depression

TanyaCurtis

I don't believe in medication either! Works in the beginning, yeah maybe, but that's not the solution! Plus causes way more serious problems for u eventually! Definitely not worth it! Good for u (:

maricash

because many of you are seriously misinformed and callous

Nothing I said to you was callous or misinformed. My feeling from what I've read here is you think that anyone who disagrees with you or offers another opinion is misinformed. Refusing to accept that ideas other than your own may be helpful isn't going to help you get better any faster. If you are as depressed as you describe in your original post, then you ought to be considering any option that might help and not writing them off before you even explore them.

There have indeed been some callous and misinformed responses to your original post (I responded to one of them), but you have responded rudely to several people, myself included, who offered your sincere, informed responses, often arising out of their own experiences with depression. Having information different than what you believe isn't the same as having the wrong information. And refusing to "believe" in a fact doesn't make it any less a fact.

sandylion

Anti-depressants don't typically work when used as a sole treatment because they're not treating the cause. The most effective treatment for depression is a conjunctive therapy of exercise, psychotherapy, and pharmacotherapy combined. Aka, go for a walk ever day, talk to a councillor, and go see your doctor and try a med or two. Some work for some people and not for others.

I have generalized anxiety disorder with depression, so I can relate to feeling anxious, nervous, or mistrustful of doctors, but the thing is that is a symptom of the problem! Pills won't solve your problem, they are simply something you can use to help YOU solve your problem.

As for not wanting to talk to someone, well, I can't imagine there isn't a single councillor in your radius that does not have what it takes to help you. I went through 4 of them before I found one I could actually talk to and had the right balance of "Mmm, hmm, yes, tell me more" and "Are you kidding? get off your *kitten* and do something".

Don't let your illness control your life.

lieselq

Hi. I don't use western medications for depression altho i certainly did at one point. i had to find a good alternative doc (chiro/acupuncture) to help me to get off of them. i see a really good therapist as well. (there are plenty of bad ones out there - i think i've found quite a few of those...i'm fortunate to have found a good one.)

i have been feeling very lonely as well and this morning had to sort of kick myself in the butt. i said, you know, if you're sitting here lonely, what can you do about it? seriously...what am i, at this exact moment, able to realistically do to change the sad feeling inside of myself? (i did come up with some things...one of them I am doing right now.)

i can tell myself that i am alone and lonely because everyone else is a (insert whatever word here) - or i can take the very hard look at myself and ask, how is it that i've pushed others away? or isolated myself? (trust me, i'd far rather do the blame thing and point my finger at others.) anyway, i came up with that i am too critical of others as well as that i am inwardly competitive with others - i guess they figured it out too and got tired of being around someone like that - hence, loneliness.

i've been working my butt off at the gym and wishing i had an exercise buddy...someone to say 'attagirl' - a friend - so we can encourage each other. and yet, i chose to take the day off from the gym...so, i have to ask myself, how will i get the exercise buddy if i don't (as they say) suit up and show up? hum...

anyway, just wanted to respond and say that the sad, lonely, isolation thing is really really hard - there's no miracle fix - i feel your pain.

take care,
lq

foxyforce

because many of you are seriously misinformed and callous

Nothing I said to you was callous or misinformed. My feeling from what I've read here is you think that anyone who disagrees with you or offers another opinion is misinformed. Refusing to accept that ideas other than your own may be helpful isn't going to help you get better any faster. If you are as depressed as you describe in your original post, then you ought to be considering any option that might help and not writing them off before you even explore them.

There have indeed been some callous and misinformed responses to your original post (I responded to one of them), but you have responded rudely to several people, myself included, who offered your sincere, informed responses, often arising out of their own experiences with depression. Having information different than what you believe isn't the same as having the wrong information. And refusing to "believe" in a fact doesn't make it any less a fact.

and i reiterate, mininformed and callous. i am asking for alternatives to medication and "professional" help. if you haven't noticed the many responses saying, "i am going to ignore the rest of the posts", they aren't saying this to be *kitten*, they are saying this in response to the misinformation being a total waste of time.

many of the arguments that are pro med and proefssional help are really really sparse in information. i know my ****, and i know i don't need meds, and i know that my brain is fine. telling someone their brain is having some issues or whatever is really reductionist. what i am having a problem with is self-serving people and feeling isolated from a really ****ty world. i don't think i am being rude in being honest, it was my original admission.

eliwolford08

I been there... REALLY at the bottom of the barrel. Chronic Deep depression after a attempt suicide and medication, therapy .. you name it.

