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Depression

Onya wL. Good to see you too gg, quiet of late.

Place is a bit monotonous without strong informed views bouncing around.

On that note, I miss Julia, no posts in a month which is unusual. She keeps our street clean with informed serenity.

:)
 
Thanks :)

It's given me more of an understanding of my fellow humans.

It's amazing how many folks don't really understand depression.... shheeeeit I had it for years and didn't understand it. Not until I accepted it and owned it. (and that was the key (for me) in eventually coming good)

Even my wife, a million blessings upon her for sticking with me, didn't really understand wtf was going on, not really.

I hope it makes me a better person.
 
No conversions here Bas.

Just trying to be more aware of where people may be at.... and I may fall off the wagon at any time :D:D
 
make sure you have a rope around one ankle, the other end tied off to the tow ball.

That would hurt more!
Keep thinking this is a thread about a financial depression:bonk:

I like the old British saying, "Keep your chin up".

(That sounded disjointed. Have to start a collection called Knobby's random thoughts for the mildly insane which is all of us)
 
Hi all,

I just read my original post and it was very difficult to read. What a journey.

Thanks for all the encouragement and I am glad this thread has been a blessing to you all - and WayneL - who has given me a lot of encouragement in CC's (although I haven't been around for a few years :) ) thank you for sharing your own struggles.

An update?

I am glad to report that that episode was rather brief and I have not returned to such a depressed state. I was very, very determined to overcome my condition with a young and growing family and did drugs, therapy, exercise, more balance in work-life and thankfully I lead a much more stable life.

It has DEFINITELY made me realise that for every 100 cases of depression there are 100 different reactions and stories and the best we can do is listen and show empathy.

Best to you all.

Brad
 
Thanks :)

It's given me more of an understanding of my fellow humans.

It's amazing how many folks don't really understand depression.... shheeeeit I had it for years and didn't understand it. Not until I accepted it and owned it. (and that was the key (for me) in eventually coming good)

Even my wife, a million blessings upon her for sticking with me, didn't really understand wtf was going on, not really.

I hope it makes me a better person.

Well done Wayne, really happy to hear you've come out on top...!
 
BradK thats great to hear. Hey I'm just an old curmudgeon but for someone with a young family and everything to look forward to, it's awesome that you've found a way to work through and manage it.

And it's your brave OP that's made it possible for myself and others to share our experiences as well.

For me it proved to be cathartic. ..so thanks for your posts.

Godspeed man!
 
Came across a very interesting story on depression that people on ASF may be interested in reading.

Cheers

Is everything you think you know about depression wrong?
In this extract from his new book, Johann Hari, who took antidepressants for 14 years, calls for a new approach


• Johann Hari Q&A: ‘I was afraid to dismantle the story about depression and anxiety’


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‘Drugs are having a positive effect for some people – but they clearly can’t be the main solution for the majority of us.’ Photograph: Alamy

Johann Hari

Sun 7 Jan ‘18 20.00 AEDT Last modified on Sun 7 Jan ‘18 22.31 AEDT


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In the 1970s, a truth was accidentally discovered about depression – one that was quickly swept aside, because its implications were too inconvenient, and too explosive. American psychiatrists had produced a book that would lay out, in detail, all the symptoms of different mental illnesses, so they could be identified and treated in the same way across the United States. It was called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. In the latest edition, they laid out nine symptoms that a patient has to show to be diagnosed with depression – like, for example, decreased interest in pleasure or persistent low mood. For a doctor to conclude you were depressed, you had to show five of these symptoms over several weeks.

The manual was sent out to doctors across the US and they began to use it to diagnose people. However, after a while they came back to the authors and pointed out something that was bothering them. If they followed this guide, they had to diagnose every grieving person who came to them as depressed and start giving them medical treatment. If you lose someone, it turns out that these symptoms will come to you automatically. So, the doctors wanted to know, are we supposed to start drugging all the bereaved people in America?

https://www.theguardian.com/society...depression-wrong-johann-hari-lost-connections
 
Wow, I can't believe it is 5 years ago now since my darkest days.

I can confirm that I'm still recovered, despite other personality issues which some may ascribe to me for various reasons. LOL

I'm always open to lend an ear. I'm not a psych, but have been down that road.

PS noirua. I like Hothouse Flowers cover of that tune ;)
 
One of the writers for The Guardian has just died from cancer. She worked and kept writing until her death and even as she dealt with the cancer was able to touch many people.

IMV this observation from the comments is worth sharing.


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HorseGas
12 hours ago

Guardian Pick
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I remember reading Sarah’s article last year which brought a tear to my eye - so sorry to hear she’s passed away. Her message (below) struck me as important then, ever more so now:

It is from the depths of that knowledge that I offer the only piece of advice I can honestly give: even in these depressing times try to find some part of the day that is worth relishing whether it is a moment of beauty half-glimpsed outside, the joy found in escaping into a different world on page or screen, or the pleasure of dressing up for yourself and no one else because it makes you feel fine.

The worst thing that you can do is wish your life away thinking of what might have been. Instead and no matter how hard or how impossible it might seem, try to enjoy at least one moment. None of us, in these most testing of times, know when it might be our last.
 
It is dangerously easy to become isolated. Can creep up on oneself, friends , relatives. How can we open the door ?
I thought this response offered some thought provoking ideas. Some excellent further thoughts in the comments.

Post-divorce, I’m isolating myself at home alone. How do I get out of this funk?


Sometimes screens and nothing time can be exactly what we need, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith, but long term they can set a trap

Eleanor Gordon-Smith
Fri 19 Jan 2024 01.00 AEDTLast modified on Fri 19 Jan 2024 09.52 AEDT

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...-alone-how-do-i-get-out-of-this-funk#comments
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I recently got divorced after 30 years. My choice as we weren’t happy. We parted on good terms. No kids. And while I was once very sociable and enjoyed working in an office – socialising with work friends – the pandemic has made me feel even more isolated.
I have a stressful job and I work from home and, since I now live alone, it’s so easy to just isolate myself with a home dinner, Netflix and early to bed. How do I get myself out of this funk?


Eleanor says: The end of a 30-year marriage, even an end you feel all right about, is a huge alteration to the way you spend your time. And I suspect you’re not alone in feeling markedly more isolated since the pandemic began. Working from home, losing routines – not everyone resurfaced into the same social world they left.
You sound clear that you want to change things, so I’ll take you at your word that this isn’t keeping yourself company, an enjoyable sort of solitude.

One strategy for change might be: let things disappoint you.
Part of why screens and nothing time can become such worn-in habits is that they’re rarely disappointing. No expectations, no outer appearances, no expenditure of energy. It’s a flat seismograph: no peaks, no troughs.

Sometimes that’s exactly what we need. But long term this can set a trap. A whole life of TV and early nights might not seem like much fun but, short term, each individual night can seem more fun or easier than whatever you’d have to do to break the funk.

Doing something new means risking being bored, tired, embarrassed. Because familiar nothing time has none of these risks, it can seem like the better option. This is how the tyranny of the middlingly comfortable takes hold.
 
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