Depression
- Thread starter Margot
- Start date
nerdatheart9490
Pokemon Professor
I have depression. I'm not sure why it's so common these days, but I know it has something to do with your brain not releasing enough "happy" chemicals. It can be genetic, caused by a traumatic event(s), or it can just happen, like mine did.
Unfortunately, mental illnesses get a bad rep. Not many people consider them real illness, or think the person is just being a big baby about it. But as someone who nearly lost their life to mental illness, I can tell every doubter that it is just as real as arthritis, cancer, or any other illness that gets lots of attention and pity.
But, just like other illnesses, it can get better if you take care of yourself
After nearly 10 years of suffering, I'm finally taking the proper medication, have someone I can talk to and who understands my illness, and I know that life is worth living. It's like getting out of your last round of chemo. It's done. You've survived. And while there's always a chance that it can come back, you know that you can get through anything now.
Unfortunately, mental illnesses get a bad rep. Not many people consider them real illness, or think the person is just being a big baby about it. But as someone who nearly lost their life to mental illness, I can tell every doubter that it is just as real as arthritis, cancer, or any other illness that gets lots of attention and pity.
But, just like other illnesses, it can get better if you take care of yourself
After nearly 10 years of suffering, I'm finally taking the proper medication, have someone I can talk to and who understands my illness, and I know that life is worth living. It's like getting out of your last round of chemo. It's done. You've survived. And while there's always a chance that it can come back, you know that you can get through anything now.
Depression can go away, it isn't necessarily a permanent thing, it usually isn't.
Unfortunately it is really rather common, so it usually isn't taken very seriously, despite the fact that it can be very serious. However, I would not say that people don't care, people are always taking about depression, there's an endless amount of support lines, doctors, anyone really that are willing to help people with depression. Depression is normalised as so many people suffer from it, it isn't as stigmatised. That isn't the case for many other mental illnesses.
Unfortunately it is really rather common, so it usually isn't taken very seriously, despite the fact that it can be very serious. However, I would not say that people don't care, people are always taking about depression, there's an endless amount of support lines, doctors, anyone really that are willing to help people with depression. Depression is normalised as so many people suffer from it, it isn't as stigmatised. That isn't the case for many other mental illnesses.
If depression is due to a chemical imbalance in your brain, it can be treated with medicine and exercise (which triggers the release of endorphins that make you feel happy). If it's situational depression, it can be cured by making positive changes in your life and doing things you enjoy doing.
I think part of the reason people across the world are depressed (when it doesn't involve something situational like starving or dying of a preventable disease) is technology and how easy everything is now. We don't have to chase an animal down or forage for hours to find food, so we aren't grateful for it anymore. We aren't in danger, and we aren't running for miles every day to find food, evade predators and survive, so we don't appreciate having the basic necessities and just being alive anymore. There are a lot of things we don't have to work for so we don't feel the sense of accomplishment we used to for doing little things, and all people ever want is more. More money, more food, more possessions, a bigger house, a better job, a nicer car, etc. I guess people have put value in the wrong things, and we aren't happy or satisfied anymore because we've distanced ourselves so far from our natural environment and our own animal instincts and desires.
I think part of the reason people across the world are depressed (when it doesn't involve something situational like starving or dying of a preventable disease) is technology and how easy everything is now. We don't have to chase an animal down or forage for hours to find food, so we aren't grateful for it anymore. We aren't in danger, and we aren't running for miles every day to find food, evade predators and survive, so we don't appreciate having the basic necessities and just being alive anymore. There are a lot of things we don't have to work for so we don't feel the sense of accomplishment we used to for doing little things, and all people ever want is more. More money, more food, more possessions, a bigger house, a better job, a nicer car, etc. I guess people have put value in the wrong things, and we aren't happy or satisfied anymore because we've distanced ourselves so far from our natural environment and our own animal instincts and desires.
nintendofan85
Good grief.
It can depend on the circumstances.
