OT: Despair

[dogscoff]

I've not been clinically depressed myself but I've lived with and supported someone who has.

Go to your doctor and get some meds. They can ease the symptoms long enough for you to go see a cousellor and (hopefully) deal with the root causes of those symptoms.

Also, make sure you're getting your excercise and eating healthily. Whether it's a cause or a symptom is still unclear and still disputed, but body & brain chemistry changes significantly in clinically depressed ppl and looking after yourself can really help to beat the feelings of apathy & constant tiredness.

It's not easy, since depression does everything it can to steer you away from the things that will cure it, but in time it can be beaten, I know this from experience.

Feel free to email or PM me any time you like, about anything.

[Raging Deadstar]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
Well, I guess I'll put it all up.

I've said before that I've got major depression. While that is entirely true, it's not the whole truth. I also suffer from schizophrenia. It explains part of why I'm goofy; as a stress release. The voices I hear are, quite simply, demonic.

But, with the grace of God and the help of my psychiatrist, prescription drugs and a lot of willpower, I rarely hear them any more.

So there is light at the end of the tunnel. It's taken me 4 years to get this far, but I have gotten there. Plus three years where I was, quite simply, crazy, although I mostly didn't show it. Perhaps this is why I never changed Pinky so he's smiling. Because it shows another part of the truth that I rarely show on the forums, these being my rest and relaxation place.

Other people know. Other people care.

You too Narf? I'm for one glad there's someone else with it here, but i'm also sad for you as i know exactly what you are going through and how hellish it can get. Then again schizophrenia isn't as uncommon people think, i think it's 1-100 people.

Good news is I've stopped the medication a few months back and learned to cope, 4 or so years coming up now. I just got a letter from my Psychiatrist the other day saying i don't need to be visiting as often.

Good Luck to you Narf, I wish you all the best.

Renegade

I have a very strong stance when it comes to any sort of prescription drugs for reliance. They are extremely unpredictable (in my expirience). My advice would go to your doctor/GP and tell him/her how you're feeling. I've found medication doesn't help anywhere as near enough as a good Psychiatrist or councellor, i've had 3 so far and the 3rd has really helped, it all depends on just who you click with.

Good luck to you too.

[ May 21, 2004, 18:25: Message edited by: Raging Deadstar ]

[Baron Munchausen]

And today the topic of Schizophrenia has come up on Slashdot. Quote:

jagercola@ignmail.com asks: "My sister was recently diagnosed with Schizophrenia. It's a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease that we don't know a lot about. The movie, A Beautiful Mind, paints an accurate picture of how the disease affects someone in a best case scenario. I would like the vast audience here to help me understand the disease through experiences and that it might help me aid my sister. If you know someone who has the disease, how has it affected your and their life? How have you been able to cope with it? What are the long term implications for quality of life?"

http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?s...tid=191&tid=99

[ May 21, 2004, 23:46: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Renegade 13]

Narf: I must say, thank you for sharing your experiences. It has encouraged me that there is indeed hope for depression. You mentioned medication: I really do not like taking medication. I prefer to let my body or my mind cure me. I don't want drugs that dull my mind, or artificially manipulate my body chemistry. However, I realize that this isn't always possible. You also mentioned willpower. That's the way I usually control my depression. I usually just....decide that I'm not going to be depressed. I don't know how to explain it, but within a few days of forcing myself to not be depressed, I go back to my normal, non-depressed self. However, this time, it isn't working for some reason. We'll see how it goes. As for psychiatrists, I really don't want to tell anyone my problems, or have anyone analyze me.

Dogscoff: I thank you sincerely for your encouragement. I also hadn't realized that constant tiredness was a symptom of depression, but now that I think about it, it makes sense. As for meds, well, my opinion on that is stated above.

RD: You have my sympathy for your schizophrenia. I know it doesn't mean much, and it doesn't help, but its true. Also, as you probably know, I agree with your opinion of medication to control problems. Sometimes they create problems of their own.

And I thank you all for reading this, and for your encouragement. It means a lot. I know that this isn't an easy subject for anyone to talk about.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I would try any medication for at least three months before giving up on it, unless it had obvious and bad side effects. I do want to get off the meds, but I've relized that they help a lot.

[Will]

Originally posted by Renegade 13:
As for psychiatrists, I really don't want to tell anyone my problems, or have anyone analyze me.

I wouldn't immediately rule out a psychiatrist. Most psychiatrists now work on the theory that the best person to analyze the patient is the patient. What they are there to do is provide an objective third party view on your thoughts, and to help you understand them. Once you understand your thoughts, it is easier to change them. But it all really does depend on who you go to. Like RD, it may take going to a few different ones to get one that works for you.

And dogscoff is right about taking care of yourself. If you are strict about eating correctly and exercising every day, it does wonders.

[Raging Deadstar]

Originally posted by Renegade 13:
As for psychiatrists, I really don't want to tell anyone my problems, or have anyone analyze me.

Yeah i can understand that one. I felt exactly the same, and i think when someone says "Psychiatrist" people get those goosebumps and the stuff conjured up in films appears.

It is a bit hit-and-miss, the first two i saw i really couldn't click with, it was awkward to the extreme. But the third one, Stuart, i really get on with. It's all confidential and they won't force you to take medication or anything, even if they feel it is needed (at least not in the UK) If you can feel comfortable talking to them sometimes it can even be fun, god knows i've had some interesting discussions with mine, and usually they don't ask about your "problems" all the time. If you can find one on your wave length then you'll feel comfortable talking to them. I've been seeing the one i have for 2 years now and i'd count him as a friend.

And thanks Tyrel (if it is your name??? you signed your first post with that lol) for the sympathy, although i really don't see it as a "disease" anymore. It can be hellish at times but it's been with me for 4 years, it's shaped who i am so it's brought good as well. Imagine, i might never had started playing SE4 if i'd never developed it.

[ May 22, 2004, 14:48: Message edited by: Raging Deadstar ]