Is depression a taboo topic?

David777 said:
Depression is sometimes related to unpleasant situations in affected person's lives, either from their own choices and actions, or due to others, or due to unlucky fate of living in a competitive world that is often unfair, that over time by repetitive self awareness, increasingly trains via neural plasticity their body for the condition to become worse so.
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That would be situational depression. The differences are what are sometimes misunderstood.

"Situational depression is a response to a specific stressful event, while clinical depression (major depressive disorder) is a more severe and persistent mental health condition with or without an identifiable trigger.
Key differences include the cause (stressor vs. no specific trigger), duration (shorter vs. at least two weeks), and severity (less severe vs. more severe, impacting daily function)"
 

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I think depression is more common amongst the elderly (in this and other "1st world" countries anyway) than some people realize.

In addition to the grief that, if one lives long enough, is experienced from the death of loved ones, friends, pets, some people, especially those who were very physically attractive or very physically strong or athletic and who if they live long enough, experience a fading of their looks or their strength and have a hard time with it. (That is about the only thing I don't hate about getting older: the loss of my good looks since I never considered myself good-looking anyway. Now since reading is about the only thing that's ever brought me joy and I could rely on, I dread losing my sight.)

And I am not at all criticizing those who mourn the loss of attractiveness or strength at all. If I had been attractive or strong, I'm sure I'd be the same. (Goodness knows, I've been criticized my whole life for "always having my head in a book or tv show or movie--and now internet articles.) I just think that old enough age is hard on almost everybody.
 
I don't have an overall feeling of sadness or lack of desire to do things, but many times, I have unidentified feelings of agitation, discontent, and frustration that come and go. When I talked to my doctor in the past years about this, he prescribed antidepressants, but they were not helpful at all.

AI says, "Anxiety is distinguished from depression primarily by its focus on future worry, while depression centers on a past or present sense of loss and hopelessness." By those terms, I'm "self-diagnosed" as having anxiety, even though no medical professional has confirmed it. Nevertheless, my doctor took my word for it and prescribed anti-anxiety meds which have helped. I don't take them every day, just when I feel overwhelmed or when I'm facing a day which I know is likely to be upsetting.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
AI says, "Anxiety is distinguished from depression primarily by its focus on future worry, while depression centers on a past or present sense of loss and hopelessness."
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The definition of anxiety that I learned in college is "fear but without a known cause." That fits with your AI definition. But I do like my definition, because I experienced it back in college, and "Fear without a known cause" nailed the feeling right on the head. An additional description of anxiety was that it is often experienced as a feeling of impending doom. I did that too.
 
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JustDave said:
Fear without a know cause" nailed the feeling right on the head. An additional description of anxiety was that it is often experienced as a feeling of impending doom.
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About the part in bold: I have lost count of the times I've left home, driving somewhere for a relaxing afternoon; no particular plans, all chores were done, nice weather, plenty of time to just enjoy the day. Halfway there, something went wrong with my whole outlook, I got very restless, turned around and came back home. Once home, I might still be restless, but it was manageable. That is not reasonable behavior. It's been a long time since I've done that, so maybe there is some progress.
 
officerripley said:
I guess I don't suffer from anxiety then since I know the cause of what I fear and it's stuff that I can't do a darn thing about.
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That is absolutely anxiety as well. It's not only about the unknown. Any number of things that go on in life cause extreme anxiety and yep, we know exactly what caused it and what the fear is. It doesn't even have to appear rational to others... it's real and often cannot be controlled.
 
After my mom passed in 2006, I made the mistake of telling my doctor I was having nightmares. She promptly put me on an SSRI mediation. All that did was make me gain 20 pounds. When I complained about that, the doctor said, "The only thing that makes you gain weight is why to put in here.", as she pointed to her mouth. I said I didn't want to take the medicine an longer. She said I had to gradually cut down - take one every two days, then skip a day for a week. The next week, take one every other day for a week, Then you can stop. I still got what I called "brain zaps". Didn't lose much weight, either.
 
officerripley said:
I guess I don't suffer from anxiety then since I know the cause of what I fear and it's stuff that I can't do a darn thing about.
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The definition I gave was for clinical anxiety from a psychology text. Anxiety is also used informally for apprehension and nervousness. But my clinical definition was from 55 years ago. It may be defined differently today. But if you say, " I have anxiety over an upcoming court appearance," people will know what you mean, and that's all you need them to know.
 
feywon said:
My 2nd husband's father committed suicide that way, two of his four teenage children found him on returning from school. Had serious impact on them.
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Even when an adult sees something like that, it stays in your mind for quite awhile. To this day, I still remember the scene. There was blood splattered everywhere in the bathroom. I told his wife not to allow the children to see this. I told her if she had a friend or relative nearby to call them and take the kids away for a few hours until everything was cleaned. It took almost 5 hours until we could allow anyone back into the house. A shotgun makes one heck of a mess.
 
My Mom had a terrible nerve desease and accidently overdosed. My Dad became an alcoholic, killed himself by hanging and 22 rifle. My step mom suicide by car exhaust using garden hose. My brother has a football injury in High School that his neck is ruined now. My other brother got hit by a wrecking ball (steel worker) and is semi paralyzed. Died smoking accident with his Oxygen somehow.