I don't have it anymore, but I was actually dealing with depression between March and May of last year, caused by me trying to end a friendship with someone IRL who was mentally unstable and for that he felt it was his duty to ruin my life, especially because he had a crush on one of his friends who was also my best friend and he considered my best friend practically his boyfriend and that I seemed to be "stealing him away", even though that was never my intention. Anyways, all that put me into a state of depression which had a serious affect on my grades during the very end of my freshman year of high school, which in turn worsened my relationship with my father as he takes my grades very seriously as he finished at the top of his class when he graduated high school back in 1984.
Anyways, while my depression eventually ended during the summer of last year (although, it did take a while to go away), I do have many family members that struggle with it. My mom, aunt, and uncle have all had to seriously deal with, my uncle to point where he had to go to the hospital for it back in December.
I don't have it anymore, but I was actually dealing with depression between March and May of last year, caused by me trying to end a friendship with someone IRL who was mentally unstable and for that he felt it was his duty to ruin my life, especially because he had a crush on one of his friends who was also my best friend and he considered my best friend practically his boyfriend and that I seemed to be "stealing him away", even though that was never my intention. Anyways, all that put me into a state of depression which had a serious affect on my grades during the very end of my freshman year of high school, which in turn worsened my relationship with my father as he takes my grades very seriously as he finished at the top of his class when he graduated high school back in 1984.
Anyways, while my depression eventually ended during the summer of last year (although, it did take a while to go away), I do have many family members that struggle with it. My mom, aunt, and uncle have all had to seriously deal with, my uncle to point where he had to go to the hospital for it back in December.
Last edited:
visibleghost
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
i'm depressed af and have been for like 5+ years and Uh idk depression can be because of many things lol. im personally depressed bc of Literally Everything and also my depression makes my other issues worse which results in my depression getting worse. i'm on meds but they don't work lmao.
if someone can cure my depression hmu thx
if someone can cure my depression hmu thx
Have you tried a really healthy diet and getting lots of exercise? There have been studies linking vitamin D deficiency (like I have because I'm so pale, burn easily and can't wear sunscreen) to depression, and I've noticed over the years that my depression improved when I increased my vitamin D intake (both in my diet, and by getting more sun exposure without letting myself burn).
Exercise is also a great depression remedy because the endorphins your brain releases when you exercise make you feel happy. Exercise is also good for helping you sleep (you almost never have trouble sleeping when you're worn out) which is also good for mental health. On top of that when you exercise and eat really healthy, you stop worrying about your physical health (which is the number one thing people across the board stress about) and your self esteem improves because you start to look fit and healthy.
If you haven't tried these things and you plan to, just keep in mind that you'll never see results the first time you try something, and that sticking with it is what makes it work (same with taking medication).
visibleghost
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
^ yes my doctor and therapist have said that. i've taken blood tests and *** and i've got good blood or w/e. and i have neen physically active for mlst of the time when i have been depressed. and my diet gets me all nutrients i need. and i also take vitamin suppoies when i don't eat as much due to my depression.
and uh my depression isn't , like, bc i sit inside my room a lot n just need to get a bit of sunshine n more fruit in my life. lol. i have tried, believe me.
and imve been on my meds for over six months. i'm on the highest dosage and have been since like uh may. idk i think i'm going to switch meds after the summer because i haven't gotten even slightly better because of these so idk. lol
and uh my depression isn't , like, bc i sit inside my room a lot n just need to get a bit of sunshine n more fruit in my life. lol. i have tried, believe me.
and imve been on my meds for over six months. i'm on the highest dosage and have been since like uh may. idk i think i'm going to switch meds after the summer because i haven't gotten even slightly better because of these so idk. lol
Well I wasn't trying to say your depression was purely nutritional or anything like that. I understand that past traumatic events can have lasting effects (believe me, I've been there). I know we disagree on a lot of things, but I hope it all works out for you, and that you don't have to take medication forever.
visibleghost
ʕ •̀ o •́ ʔ
^ yeah i get that you were trying to be helpful , lol , thanks. and yeah thanks, same goes for u !!
nintendofan85
Good grief.
I'm so sorry about that. Yeah, even though my depressed family members take medicine for it too, it hasn't been that effective for them. Believe me, I'm very familiar with what you're talking about. As advice to you, I'm going to reiterate what Miii said as well as tell you what I did to get me out of the depression I had last year-make new friends IRL.
