Re: Depression

Aerolor darlin' your knowledge and experience and your enlightened contribution to this debate is much appreciated.

Re: Depression

Antibrown, please please, try to persuade your friend to go to her GP. For heavens sake do not tell her she needs a kick in the bum!! One has to have suffered from clinical depression - as I have - to understand it.

The waking in the morning to absolute dread, the having to force oneself to so much as shower, the inability to stop oneself from shaking, the hiding away from well meaning friends, one of whom advises you to take up knitting to improve matters!! (another "kick in the bum" person!!) Then, once on the correct med's, the growing realization that the world is - beautiful.

Sadly with some, medication or treatment doesn't help - or arrives too late.

For the record, I no longer need medication. I am grateful in the knowledge that it is there, thanks to the NHS, if ever I should need it again.

Re: Depression

NG darlin' - the only medication you'll need in the future is access to this site - best medication you could possibly need.

Re: Depression

Better than Citalopram is it? Cheers.

Re: Depression

My Daughter has depression, it's all through our family. She'll be on medication for the rest of her life. In her case it's Clinical Depression......a Horomone imbalance.........I get really hacked off when people say ..."what have you got to be depressed about". If only it were that simple.

Re: Depression

I believe genetically inherited depression is far more common than people realise. One can see the recurring traits of depression suffered in some families. Unfortunately mental disturbances are not as easily recognized as physical disabilities so don't generally get the same consideration or sympathy. It's very sad that some people's chemistry is out of balance which causes unhappiness to themselves and those around them. I'm sorry you have this problem in your family.

Re: Depression

Thanks Rueben. Regan is by far the worst....when it first hit it scared the life out of me, she became a total stranger. Locked away wouldn't see a Soul, scared of even looking out the Window. After we got her help I would make her come out with me and the dogs every day rain or shine. After a while it seemed to relax her, we always went away up the hills and they became her Santuary. She still wanders them often when she's feeling stressed. I'm nothing like as bad and I can usually pull myself up and out of it after a few days of stopping in bed. I find sitting on the Cliffs watching the huge waves crashing in does me a power of good. Calms me down and soothes me.

Re: Depression

As Rueben says, if someone is depressed, it can't be 'seen,' like - for instance a broken leg. Yet a broken mind takes much longer to heal, sometimes not at all.

Roxy, your daughter and you have my every sympathy. I can quite understand how the hills and magnificent waves can give solace.

Re: Depression

yes found that, so much can bring on depression, usually its caused by too many problems that can not be solved, so leaves a feeling of helplessness that these days is called depression, in young people it is usally peer pressure, schools only want A students so push the less able, fashion says you have got to wear designer and most folk can't afford it, drugs including alcahol and nicatine are a convientant way out that just adds to the problems

Re: Depression

There's so many different types of Depression too....just to confuse you even more.
Heres a few that I know of.

Depression makes a person feel sad, hopeless, worthless, pessimistic and guilty. Often the sufferer has difficulty concentrating and making decisions, has a loss of appetite and weight or a weight gain, has difficulty sleeping, has a lack of energy and sometimes physical symptoms such as slow movement and speech. Depression must be taken seriously because of the high rate of suicide associated with it.
Many people are not aware of the many types of depression besides what is termed unipolar depression where the sufferer feels melancholic and never feels any highs. A brief description of manic depression (bipolar disorder), major depression, atypical depression, psychotic depression and dysthymia.

Major Depression:
Major depression is probably one of the most common forms of depression. You probably know a handful of people who suffer from it. The sufferer seems to walk around with the weight of the world on his or her shoulders. He or she seems disinterested in becoming involved in regular activities and seems convinced that he or she will always be in this hopeless state. There is a lack of interest in sexual activity and in appetite and a weight loss.

Atypical Depression:
Atypical depression is a variation of depression that is slightly different from major depression. The sufferer is sometimes able to experience happiness and moments of elation. Symptoms of atypical depression include fatigue, oversleeping, overeating and weight gain. People who suffer from atypical depression believe that outside events control their mood (i.e. success, attention and praise). Episodes of atypical depression can last for months or a sufferer may live with it forever.

Psychotic Depression:
Sufferers of psychotic depression begin to hear and see imaginary things - - sounds, voices and visuals that do not exist. These are referred to as hallucinations, which are generally more common with someone suffering from schizophrenia. The hallucinations are not "positive" like they are with a manic depressive. The sufferer of psychotic depression imagines frightening and negative sounds and images.

Dysthymia:
Many people just walk around seeming depressed - - simply sad, blue or melancholic. They have been this way all of their lives. This is dysthymia - - a condition that people are not even aware of but just live with daily. They go through life feeling unimportant, dissatisfied, frightened and simply don't enjoy their lives. Medication is beneficial for this type of depression.

Manic Depression:
Manic depression can be defined as an emotional disorder characterized by changing mood shifts from depression to mania which can sometimes be quite rapid. People who suffer from manic depression have an extremely high rate of suicide.