I look at depression as a natural response to suffering. We have to learn this. If you need help with depression tell a psychologist first. If it is serious enough, a medical doctor should be called who is aware of how anti depressants work.
 
feywon said:
Do you realize the mixed messages you are sending? I edited some things out and made certain phrases bold to highlight the basic conflicting statements. i have battled depression since age 11 (perhaps earlier) tho i didn't identify as such until i was around 13. (And back then most adults didn't realize kids could have such issues.) I have talked about it on various threads where i felt it relevant. When i talked about how i cope i generally mentioned that what works for me might not for others.

So, i'm not sure what you want, or expect of us. A catalog of miseries, a list of our coping mechanisms? The latter, for me, varies depending on the trigger. i have at times personified it as a beast that stalks me, other times it is an abyss i'm standing at the edge of, feeling the pull to go over. At 19 i was very close to going catatonic. I would sit in a rocking chair folding into myself and the world beyond what i was physically touching at that moment became so thoroughly unreal that i could not risk standing up.

Who knows how long i would have sat there had someone i trusted not come up and touched my shoulder? This led to talk with a shrink i was able to convince i didn't need hospitalization. I knew that would have pushed me over the edge. At 13 or so i'd visited my sister who's diagnosis was schizophrenia on a VA mental ward. The fact that i had dreamt the room, how she looked and acted did not help my confidence in my own sanity.

While one of my most effective coping mechanisms has been to identify and allow myself to FEEL whatever i feel fully, i am not always inclined to 'share' the negative stuff with others unless i have reason to feel it might help them in some way. Ironically the only depressive issue i have currently, besides the one of constant concessions to my aging body, is one that is actually taboo on SF--politics.
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Stopped reading after your first sentence. I don't need to justify my comment to you or anyone else. Be thankful you don't get it and let us who know what I'm talking about help each other. Have a happy day.
 
CallMeKate said:
That would be situational depression. The differences are what are sometimes misunderstood.

"Situational depression is a response to a specific stressful event, while clinical depression (major depressive disorder) is a more severe and persistent mental health condition with or without an identifiable trigger.
Key differences include the cause (stressor vs. no specific trigger), duration (shorter vs. at least two weeks), and severity (less severe vs. more severe, impacting daily function)"
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Thank you.
 
I suffered from situational depression and suicidal ideation during the very worst of the time with my abusive ex, which was alleviated when I finally found the courage to leave. My life after that was amazing for the next 19 years, right up until my son died. Cue Round 2 of depression and suicidal ideation

I’ve had a number of conversations with my doc about my depression now. It’s situational because of the traumatic event of my son’s death, but that event is obviously something that can’t be fixed or changed. I’m on two different medications to manage the depression. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to stop taking them.

My daughter has been diagnosed with GAD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder. For some time she thought she had a heart condition because of the palpitations and arrhythmia that would strike at random, with other ancillary symptoms. We thought she was dying.

She has spent the last 7 years learning to manage the anxiety symptoms, because medication alone is inadequate.
 
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Ronni said:
I suffered from situational depression and suicidal ideation during the very worst of the time with my abusive ex, which was alleviated when I finally found the courage to leave. My life after that was amazing for the next 19 years, right up until my son died. Cue Round 2 of depression and suicidal ideation

I’ve had a number of conversations with my doc about my depression now. It’s situational because of a traumatic event of my son’s death, but that event is obviously something that can’t be fixed or changed. I’m on two different medications to manage the depression. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to stop taking them.

My daughter has been diagnosed with GAD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder. For some time she thought she had a heart condition diction because of the palpitations and arrhythmia that would strike at random, with other ancillary symptoms. We thought she was dying.

She has spent the last 7 years learning to manage the anxiety symptoms, because medication alone is inadequate.
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I have GAD too. It's no fun. After going no contact with my family some of the anxiety and depression went away. But I think I'll always have GAD and some depression for the rest of my life so I've come to accept it. I wish I could take meds for both but because of my copd they won't let me have either anymore.
 
As expected, there are a few comments from people who think they have a clue. Thankfully, they identify themselves early in their screeds. I won't be reading them. It's like believing in God. No one here is going to be persuaded. This topic is for those of us who know what depression or any other mental illness is, either because they suffer or are dealing with it in someone they care about. I really wonder about people who have to make an argument out of this.

I never considered depression or looked for help until I was in my 40s, mainly because I had a career that required a security clearance. Not sure if that would have been a problem, but didn't want to test it. When I did seek help, I found that the reason for my depression is the fact that my parents were alcoholics. I'm not going to go into my journey for the past 30 years.

I have been on medication for many years. It no longer works. I saw a psychiatrist after my dog died and he changed my meds without considering or telling me that it might affect my blood pressure. Up until then, I didn't have high blood pressure. When the spike in blood pressure was discovered, I was the one who figured out the cause, not my doctors. I got myself back to the SSRIs and at the lowest dose. I won't change that.

