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Depression
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SciManStev Send message Joined: 20 Jun 99 Posts: 6653 Credit: 121,090,076 RAC: 0 |
My wife has always been depressed, even since she was a child and tried to kill herself by deliberately walking out in front of a car. When we first got together, we tried treatment with medication, but that sent her on a chemical roller coaster that almost ended in her death. Years later, things got very bad again. Our regular doctor gave her a medication that helped a lot. She is still very depressed and easily triggered into severe bouts, but overall is much better than she was before medication. In addition to feeling like she doesn't care about anything, she is extremely negative about most everything. I do my best to reassure her, and provide the best I can. I never force her to do things, but do my best to guide her to good decisions. It doesn't always work. I know that depression is a serious ailment that one can't just snap out of. It is a life altering situation. Sometimes the treatment can be even worse than the disorder. Steve Warning, addicted to SETI crunching! Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group. GPUUG Website |
zoom3+1=4 Send message Joined: 30 Nov 03 Posts: 65801 Credit: 55,293,173 RAC: 49 |
See My profile. I'd say more but I just got of the hospital, see the raccoon thread. The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
I've been depressed all my life, but other than my dad dying when I was 13, and now my mother's death, I don't have any situational excuse. It all boils down to neurochemistry for me. Some people just have a brain with a lot of good neurotransmitters firing in abundance across the synapses. I don't. The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
SciManStev Send message Joined: 20 Jun 99 Posts: 6653 Credit: 121,090,076 RAC: 0 |
I do understand that depression can be both biological and environmental. It is rooted in biological. I also understand that it is no joke. I feel for anyone either going through it or is with someone going through it. I really do. Steve Warning, addicted to SETI crunching! Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group. GPUUG Website |
rob smith Send message Joined: 7 Mar 03 Posts: 22241 Credit: 416,307,556 RAC: 380 |
Depression comes in many forms, almost as many as people suffering from it. Some folks can very effectively put on an act that hides what is going on inside - I did for over a year. Until a friend found me sitting outside my back door with a large chisel pointed to my chest - he knocked me out without saying anything, then took me to the doctors when I'd come round. Bob Smith Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society) Somewhere in the (un)known Universe? |
rob smith Send message Joined: 7 Mar 03 Posts: 22241 Credit: 416,307,556 RAC: 380 |
He's an ex-Army medic, so the action was very quick. Six years ago now, I can look back on that time, and the preceding year or so and see the progressive descent into the abyss, then the climb out over another year. A combination of drugs and therapy were needed to get me pointing in the right direction. Bob Smith Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society) Somewhere in the (un)known Universe? |
Sir Rodney Ffing Send message Joined: 17 Oct 15 Posts: 92 Credit: 209,637 RAC: 0 |
With my wife being a nurse, the death of our son at the age of three from meningitis, plunged her into severe depression so distressing to witness, the following two years I spent living in constant dread I would lose her too, by her own hand. She's suffered with depression ever since, including periods requiring medical alleviation for it. That all began twenty years ago this April. Before losing our son, we'd planned a second child within the year. It never happened and is a subject I have long since stopped trying to raise with her. The death of her sister just before Christmas 2014, and the process of adopting her three young children however, have allowed me to see again the wonderful mother she was to our little boy. It is a bittersweet transformation. |
James Sotherden Send message Joined: 16 May 99 Posts: 10436 Credit: 110,373,059 RAC: 54 |
I'm one of those folks who must have some good brain chemicals. I see the upside of even mishaps that occur. How ever that being said. When my second wife was in a car accident and was in a coma for 13 days before she died. That sent me for a loop. Id come home and still feel her presence in the house. But of course she wasnt there. It was hard seeing the things that she and I had bought to make our home. So I started working overtime so I didn't have to go home. And when I did go home I went to bed. Well working 70 hours plus a week for 2 months straight did not work. It only made me angry that she had died. Then I was mad at myself for being angry at her. It was a tough 7 months. Before I found an online support group of widows and widowers. In our discussions I found that every thing I was going through is normal. That's when I found relief in my soul. It was after that I started to become myself again. My mom told me later , We were worried about you. Geez I wish they would have said they were worried about me when I was worried about me. ( it might have helped get me started sooner for some help) So was I depressed or just going through the grieving process? Me I think it was both. And I will tell you up front, I don't want to go there again. [/quote] Old James |
kittyman Send message Joined: 9 Jul 00 Posts: 51469 Credit: 1,018,363,574 RAC: 1,004 |
