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Depression

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Julia said:
Don't you mean 'fight or flight'?

You make the same mistake further down and don't usually make any typos, Motorway.

Just wondering if you're not actually familiar with the 'fight or flight mechanism.
Click to expand...

Just a Typo

We all make them sometimes
or at least I do..


Motorway
 
Hi,

I thought I would add to this thread a little after experiencing depression over the last 20 years, stemming from a ABI (acquired brain injury).

Firstly, need to categorise the type of depression :
  1. Physical - a prolonged chemical imbalance, often can only be treated with drugs.
  2. Environmental - I hate my job, my marriage sucks, death of a loved one, can be treated after finding a good councillor.

Most importantly in combating depression is to slowly return your life to a normal balance and routine :
1) Food, watch what you eat, many chemicals in foods can affect brain and body chemistry making us more prong to periods of depression. You wouldn't put dirty petrol in your car and expect it to run well, so why do it to your mind and body. Look at what you eat. I work on a 20/80 rule or 80% of the food I eat must be healthy, it is just fuel for my brain and body, the other 20% can be bad and just for taste.
2) Excercise, the modern human being does not do nearly enough excercise in a week. Physical activity relieves stress, releases feel good chemicals in the brain and helps remove toxins from our bodies quicker.
3) As already mentioned, sunlight. This is vital to try and maintain happiness.
4) Meditation is the true savour of those suffering depression but is not for everyone and takes time to master.

Some mentioned Cognative Behavioural Therapy (CBT), I would highly recommend this book; Change Your Thinking - Second Edition
Sarah Edelman.

Now all of the above is great but of little use when in a state of depression, for this you need a coach, councillor, medical professional etc to help you build structure back into your life. Finding someone who can assist and help is the most difficult part in overcoming depression and dont give up just because the first medico didn't seem to work. Be willing to face your fears and understand that much of our thinking is controlled by the subconsious brain, CBT will help rewire parts of your thinking.

I personally hated medication and have found routine, food, excercise and meditation have been far more benefical in the long term. I do recommend that if in a bad state of depression that medication for the short term may be necessary. If the condition is severe medication may be the only perminant option but I would want at least 3 medical professionals opinion before I accepted it as the only option.

Good health and happy thoughts to those that suffer, but you do have a choice and life can get better, you just have to want to do it and have the drive to do it.

Cheers
 
I read in one of the weekend papers that toddlers as young as 2 and 3 years old are being taken to psychiatrists because their parents think they might be depressed!!

What on earth is happening here?

No wonder we have a so called epidemic of depression if parents are looking to find pathology in such undeveloped little psyches.

And then, although this is just a couple of anecdotal examples, I've come across healthy, successful young women who seem to be - despite acknowledging they have everything they have ever wanted in terms of relationship, job, material assets etc - 'seeking fulfillment'. When I asked what they felt was missing, they had no idea.

Have we bred a generation whose expectations include some nebulous sense of perfect happiness, rather than the realistic understanding that much of life is just pretty ordinary, and to therefore find contentment in that?

I'm interested to know if anyone has any ideas about why so many people seem to be disappointed (as distinct from actually depressed) in their existence, even when they objectively agree there is nothing in particular they are seeking?

Maybe it's just too much of a culture of navel gazing and introspection, a peculiar self absorption that older generations didn't engage in?
 
People are missing their authentic selves, creating anxiety and depression. or just meaninglessness. They then pass it on to their kids, who have precious few defenses at age 2.

Early signs in young kids will be food allergies, reslessness, bags under their eyes (just like Mummy!), frequent ENT infections, etc.
 
Julia said:
I read in one of the weekend papers that toddlers as young as 2 and 3 years old are being taken to psychiatrists because their parents think they might be depressed!!

What on earth is happening here?...
Click to expand...

Maybe the parents can't handle the two-three year old tantrums...lol. I had forgotten just how bad they could be until these last couple of years with a stubborn little granddaughter. I can imagine that some parents might think there is something wrong with their kids...

Thankfully, this little one has almost left that unacceptable behaviour behind and is becomming much easier to manage these days. It seems that persistently rewarding good behaviour and ignoring the bad (as much as possible) has eventually worked it's magic.
 
Thought this might be worth noting on this thread - calls to Life Line will be free from mobiles from anywhere in Australia from the 1st July. I think this is a positive thing and those who suffer from depression might be a good idea to keep the number in the phone. It is 13 11 14.

Story from the ABC: Lifeline calls to be free from mobiles
 
No reason on Senator pay that you need to steal $92 worth of groceries. Best wishes to Sen Fisher for her recovery from a debilitating, but treatable illness.

