Depression

[nucastle]

Pickling our brains with drugs sure as heck aint curing the problem.

Yeah we 'think' it's 'helping' but most people I've known who were on them, end up acting like strange zombies, bereft of any real emotion.

I definitely agree with the idea that millions of years of evolution have not prepared us for what is essentially a modern day matrix. Stick a bear in a cage and it goes crazy eventually... the same is true of human beings and the prison for the mind we live inside of each and every day.

There probably isn't a minute of your life when you arent in some way being bombarded with strange abstract concepts. Music, TV, the Internet, RF radiation passing through our bodies constantly from hundreds of sources, horrific food etc etc. Even things like learned responses to ideas like love, attachment, incorrect programming from parents and the list goes on - mean there are people who literally go to pieces at some point from it.

And no. I'm not depressed - but this stuff facinates me.

 

[grumpysculler]

I've never understood how depression works really.

<gross simplification follows>
For whatever reason, the brain can't produce/use chemicals in the right balance. In the case of unipolar depression, that can leave you with a fairly simple inability to feel positive emotions.



</simplification>

Pickling our brains with drugs sure as heck aint curing the problem.

Drugs aren't always (if ever) about curing it. Drugs manage it. Drugs keep the demons away. Often, all that is needed is time away from the dark thoughts to let the body sort itself out and once you have enough of a "buffer" you can start to come off the meds.

Yeah we 'think' it's 'helping' but most people I've known who were on them, end up acting like strange zombies, bereft of any real emotion.

The drugs damp out the negative emotions. They often damp down the positive ones too.

 

[Cool Breeze]

Pickling our brains with drugs sure as heck aint curing the problem.

Yeah we 'think' it's 'helping' but most people I've known who were on them, end up acting like strange zombies, bereft of any real emotion.

I definitely agree with the idea that millions of years of evolution have not prepared us for what is essentially a modern day matrix. Stick a bear in a cage and it goes crazy eventually... the same is true of human beings and the prison for the mind we live inside of each and every day.

There probably isn't a minute of your life when you arent in some way being bombarded with strange abstract concepts. Music, TV, the Internet, RF radiation passing through our bodies constantly from hundreds of sources, horrific food etc etc. Even things like learned responses to ideas like love, attachment, incorrect programming from parents and the list goes on - mean there are people who literally go to pieces at some point from it.

And no. I'm not depressed - but this stuff facinates me.

Your ignorance on such matters oozes from every word here, and every mis-concepetion and stereo type rolling out. Even if you've know people with it, you have now idea what your on about. And be thank full of that, as I wouldn't wish this condition on anyone.

 

[Sankari]

Pickling our brains with drugs sure as heck aint curing the problem.

Antidepressants don't pickle your brain.

Yeah we 'think' it's 'helping' but most people I've known who were on them, end up acting like strange zombies, bereft of any real emotion.

You need to get out more.

 

[subbytna]

Does anyone else suffer with depression?

I honestly think I have suffered with it for years but never knew. I had bit of a breakdown last week over some bad news that most people would probably have a few negative thoughts about, then move on.

For 3 days I stressed and worried, couldnt eat and would always wake up earlly hours of the morning, stessing, crying. Even feel guilt of things I did in a relationship that ended months a go. It was only my sister who recognised that how I reacting wasnt normal and to the doctors I went.

I am currently on antidepressant on my 3rd day.

I bought a book recently which has been amazing! And made sense if it all for me and kept me in control. The book highlights that only the strong minded people suffer with depression, as they take to much on, going and going. Where as the weak give in straight away.

Looking back I never used to go out my house that much where I lived alone, if only to the gym and to take my daughter out.
I struggled with feelings at times in relationships doubting if I trully loved them.

Has anyone else or a family member suffered?

Feel happy I have found out now so I can make the changes I need to keep me on track. My depression was defo due to stress of my job and relationship breakdown

Glad you're getting help to come "out of the cloud"

To get your head in the right place....all the time, have a read of 'The Chimp Paradox' book. You can get it if you search online.

 

[Energize]

<gross simplification follows>
</simplification>

It's not so much a simplification as wrong.

Happiness is not induced by increased serotonin levels, unhappiness is not what depression is per-se. And if low dopamine was the cause of anxiety, stimulants would treat it (as opposed to making it worse), not tranquilizers.

Pickling our brains with drugs sure as heck aint curing the problem.

Yeah we 'think' it's 'helping' but most people I've known who were on them, end up acting like strange zombies, bereft of any real emotion.

I definitely agree with the idea that millions of years of evolution have not prepared us for what is essentially a modern day matrix. Stick a bear in a cage and it goes crazy eventually... the same is true of human beings and the prison for the mind we live inside of each and every day.

There probably isn't a minute of your life when you arent in some way being bombarded with strange abstract concepts. Music, TV, the Internet, RF radiation passing through our bodies constantly from hundreds of sources, horrific food etc etc. Even things like learned responses to ideas like love, attachment, incorrect programming from parents and the list goes on - mean there are people who literally go to pieces at some point from it.

And no. I'm not depressed - but this stuff facinates me.

Lol, RF radiation, horrific food, take off the tin foil hat.

The only actual things with a decent causal relationship to depression, are stress and isolation, hence moving house or getting married are two of the leading triggers for depression and anxiety, why don't you tell people not to do that instead?

 

[koolpc]

Depression and Anxiety for me is the worst thing ever to go through. All started for me when my mum and dad died. Horrendous time.

I would much rather spend the rest of my life on medication than go through all that again!

It still rears its ugly head now and then though!

 

[badcompany]

xtc come downs count?