Yeah I have MDD. If you truly have clinical depression medication works and after almost a year of being on my current dose I'm pretty much fine.
My honest opinion about why it's so common is that it's over-diagnosed to an insane degree. If you're depressed due to just having a rough patch in your life medication likely won't work at all. As a medical student I've seen doctors using the MDD diagnostic criteria VERY leniently and it's pretty messed up. Those patients need a counsellor, not a prescription to treat an illness they don't have followed by a kick out the door.
As far as general low mood being so common I'd completely agree that it has a lot to do with the amount of social isolation that goes on in our culture.
My honest opinion about why it's so common is that it's over-diagnosed to an insane degree. If you're depressed due to just having a rough patch in your life medication likely won't work at all. As a medical student I've seen doctors using the MDD diagnostic criteria VERY leniently and it's pretty messed up. Those patients need a counsellor, not a prescription to treat an illness they don't have followed by a kick out the door.
As far as general low mood being so common I'd completely agree that it has a lot to do with the amount of social isolation that goes on in our culture.
I know it sucks but 6 months actually often isn't long enough to get meds sorted out! I started with meds 2 years ago and I'm only now really seeing the full benefit of them. It took a year to get up to the maximum dose and then another 6-9 months for all of my symptoms to slowly go away. The general timeframe for SSRIs (according to my doctor) is a few days for the initial rise in serotonin, 4-8 weeks to have a stable rise and then up to 9 months for actual remodelling in your brain. Stick with it!
Last edited:
That Zephyr Guy
crouton.net
That would make sense if increasing trend in depression has been going on for hundreds of years if not thousands of years. Not to say life wasn't hard back then, it was significantly harder, but in the past 10-20 years the number of people with depression has skyrocketed and I don't really think it has anything to do with technology.
However, I think it has more to do with repeat recessions, and the level of technology increasing so fast in just a couple of years that it creates a weird sense of nostalgia for those of us who remember more archaic forms of technology that very rapidly became obsolete.
I'm not depressed because I have nothing to do in my life because everything is easier - I'm depressed because the world around me is flat out rejecting me and many other people and I'm terrified that I won't even be able to have a small house to call my own in the future. It doesn't stop me from working towards it, but those feelings of dread that have been in my mind for over a decade aren't going away soon.
Last edited:
Depression is horrible. I have it, I had a lot of things happen to me last year, and just with the combination of changes, it got me into several trips to the medical clinic, a few different antidepressants, and seeing a therapist.
The worst part I hace found is people don't really understand and can't empathize with you. Depression just distorted my whole world, and almost ruined several strong relationships.
Now that I make sure I exercise daily, eat healthy, take my vitamins and that I am on the right medication makes a huge difference.
The only thing that sucks is my medication keeps me up at night.
The worst part I hace found is people don't really understand and can't empathize with you. Depression just distorted my whole world, and almost ruined several strong relationships.
Now that I make sure I exercise daily, eat healthy, take my vitamins and that I am on the right medication makes a huge difference.
The only thing that sucks is my medication keeps me up at night.
Depression can go away, with enough effort and determination, and of course the common "cures." It might be a long hard road to take, and it might not be easy, but eventually you can fight through it. You really just need to ambition and passion to do it. Secondly, although it seems like no one cares about it, a lot of people do. Some people just don't know how to deal and help someone with it. Like myself, I don't know what to say or do when someone tells me they have depression other than support them from a distance. I don't have too much empathy, so I can't say anything nice or try to "relate" as many people do. Then again relating to a mental illness when you don't have it is considered unhelpful. Okay, anyways, I try to be as caring and supportive through the tough road people travel down with depression, asking if I can help them in anyway, but I don't know how to "help" them, you know what I'm saying.
technically, i think it is permanent in a sense. depends on how much effort the person puts into it, but there will always be something in your path that brings you down again. like a loved ones death or anything of the like. so sure you can go weeks, maybe even months without it, but who says it wont return. but it does change your perspective on life over time for the good. you get stronger emotionally and learn things. but frankly its always going to be there. it just disappears every once in awhile