Just like you I didnt want to do meds but then I realize I couldnt do it on my own. In the past I seemed to get depressed here and there but never amounted to anything and always bounced back. I had terrible things happen to me thru out my life to be depressed about and one day I just couldn't go on, my whole life found me and pile up in top and couldnt let go of it... so I decided I needed medication. I only took it for about 6 months and then I decided it was enough it gave me enough push to keep going on my own it wasnt that I wasnt depressed anymore it was the same but found myself wanting to CHANGE! finally I started taking care of myself.. physicaly at least and that helped tremendously. I had my days where I didnt want to do it... like... I had no purpose in life and till this day I only have a small glimpse of what I want for my future its not much but its something.

Im always up for meeting people but people just dont care enough for me, Im at a point of my life where fake people, backstabing friends just dont mix well with me. Have a couple friends but not close friends or BFF's (I wish I had one but the last one I had had the hot's for my husband) so she had to go!

The thing I got from therapy its,
taking care of youreself its a good step in the right direction.
Writing about it,
talking to others about it,
YOU ARE doing the right thing.

Just know that if you ever feel like you can't go on.. then you DO NEED SOME sort of HELP! and if you know so many people in the field it should be easier to find someone to talk about it not harder. Even it their morons they can still lend a hand and hear your problems just like friends do. Just like we are doing by reading your post! NEVER GIVE UP!

:flowerforyou:

holly1283

I also suffer from depression. I have for many years. Not all health care doctors, therapists are goof balls. Let me ask you this: If it were your liver instead of you brain would you not get treated for that? How about tonsilitis? Just because it is your head(brain) does not mean it can't be treated. Obviously you have not reached your enough to get professional help. Believe me I didn't believe in it either. However, had I not gotten help I would have committed suicide. If your relationship with your SO is not important enough to want to be your best for him, you have chosen to suffer. Keep in mind I am sympathetic but you need to get help somewhere.

beckylawrence70

You probably need to research the different anti depressant meds that are out there and that DO work, sometimes we can't fix this on our own, it's in our brain, not your fault........

kittyhasclaws

I'm type II bipolar. My brother was type I. He's now dead because of it. I'm not. I believe in medication. You have to find the right one for it to work. I've had ones that turned me into a zombie. I've had ones that made me unbelievably angry. I've had ones that have had no effect at all. After seven years, I've finally found something that has started to help.

So, yeah. Don't believe in meds if you don't want to, but I hope it doesn't kill you to go without them. Obviously, this is a very touchy subject for me. Buck up, put your big girl panties on and get help. Whining does you no good. This may seem harsh, but guess what? I no longer have a brother. My sister-in-law no longer has a husband. My niece no longer has a dad. THAT is more screwed up than people taking some pills to feel normal when they have a chemical imbalance or if they're going through a crappy time in life.

ChubbyStudent25

Sounds like me. I did take medication for a short time but have been off it for almost a year. I have suffered with depression since I was in middle school and sometimes things can get really bad. I have been hospitalized and been in therapy before.

What helps me. Meditate, exercise, reading books, listening to music, and most of all trying to see the positive of everything. Instead of being angry and depressed about losing my job and independence and moving back home I choose to be grateful to have a loving family who gave me a place to stay when I lost mine. That's just one example. Always look at the glass half full it can change your world really.

sueadams80

I totally understand how you feel. I went through a bad depression about a year ago and it had been building for a while, but I finally decided I had to do something. I went to go see a doctor and I was so embarassed about getting on medicine, but it made a world of difference. I feel so much better now.

About the friends, I feel the same way you do. I will put a lot into a friendship and find out they betrayed me somehow, but then I look around and I see everyone acting like that. I don't understand many people these days. I have found to keep my friendships light and have fun doing stuff, but I only share really personal things with maybe 1 or 2 people other than my husband.

I know some people say religiion or going to church helps, but I don't like church because I feel that people are fake even there. I know I probably let a few rotten apples ruin that for me, but I just don't feel comfortable. So I do my own "church" at home I guess you could say. I read and talk about the Bible and Jesus with my kids, but most of all I try to spend all my time I can with my family.

I hope things get better for you soon.

hevhoyda

Being a pharmacist I truly recommend seeing your doctor... You may not believe in medication but truth is it does help look into studies performed on antidepressants and if you remain opposed there are other non drug alternatives like talking to a therapist or electrotherapy etc

wgn4166

Is there a minister that you trust enough to talk with? Thats what helped me.

Crochetluvr

why do so many people get off saying that people with depression "FEEL SORRY FOR THEMSELVES", i don't feel sorry for myself. that is a hoot and a half.