Depression.....................it's a bitch. I suppose a few were wondering when I was going to chime in on the subject.................................. As one who has struggled with it from my teenage years onward, I can tell ya it is tough. And made even tougher at times when one tries to deal with it by relying on alcohol as a constant crutch and companion. But, that is the way I have lived for over 40 years. One of my younger brothers did not survive that battle. He committed suicide when I was about 20yo, and that sent me even deeper down the rabbithole. I have always shunned the idea of getting 'professional help'. Still do. I am such a strong willed and independent soul, I know that I am the only one who can change myself. If it does not come from within me, it just ain't gonna happen, and all the expert advice or counseling in the world would not budge me off center no matter how well intended. That being said, I have recently made a couple of changes. I finally decided, after years of pondering, to try some pharmaceutical help. I decided. Of my own accord, not because somebody who thinks they know me better than I know myself told me I should do so. This was MY choice, and mine alone. Working with my GP, not a flippin psych major, I started taking bupropion 65 days ago. It is a NDRI, which means it works by trying to raise the availability of norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. Because alcohol really messes with this stuff, and because I truly wanted to give it an honest shot, I also temporarily stopped drinking a week before starting the med. Have not had any since. I cannot say that I have noticed a marked improvement in my depressive state so far. Two weeks ago, we raised the dosage from 150 to 300mg. It takes this stuff about 6-8 weeks to settle out, so I am not sure what effect that will have yet. I can say that the medication has markedly increased my 'up-time'. I used to sleep 10-12 hours a day, given the chance. Getting out of bed was not generally the high point of my day. Since starting this medication, I am awake at the crack of dawn, and not usually being able to doze off again, I get up. Sometimes I am able to take a short cat nap before I go to work in the afternoon. But I don't think I've gotten more than 6 hours of sleep a night since I started it. Sometimes as little as 3 or 4 hours. If, in a few more weeks, I have not noticed an improvement in my outlook on life, my next step will be to add a SSRI to what I am taking. SSRI meds try to raise the availability of serotonin, the 3rd main brain chemical relating to one's mood and activity levels. There are 6 of them currently available, and I am researching the pros and cons of them trying to decide which one to try. And believe me, they all have many side effects and possible down sides. These medications are filled with uncertainty. You are trying to rewire the neural network in your brain by changing the chemical communication network between it's cells and synapses. And everybody's brain is different. So what may work for one person can have the opposite effect in another. These drugs can straighten you out, or they can really mess you up. You can see that in the many reviews people have posted when researching this stuff. None of the 6 SSRIs has more than a 7 out of 10 rating in most user surveys. It's really quite the roll of the dice, it would seem. But, I am giving it a go. Trying to climb out of the rabbithole. I may very well drink again one day. I may not. But at least not until I give these meds a chance to stabilize and do whatever it is they are gonna do. Yeah, depression...............it's a bitch. Better living through chemistry? Only time will tell for the kittyman. Meow. "Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster |
SciManStev Send message Joined: 20 Jun 99 Posts: 6653 Credit: 121,090,076 RAC: 0 |
Mark, you are accurately describing the chemical roller coaster I mentioned above. It is a big dice roll, and every patient is different. I salute you for taking your own initiative to try to improve your outlook on life. I sincerely hope you find the right chemical composition if it exists for you. It is not easy, but if successful, is life changing. My thoughts are with you and everyone dealing with this tremendous issue. Steve Warning, addicted to SETI crunching! Crunching as a member of GPU Users Group. GPUUG Website |
tullio Send message Joined: 9 Apr 04 Posts: 8797 Credit: 2,930,782 RAC: 1 |
I've been depressed in my youth and treated by doctors with therapies which included ECT, which was a horrible experience. Since I am not willing to talk about my health problems, I limit myself to send my sympathy to all affected by this problem, which can be overcome. Greetings to all. Tullio |
janneseti Send message Joined: 14 Oct 09 Posts: 14106 Credit: 655,366 RAC: 0 |
Electroconvulsive therapy ECT is still used in Sweden... http://www.psykiatriregister.se/content/ect-english-0 ECT treatments are mostly used in Sweden Quoting a chief physician in psychiatry. I have to say that I never saw such frequent and boundless use of ECT treatments as in Sweden. |
kittyman Send message Joined: 9 Jul 00 Posts: 51469 Credit: 1,018,363,574 RAC: 1,004 |
Mark, you are accurately describing the chemical roller coaster I mentioned above. It is a big dice roll, and every patient is different. Thank you, Steve. It's kinda funny, but I have joked many times over the years about having a few times when all my little brain chemicals were in alignment, playing nice together, and I was having a good day. I guess until now that I have been researching antidepressant medications, I did not realize how actually true that statement may have been. And now that I am more aware of the situation, I also now know that rearranging one's neurotransmitter chemicals via medication can be successful, given time, patience, and experimentation. But it is often, no pun intended, more like herding cats. Meow. "Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster |
Monday Send message Joined: 24 Sep 05 Posts: 9676 Credit: 20,067,888 RAC: 12 |
My blankets fell off and it.s 0.8 degrees C. Am I depressed???? No way!!! |
Dimly Lit Lightbulb 😀 Send message Joined: 30 Aug 08 Posts: 15399 Credit: 7,423,413 RAC: 1 |
I'm currently slipping back into depression and having dealt with it before am well aware of the signs. I'm not seeking treatment. Why? I need to stay strong at the moment due to an uncle very ill and soon my mother will be having surgery. Member of the People Encouraging Niceness In Society club. |