From the SMH:
 
Logique said:
No reason on Senator pay that you need to steal $92 worth of groceries. Best wishes to Sen Fisher for her recovery from a debilitating, but treatable illness.
Click to expand...
+1, Logique. Surely this could have been kept quiet so that public humiliation is not added to her difficulties.

On a pragmatic note, am I right in thinking she's a member of the S.A. Senate, not the Federal Senate, i.e. that if she resigns it won't affect the Coalition's numbers?
 
No she's federal Julia, but it's a Greens balance of power anyway. I honestly don't know what happens if for example, she gets absence of leave for treatment - talk of negotiated pairs a while ago, in another situation - a Labor Senator is paired off in the votes.
 
Convicting her and making an example will do nothing just shows how stupid the law is. She should not be charged but made to say sorry and given medical help if there is any.
 
Thanks Logique. Of course. I was stupidly getting confused about the numbers in the lower house, rather than the Senate.
 
Depression is not an excuse for poor and inappropriate actions. Yes it is unfortunate that people suffer from depression, but they need to take responsiblilty and seek help and not use it as an escape goat after they have been caught doing something wrong.

I also firmly believe that the majority of people that suffer from depression just need a good foot up the bum and nothing else. They feel that accepting the label, depressive excuses them from their actions, wrong.

Wake up people and smell the roses the world is a wonderful place to live in.

Cheers
 

True.

But it's "scapegoat"

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/scapegoat
 
 


Yes, I have been told that to tell a depressed person just to "get over it" rarely works, and in fact, is more likely to make them worse.

I wish it were that easy...
 
sails said:
Yes, I have been told that to tell a depressed person just to "get over it" rarely works, and in fact, is more likely to make them worse.

I wish it were that easy...
Click to expand...

Thanks Sails - you display a much higher level of understanding. Depression is complicated and dehabilitating.

Nobody would dismiss a more "obvious" medical issue [like epilepsy (or a broken leg)] like this.

Other medical illnesses [like autism and depression] are very individual and more challenging to both diagnose and treat. This does not mean that they are not very real.

Several and different treatments assist for depression. Medications [short or long term] often help. So too does CBT [which is probably above on this page].

I also have respect for MBCT [Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy] which a Google search will help to define.

Would you tell someone with a broken leg, dementia, schizophrenia or post-traumatic-stress disorder to just "get over it"?

I know you wouldn't but I find the fact that this attitude is still out there to be quite "depressing".

Let's support people in trouble and not add to their condition with uninformed posts.

Rick
 
wayneL said:
I didn't read the post correctly and would like to reverse my affirmation with apologies to anyone suffering depression. Sails and Rick are spot on.

And it's still scapegoat.
Click to expand...

Thank you Wayne. It takes some gumption to do this. Good on you!!
 
Read my post further up and I don’t think I stated telling people to “get over it”. Rather they need a firm hand and guidance to develop routine in their lives to manage it. Also like to state, that depression is a natural part of life, everyone will experience it in some point in their lives. It is when it takes control over their lives and happiness leading to many months of ill feelings that there is a problem.

I do wonder how many of you have fought this illness, I have firsthand experience of it over two decades. I understand all the complexities of dealing with and learning to live with depression. I work hard to maintain an active and happy life, it is always in the back of my mind the horrible feelings of desperation when I have had a bad depressive period.

In the majority of case a good foot is needed, however there are always outliners that need professional medical treatment.
I would simply ask any person suffering depression:
1) what is it that has made them feel that way (often they do not know or wish to talk about)

2) what have they done to prevent the feelings from arising ( need to address why the feelings are there, face their demons. In some cases there is no reason but a chemical imbalance in their brain chemistry. In this case often they only treatment if the depression is sever is medication

3) Do they exercise regularly? The benefits of exercise in releasing endorphins in the brain are well documented

4) What food do they eat? Food/fuel is vital to a healthy mind. I can often tell if a depressive period is approaching or I have already entered as my mind/body moves away from healthy food into sugar and preservative rich foods. The more crap I eat, the worse and the longer the depressive period.

5) Do they smoke, drink and take drugs (generally a give in for most depressed people) this is when medication can give them a window to bring structure back into their life and slowly take back control.
The reality is, treatment is often very difficult to find and diagnosis is often incorrect making it harder for a person to persist in getting better.
\
Fire away people.
 
I was reading about an orphan girl on India who goes around every day picking up single grains of rice at the markets until she has enough to sell sometimes she gets robbed and goes with out food so tell her about depression and how some thing is missing in her life or why Men should or should not open doors, she would love to even own a door she could sell it and buy things she needs to survive.. with Western attitudes is it any wonder it is all tanking due to excess credit and stupidity at least she is happier than the Westerners but she doesn't know it.

All are looking for some thing that never existed and never will.

We can see In China etc were the mental illness is creeping in and they are wanting designer goods once credit cards come in it will be a repeat of our life style.
 
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