 

[jimmynaetroots]

Not exactly the same, but closely related. 10 years ago, whilst in my 2nd year of university, I was run down by a drunk driver at 2pm whilst walking home from a lecture. I spent several weeks recovering and although my physical injuries went away, it left me with a permanent stress like disorder. I worked really hard at moving past this, and I did for many years until the last few years when due to family problems, my symptoms returned...

Problems what would be trivial in most peoples eyes became life stoppingly important to me and I was losing sleep and arguing with my wife over nothing. Finally owned up to the fact that things weren't right and I went to the Dr who started me on sertraline. I felt drowsy all the time at first but after a few weeks and I am left with what I can only describe as "calm". I still get stressed in stressful situations but instead of staying at that level of stress after the situation resolves, I am able to return to my normal resting state like most people.
G.

 

[Energize]

Not exactly the same, but closely related. 10 years ago, whilst in my 2nd year of university, I was run down by a drunk driver at 2pm whilst walking home from a lecture. I spent several weeks recovering and although my physical injuries went away, it left me with a permanent stress like disorder.

You mean post traumatic stress disorder?

 

[nucastle]

Your ignorance on such matters oozes from every word here, and every mis-concepetion and stereo type rolling out. Even if you've know people with it, you have now idea what your on about. And be thank full of that, as I wouldn't wish this condition on anyone.

Hold on there cowboy. Ignorance? I'd like to bet you 100 quid that in 100 years time we will look back on our outright barbaric approach to depression, and laugh, or cry at how we tried to 'fix' the problem with pharma.

You'll have to excuse me if I don't have every single fact on the table from the get go, having NOT suffered with serious depression, but I don't think it is in any way ignorant to posit the idea that our current living environment is a large factor in things like this.

Do you think if we all lived on a hot desert island with no tv, internet, marketing etc that we would suffer the SAME rates of depression in the population? Ever wonder why the suicide rate is so high in Iceland? Yes, everyone has their own individual tale to tell, or personal set of circumstances, but it's not IGNORANT to wonder if how we arrange ourselves as a society, and conduct our affairs might be a contributing factor in things. That's called a DISCUSSION, not IGNORANCE.

If the only people commenting here were suffering from actual depression, or had first hand experience of it in friends or family, it would be a very depressing thread indeed. See what I did there?

 

[Xordium]

See what I did there?

Yes, I think we all see what you did there. You planted some bait in an attempt to troll.

 

[TheMeekon]

Brilliant to see how open people are becoming about these problems. Since I spoke about mine at work a lot of people have also opened up.

Mine started about 5 years ago, its taken a long time to come to terms with the anxiety/depression. It makes you doubt everything and feel so worthless, failure, guilty etc. I literally have to split myself and say it's just the anxiety speaking and let it pass, which can be weeks sometimes.

The majority of my days are really good and I have to remember that

 

[GhostlyPea]

I suffered with Anxiety and now and then it pops back up again - I was never prescribed anything by my GP (mostly at my request as I wanted it to be a last resort). The main symptom I had was Insomnia, among other things (This as a by product made me agitated, angry and unwilling to correctly associate with people and situations). I had this for about 10 years and just lived with it. About two or three years ago now I went to my GP and spoke to them and that's when I was diagnosed. Oddly enough a few months after that everything started to calm down and I felt much better and started to get better sleep pattens and now I'm pretty much OK. I think the trigger for me was actually getting an answer for it, that in itself made it manageable and I could understand what was happening.

Essentially what I'm saying is seeking help, regardless of what it is is a step in the right direction. The hardest bit is doing that in the first place as that's essentially the last thing you want to do when suffering

- GP

 

[grumpysculler]

Happiness is not induced by increased serotonin levels, unhappiness is not what depression is per-se.

So depression is not due to low serotonin levels but the first port of call in drugs to fix it is usually SSRIs which increase serotonin levels?

I will quite happily admit to not understanding the biological aspects of depression (although that pic came from a doctor, don't think it was his work) but I am acutely familiar with the emotional and behavioural side of depression.

 

[bitslice]

I cannot see diet affecting depression i think people with genuine depression have reasons to feel depressed

I think it does have some contributory small effect (although I'd like to distance myself from the 'eat and exercise and you'll be cured' type of thinking). Processed food does make me lethargic.
And although I have a million and one reasons to feel depressed, some days I just am and it doesn't relate to what's going on around me.

On topic, I think it's important to make small steps.
Today I just sorted some minor paperwork, as it has taken me four years to 'just make a phone call'.

 

[Nevakonaza]

Ive suffered with Anxiety and Depression for years (8+ years) ,It effects me everyday and probably will the rest of my life and does get me down but..the way i see it,What am i to do about it other than just get on with it?

its very difficult (especially with Anxiety),Its affected me in a lot of ways but i personally did not want to go on any Anti-Depressants and didn't want it on my medical record so i pretty much just kept it to myself and try to deal with it the best i can.

 

[Tefal]

Seems bizarre that your doctor prescribed venlafaxine before trying citalopram given it's toxicity in overdose and worse side effect profile. The standard treatment is to try citalopram or sertraline first, before venlafaxine.

actually citalopam is being phased out due to heart side effects.

although it does have the fun side effect of turning you into a sex god as it takes about 3 bloody hours to cum on the stuff.


sup[rised your doc never tried mirtazipene before citalopam though.

 

[bitslice]

and didn't want it on my medical record

This is what makes me rage about this system,
your medical record should be between you and your doctor. In practice any snot nosed Tom/Dick/Harriet can look at it

I know someone who died because they didn't want their condition going on their Medical Record. The whole thing just stinks.

 

[Tefal]

Yeah we 'think' it's 'helping' but most people I've known who were on them, end up acting like strange zombies, bereft of any real emotion.

yeah the numb and emotionless is usually an effect of depression, not the medication.

most depressed people report not being unhappy but simply numb