Depression

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Why does it seem like depression is regarded as a temporary thing that anyone will probably suffer from at one point in their life? I mean I do not think depression is the same thing as having a bad period in your life that gets you down, I was under the impression depression was a legitimate mental illness. Not to mention I have had it ever since I was a child....it does not go away and come back it is always there. so what are your opinions on this, do you think depression is taken seriously enough or not?

Tough question to answer on your post?Generally maybe it's from different forms of depression that people may take more insight into,but the same time if it's a minor case , probably it goes way after awhile:? then maybe NTs probably wouldn't worry about it so much, as I would say medication helps control most of those thoughts you have inside your mind.

Well I tried anti-depressants and it was horrible, so I self medicate...but yes I would say that helps me keep things undercontrol. But yeah maybe there are non-severe temporary forms of depression. I just find it rather frusterating that a lot of people seem to think depression is a really minor thing when they don't really understand how painful it can be.

My dad has it but he takes medication for it. I tend to have tendencies but I don't have a full diagnosis of it. I do agree with what you say, some people tend to mistake some of those depression tendencies as being a full diagnosis of depression. It makes it harder for the ones that do have it.

Depression can be the worse thing in the world. Sometimes the pain can be almost unbearable.

I have suffered 3 really bad depressive meltdowns and each time I got better, eventually, only for it to come back again

I have attempted suicide and have come close a few times since then...I mean even though I've only attempted once its still quite unpleasent when I find myself looking at suicide as reasonable option to contemplate.

Yes I agree completely. I suffer from episodes of major depression (not related to external factors, they come on randomly for no reason with no warning) that generally can last up to 7 months. Over the last few years each one has been progressively worse. In the past I have just thanked my lucky stars I am not depressed all the time, but I am getting scared due to it getting worse. I have a history of depression in my family.

What has been happening to me currently, the psychiatrist I saw yesterday thinks it's very severe major depression. I haven't been able to believe it to be depression and not some other mental illness consider more major because of how severe it has been - I have lost everything out of my life and basically become an invalid (unable even to look after myself) for the past 3 months. My moods have been out of control (I cry hysterically for no reason), I keep passing out from catatonia and being unable to move, and I've completely lost all motivation and focus to achieve anything. After finally earning my independence and having my own flat, I'm now living at home and being nursed by my parents. It's living hell. It's hard to reconcile it to the idea of depression portrayed by society - someone getting sad after someone close to them has died, or some such thing. Real depression is nothing like sadness. This episode of depression I haven't even felt consistent sadness.

I am fortunate in that I don't seriously consider suicide because logically I know that I can come out of depression again and things will get better, or even if that doesn't happen I can still keep trying to fix myself (this gives me a purpose even if it feels devoid of joy or meaning), plus I see death as nothingness, which also seems pointless anyway - death is a waste of time, doesn't achieve anything, and just makes other people unhappy and gives other people psychological scarring.

Well the thing is I don't come out of the depression.....its always there, some days are worse then others but I have yet to ever come out of it. and well I keep trying to believe things are getting better just in life but I don't feel that way. Also death itself I dont see as particularly negative or positive. But yeah though I have it under control and am not currently suicidal when I do become suicidal how others would react does nothing to cancel out the pain and sometimes I will feel like they are better off without me even if from a logical perspective I know death does not have to be the answer, but I can't seem to convince myself when it gets that bad.

Yes, that is different. I wonder whether I will end up that way eventually, as my mum seems to be in a state of stable depression. In my case it's a bit weird because I seem to have depressive cycles (but I've worked out nothing that could constitute mania), but the cycles aren't independent episodes or sadness induced depression; they seem to be regular and internal (a.k.a. biological) and completely unrelated to external influences.

I've had it all my life as well. I go through periods where its much worse than others and then I need medication.

It's a physical illness. People don't understand how hard it is to work and socialise like normal when you can't eat, your stomach's upset, you feel weak, you can't sleep, you just want to cry but you sometimes can't cry, when you cry you can't stop crying, you take pleasure in nothing, you have intrusive thoughts that are very violent and morbid...etc...etc...

Some people have no idea, but that's not their fault. I wouldn't know unless I had it.

It runs in my family, but my family are ashamed of it. I have to hide from them when I'm really sick, because it upsets them too much to see me like that . They tend to take it out on me, even though they should know that's the worst thing to do. If I hide too much, they get worried.

That said, I love my life. I love myself. Depression is just an illness I've inherited, it isn't me. I think it has made me quite tough in some ways, though. I wouldn't be the same person without it (though I would definitely choose to not have it if I could). It's not like AS, where I'd have to seriously think about whether I'd keep it or not - depression is an illness and it is painful. In some ways, it can be like AS, in that it can be hereditary and permanent.

I guess they like to prescribe SSRIs to people going through temporary crisies, so that is why 'depression' is so widely diagnosed. The temporary kind where you go through a bad time in your life should probably have a different label from the version that you have for life.

I've had bouts of depression starting when I was a kid. Back then, they never treated it. I guess I have a dark cloud hanging over me more often than not. It's been with me as long as I can remember. Not sure if will ever go away. Prescription meds have never helped me, unfortunately.

I agree on all counts here - I love life too, and I'd get rid of the depression if I could. I'd also prefer a different label because I feel they are so different. Depression always comes out of the blue for me, often at high points in my life (when I'm feeling really happy or everything's going well for me) and then screws up everything. It goes on for months and by the time I've recovered I've lost all the ground I've gained and have to start again. Depression because of sadness and depression because of genetic illness have different causes, and thus I think distinguishing the two is important. Someone who sinks into depression due to sadness may well only experience it once in their lifetime. If you have depression as a genetic illness you will have it time and time again. Although treatment is the same, causation is different, and if the two were separated then it would be easier for researchers to focus on means of prevention (cure) for genetic depression (I don't think sadness induced depression can be prevented, although once it occurs it can be "cured"/"treated"). I could be wrong I guess.

I have major depression too, and you're right it is always there, but it's manageable. I know exactly how you feel, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, take your anti depressants, if those don't help, try another..and another, if you're bed-ridden, try changing something up, it's all small steps. I do still feel sad sometimes, but I actually feel now.

I tried them and they made me more anxious, more depressed, unable to control emotions and seemed to cause exagerated emotions I was not used to and they made me pretty paranoid. So yeah I quit them and since then have not really been willing to try any more because I don't want to have another experiance like that. But I have found other ways to keep it under control...it still sucks but that's life I guess.

Yeah anti-depressants are pretty hit or miss.

There are different types of depression. What everyone experiences from time to time is situational depression.