Sir Rodney Ffing Send message Joined: 17 Oct 15 Posts: 92 Credit: 209,637 RAC: 0 |
I'm currently slipping back into depression and having dealt with it before am well aware of the signs. I'm not seeking treatment. Why? I need to stay strong at the moment due to an uncle very ill and soon my mother will be having surgery.I trust all will be well, Sir. You've been there and are mindful of what will work best for you in the current circumstances. The sender did not ask for their identity to be protectedCorrect. I did not. I will thank Mr S however for his response to my post. |
Sirius B Send message Joined: 26 Dec 00 Posts: 24881 Credit: 3,081,182 RAC: 7 |
I wondered when (not if) that would make its way to Main :-) To show that I do not have "anything to hide" , on my return to crunching in Summer 2007 I used my name as my user name as my early posts show. That user name was also present on Seti Classic. It was a suggestion by a late setizen that it would be best to just create a "nom de plume" rather than my real name. As for a wolf in sheep's clothing? There is enough of them in the world so it is not a surprise to find some on Internet forums. I was diagnosed as depressed in Spring 2014 & it shook me as all I felt was that I was as low as I can be & that with the way I lived life, I would soon bounce back as I had many times in the past. This time around it took me 3 years 2011 to 2014 rather than the weeks or months it took in the past. The cause of the depression? I had to give up a job that I thoroughly enjoyed which paid £42,000 per annum. It was hard graft but I really did enjoy it. My partner spent 2 months in hospital, 1 month of that in Intensive Care & on her discharge, the neurologist stated that for some considerable time, she would need constant care & supervision. Fair enough. Unfortunately, after only 6 months after her discharge we felt the very heavy hand of bureaucracy & its constant cockups. Cockups so large that we ended up with no income whatsoever & ended up homeless. Fortunately (depending on what angle you look at it) I had ALL documentation which "glaringly" highlighted cockup after cockup so only ended up homeless for just over 3 weeks as the "system" did its best to rectify them. We lost practically everything. It was only in early 2015 that I sat down & went through everything. I stopped counting when it hit £600,000 as I did not want to depress myself. While all that was going on, I was dismayed to see a "so-called" Seti" friend chastise me publicly for being in social housing. Wolf in sheep's clothing? Naw, just jackasses. It brings to mind an old saying I learnt as a teenager & it is more relevant now "No matter where you go or what you do in the world, you will always come across at least one". I used to drink & I mean drink :-) Sadly a trip to the doctor in October 1983 changed all that & not touched the heavy stuff since. I'm just glad I had the courage to not return to drinking as I believe it would have finished me. |
cRunchy Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 3555 Credit: 1,920,030 RAC: 3 |
This thread is for promoting understanding, not perpetuating stigma. Please remember when posting. Because you only have posted 57 times in two years and you state you are a nurse yet not telling us your interest or connection to depression or mental health disorders and because you ask people to PM you as abitor (that is the community's and mod's job...) ... I need to ask why this post? What does it mean to you? I am suprised you stated you are a nurse then forgave yourself as being a nurse and not knowing much about mental health issues. Do you suffer from depression? Honesty is required.... Are you currently working as a nurse? Which hospital? Most of the nurses I know are overworked. It is not an easy job. Being depressed is also a hideously hard job. (As a member of the SETI community for some time I ask people who have mental health issues or are vunerable (clinicaly or otherwise) do not post personal issues to this thread or share personal information with anyone other than those they have a longsstanding relationship with.) |
Gordon Lowe Send message Joined: 5 Nov 00 Posts: 12094 Credit: 6,317,865 RAC: 0 |
(As a member of the SETI community for some time I suggest people who have mental health issues or are vunerable (clinicaly or otherwise) do not post personal issues to this thread or share personal information with anyone other than those you have a longsstanding relationship.) I agree we all need to be careful, but I think the topic is a good way for people to express some emotions they might not have felt comfortable with until now. If anyone feels a post might be over the line, please report it to the moderators. The mind is a weird and mysterious place |
Tom M Send message Joined: 28 Nov 02 Posts: 5124 Credit: 276,046,078 RAC: 462 |
There is a treatment for "Chronic Depression" that doesn't involve prescription medications. It also isn't a "think positive" treatment. The book is “The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs,†author Stephen Ilardi , Ph.D. https://www.amazon.com/Depression-Cure-6-Step-Program-without/dp/0738213888/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1498874641&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=chronic+depression+illardi Dr. Ilardi makes a powerful case that using 6 different treatments for depression that all work "part of the time" allows for the possibility of getting better near 100% of the time. He has either done original research or literature research or both on each step he proposes. He doesn't stop with generalizations. He points to specific resources widely available. Some of the steps include treatment for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and finding out that "therapeutic doses" of Omega-3 are as effective (33% of the time) as prescription anti-depressants. Tom A proud member of the OFA (Old Farts Association). |
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