even though I never even knew the man in question. I was involved in setting up my old school's Leaving Cert retreat programme, so I got to hear some shocking stories from my peers as well. I did the Gatekeeper suicide awareness and prevention course earlier this year to try to educate myself further about it. It was a 5 week course, and to be frank it made me feel like crap all over again. All those shocking statistics, accounts and anecdotes were very hard to listen to.

But, I now know a lot more about the spectrum of depression-type illnesses than I did a few months ago. Doing that course is probably the only thing that could have set me up for reading this thread without stopping. I know I haven't suffered anywhere near as accutely as some of the people posting here. I want to say some kind of a "thank you" to all of you but unfortunately there's a limit on the use of the button! This thread and the posters in it are inspirational, and a credit to all that is good about Boards.ie.

K-9

Dudess wrote: »

Great post snyper, and so true about the difference between "being depressed" and "having depression".

Y'know, when I had depression, I didn't even feel "sad" per sé. Horrendously negative thoughts yes, no hope, the feeling nothing good would ever happen for me again, major lack of interest in stuff that previously held huge interest for me... then there was the physical side: indescribable exhaustion yet being unable to sleep, aches and heaviness everywhere - climbing the steps to the top deck of the bus was a monumental task, it used to finish me. Absolutely zero appetite - I got frighteningly thin.

All of this caused me great upset and anxiety all right, but "sadness" as a symptom of my depression - it wasn't really there...

Sometimes people actually don't feel anything when they have depression, just a "numbness"...

.

Can identify with the numbness and blankness at times.

Dudess wrote: »

That thought occurred to me just now - people with depression can often feel guilty for having it, they can wonder to themselves why the **** they're so miserable when their lives are pretty darn sweet. I was like that.

Sorry for getting cross with you...

I think that makes it worse, especially when people with a "media" understanding of it, think telling you that will help you! It gave me an initial kick up the backside but then when that doesn't work, it feels worse.

Strangely in the long run it worked for me, as it became obvious that this wasn't a short term thing that a kick up the backside could solve.

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Ye, because of a girl of course. The alcohol made it better*




*Far worse.

Me too, though more my son too. It isn't good to devote everything to your family, because if it goes, it's gone. Looking back, focusing 100% on them was also a sign other things were not ok.

aoibhebree wrote: »

I think it's so brave of sufferers here to talk about it - it really helps remove some of the stigma surrounding it.

I think the stigma is less these days, just a total lack of understanding about it.

Queen-Mise wrote: »

I thought I had it a few times in the last few years. But the last six months have been very nasty with depression.

It is really very bizarre, I wasn't in bad form, not giving out to kids or anyone, just didn't care. As someone explained to me, you want to cook the dinner, just not able to. No interest in life or yourself at all. It is very insidious.

I could have quite happily have stayed in bed 18 hours a day where that is not me when I'm well.

And very hard to "snap" out of, especially by thinking logically. It just isn't logical.

Red Hand

Yes, it comes in bouts every few months. Again, like a previous poster, it manifests itself with thoughts of the best way of suicide, though I know I would never enact it. Still, such "abnormal" thoughts occur. For me, I can function...go to work etc, but there is no interest in anything outside of completing what's required as regards food, work, etc. Reading a book for eg (which I normally enjoy) is impossible, and life feels a struggle.

Disease Ridden

K-9 wrote: »

.
And very hard to "snap" out of, especially by thinking logically. It just isn't logical.

This is true in my opinion; your ability to think through things clearly and rationally gets seriously hindered. So any time you find that your depression has subsided for a short period of time, you find yourself trying to snatch the benefit from that short period of time, all the while knowing that your relative absense of depression is only temporary! By snatch the benefit I mean getting work done, making decisions and plans, getting exercise, going out somewhere with your mates etc

K-9

Disease Ridden wrote: »

This is true in my opinion; your ability to think through things clearly and rationally gets seriously hindered. So any time you find that your depression has subsided for a short period of time, you find yourself trying to snatch the benefit from that short period of time, all the while knowing that your relative absense of depression is only temporary! By snatch the benefit I mean getting work done, making decisions and plans, getting exercise, going out somewhere with your mates etc

Definitely, at times my concentration can be terrible and short term memory.

I get what your saying, nearly putting too much pressure, maybe even unreasonable p, which makes the bad times worse. The small things can seem insurmountable because they didn't get addressed.

tech77

Disease Ridden wrote: »

Yes, I believe I read before that the chemical imbalance that causes depression generally comes about as result of over-using and depleting the brains natural reward system when you find yourself in a continuous, stressful situation; your brain tries to compensate for the negative emotions that the stressful situation brings. Something very similar is often found with long term drug users; after they stop experiencing the artificial highs of the drugs ie. following withdrawl, they may never be able to feel pleasure like they once did...they start suffering from anhedonia as a result of over exertion of their brains reward system while they were using drugs.

Hmmm...
The brain's reward system is dopaminergic- the mesolimbic pathway (VTA->NAc) and all that.
The drug abuse thing would be this system as well.

Dopamine is the pleasure neurotransmitter admittedly but AFAIK its depletion isn't the basis for anhedonia in depression.
Depressive symptomatology is associated with depletion of serotonin especially (and noradrenaline) as you say.

As an aside, apart from drug abuse (where the brain becomes desensitized to dopamine's high), psychosis (e.g schizophrenia) is the psychiatric condition associated with excess dopamine. A depletion of dopamine underlies Parkinson's disease alright (but this is a motor disorder).

While dopamine is associated with pleasure in the brain, i just thought it was worth not mixing withdrawal/dependency and depression up.
So in summary:
Depression neurotransmitters: Reduced Serotonin, Noradrenaline.
Drug dependency: Lack of response to Dopamine.
Schizophrenia: Excess Dopamine.
Edit: Dopamine (just thinking about it intuitively) may have some role in depression but, generally speaking, the above is the received wisdom.

K-9

K-9 wrote: »

Definitely, at times my concentration can be terrible and short term memory.

Spot on! This was one of the biggest effects it had on me.

K-9

Karsini wrote: »

Spot on! This was one of the biggest effects it had on me.

Always was a bit dootsie, if I was a women I'd be blonde!, but it definitely is worse than usual!

PS. I think Disease Ridden got stick because he was applying his own symtoms as general symtoms. I think the thread shows it can have various symtoms and affects. I can identify with some, indeed most, but not all and to different degrees. Thanks for bringing it up, AH is actually an excellent place for a thread like this. It's funny too that some of the posters here that have/had depression would be the last posters I'd think of!