I actually felt great on the new meds. I remember thinking that this must be what not being depressed felt like. Like many things in life, the cons outweighed the pros. No one else is affected by my depression now. I am not suicidal. That is by the grace of God. I want to someday reunite with my Daisy Dog in Heaven. I have to follow God's plan for me in order for that to happen.

Again, please leave us who are dealing with our mental health issues alone. Let us have a safe place to help each other. You can always start your own topic ridiculing us. Whatever helps you feel better about yourselves.
 
BJintheUK said:
As I've got older I've realised that I'm slightly agorophobic. If I need to get out of the house to do shopping, etc, then I just do it without any thought, but I'll often put it off as long as I can. However, if I can stay in because the weather is bad, then it allows me to not feel guilty about staying in the house.

At the moment I know I have things to do that require me to go out to a muddy field in order to carry out maintenance on my machines, but I also know that they are under cover, so I don't need to do that maintenance right now. As a result I'll sit here and look out of the window as the colder weather closes in, and think about trying to stay warm and cozy.

As to the SAD light, perhaps I should invest in one of them, as I notice that I do almost hibernate during the winter, and dread going out to do any Christmas shopping.
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I hope this topic can be a safe place to talk about any mental health issue we are dealing with as long as it's beyond "I feel blue today."

I like being outside, I just don't like being around people. When my Daisy Dog was alive, we'd go for our walks early, early mornings. I started that because she HATED other dogs and would go crazy when she saw one. Walking her early before other dogs were out was much better for both of us.

Since she passed, I haven't even tried to change my schedule. I'm asleep by 7PM and up at 3AM. There's a 24 hour grocery store that I go to, or I wait until Walmart opens at 6AM. I go to the gym twice a week. Planet Fitness is open 24 hours during the week, so I go before 6. At that time, most of the people are there to work out and not socialize, which works for me. Other than the grocery store and the gym, I don't go anywhere.

I'm sorry you had such a hard time in your teen years. Kids can be so cruel to other kids which I'm sure didn't help. Even now there is too much bullying. There is no excuse for that in this day. Parents and teachers need to step up and deal with it!
 
JustDave said:
The definition of anxiety that I learned in college is "fear but without a known cause." That fits with your AI definition. But I do like my definition, because I experienced it back in college, and "Fear without a known cause" nailed the feeling right on the head. An additional description of anxiety was that it is often experienced as a feeling of impending doom. I did that too.
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My mother's anxiety attacks would come without warning or reason. And she could not breathe.
 
Fritz said:
I deal with bouts of depression. It's an off and on kinda thing. I am on a medication that has caused my depression to get a little worse but nothing unmanageable.

I've been to therapy and that was a useless effort. They were no help at all. I can't really take antidepressants cuz of the way they work in my system. I never do well with any of them.

I've dealt with a lot in my lifetime and I have managed to come out the other side with very little assistance. I seem to have an inner strength and manage to power through. Mostly because I refuse to give into it anymore.
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I agree 100% about therapy. I don't know anyone who has ever gotten better because of it. It's one of those deals where if they cure you, you know longer need them.
 
CallMeKate said:
That is absolutely anxiety as well. It's not only about the unknown. Any number of things that go on in life cause extreme anxiety and yep, we know exactly what caused it and what the fear is. It doesn't even have to appear rational to others... it's real and often cannot be controlled.
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" It doesn't even have to appear rational to others... it's real and often cannot be controlled." BINGO! Great way to sum it all up. People can't see what's going on in our heads, so they presume we're fine. It's like people who park in handicap parking who aren't in a wheelchair.
 
Paco Dennis said:
My Mom had a terrible nerve desease and accidently overdosed. My Dad became an alcoholic, killed himself by hanging and 22 rifle. My step mom suicide by car exhaust using garden hose. My brother has a football injury in High School that his neck is ruined now. My other brother got hit by a wrecking ball (steel worker) and is semi paralyzed. Died smoking accident with his Oxygen somehow.

I look at depression as a natural response to suffering. We have to learn this. If you need help with depression tell a psychologist first. If it is serious enough, a medical doctor should be called who is aware o
Paco Dennis said:
My Mom had a terrible nerve desease and accidently overdosed. My Dad became an alcoholic, killed himself by hanging and 22 rifle. My step mom suicide by car exhaust using garden hose. My brother has a football injury in High School that his neck is ruined now. My other brother got hit by a wrecking ball (steel worker) and is semi paralyzed. Died smoking accident with his Oxygen somehow.

I look at depression as a natural response to suffering. We have to learn this. If you need help with depression tell a psychologist first. If it is serious enough, a medical doctor should be called who is aware of how anti depressants work.
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It isn't that simple. Some people can deal with whatever life throws at them without any lasting side effects. Some of us can't. Just like some of us can eat like a horse, and not gain weight and others gain 10 pounds just looking at a doughnut. We are extremely complex beings, both mentally and physically. It is wrong, insensitive, and harmful to judge everyone else by your own experiences.
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Paco Dennis said:
I have been following this thread and am confused. Probably me not reading everything, but could someone tell me what has been said in this thread that ridicules people who have depression?
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Read your own words. You have had all these tragedies in your life and your just fine now. Not how it works for everyone.
 

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