This I TOTALLY agree with. I have been battling depression for a long time and even when I had my breakdown I wasnt "feeling sorry" for myself. I simply could not deal with my ex's attitude toward what would very quickly become the end of our marriage. I withdrew from everyone and everything. I simply couldnt deal and I couldnt see a way out. It wasnt until after I entered therapy and decided I needed to end the charade that things got better. I still get depressed but its a medical condition...not feeling sorry for myself. My life is actually pretty good.

foxyforce

Is there a minister that you trust enough to talk with? Thats what helped me.

i find religion ridiculously oppressive, or i totally would. i actually was with my dad when he was speaking with his pastor when he was seperating from my mom, and the feedback was beyond what i thought. not at all like in the movies. he had no idea what to say, lacked compassion, etc. i know this isn't always the case, but i don't believe in god anyway. but i do think this might work for many people.

maricash

and i reiterate, mininformed and callous. i am asking for alternatives to medication and "professional" help.

So anyone who has found medication and professional help to work for them is misinformed and callous? In my opinion, saying "I don't believe in medication" is rather misinformed.

if you haven't noticed the many responses saying, "i am going to ignore the rest of the posts", they aren't saying this to be *kitten*, they are saying this in response to the misinformation being a total waste of time.

I think they are saying this in response to the handful of people who essentially told you to "snap out of it", not in response to people offering you actual advice.

many of the arguments that are pro med and proefssional help are really really sparse in information. i know my ****, and i know i don't need meds, and i know that my brain is fine. telling someone their brain is having some issues or whatever is really reductionist. what i am having a problem with is self-serving people and feeling isolated from a really ****ty world. i don't think i am being rude in being honest, it was my original admission.

You said in your original post that you "suffer from some pretty serious depression." Depression is a mental illness that affects your brain. If you have depression than your brain isn't working properly. And I say that as someone who has suffered through severe depression. Again, if you aren't open to information that contradicts what your already believe, then you aren't going to progress very far in dealing with depression or with life in general.

Good luck to you.

ishtar13

I suffer from some pretty severe depression. I do not take medication, simply because I don't believe in it.

I have bipolar 2, which means for me depressions are deeper and longer lasting than my manic phases.

I have been where you are at.

I tried talk therapy only, meditation, exercise, eating healthier and "toughing it out".

What worked was medication.

I hated the idea of taking it. I hated the side effects (until I found the right combo for me).

I thought I was smarter than than to let myself get so down.

I wasn't.

I've gone off the meds enough times and for long enough to know that my life goes to **** almost immediately.

Meds don't make everything better, but they make it easier to implement the other stuff and get better.

mystiedragonfly

.... what i am having a problem with is self-serving people and feeling isolated from a really ****ty world. i don't think i am being rude in being honest, it was my original admission.

What you are saying is that you want people to stop being so selfish and self serving and pay attention to you? No one is showing you the respect and admiration you KNOW you deserve, so you will throw a tantrum. Insulting, mocking, and biting the hand of anyone who offers any sort of help, affection, insight, or advice. Simply because it is not up to your standards?

Maybe that's why medicine doesn't work for you? You are expecting it to do all the work? That's like taking a shower without water and wondering why the soap won't lather.

I, too, struggle with friends and acquaintances. It is also hard for me to keep a "normal" job. Constantly wondering why people say or do the cruel things they do. Why did that guy stand me up for a first date? Why did that friend forget we had plans to have dinner together? One of my favorite movies is Fight Club. Lately, this movie's message has been repeating over and over in my head. The main thing I get from this movie is that nobody owes anyone anything. If someone wants something or to do something, they have to go get it themselves. NOBODY will hand it to you. At some point, human beings have to realize they are so much more than their job, clothes, cars, or things they own. All of these things are outside of who you are. That includes other people. It's what got me up and moving and finding ways to help myself.

Yes, many people of the world really ARE s___ty. I find myself enjoying being alone often when I see just how terrible people can be to each other. I spend a day here or there with a friend or two, but I am mostly a loner. Which is okay. I get to see what movies I like and eat where I want. Many jobs really can be lousy. I've went out on my own. I am poor as dirt and rarely can do extra fun things, but I no longer want to jab my eye out when working.

I suppose what I am saying is that when it comes down to it, the only person able to get you out of your situation is you. No matter how much advice or attention or coddling people hand to you, the person making the final decision on how to help you... is you.

mystiedragonfly

Is there a minister that you trust enough to talk with? Thats what helped me.

i find religion ridiculously oppressive, or i totally would. i actually was with my dad when he was speaking with his pastor when he was seperating from my mom, and the feedback was beyond what i thought. not at all like in the movies. he had no idea what to say, lacked compassion, etc. i know this isn't always the case, but i don't believe in god anyway. but i do think this might work for many people.

Maybe look into a Pagan Priestess or a Metaphysical/Holistic practitioner. Perhaps even some Reiki. Hell, even an exceptional massage therapist would help some.

lovecrescendo

I became very depressed earlier this year... and I never believed in medication. I just wanted to deal with it myself. I always thought that if I just could get through this bump in the road things would get better, or that I was completely in control of my happiness -- which I do believe is true, for people without a mental illness. But it never got better. I was never happy, no matter how hard I would try. It got worse and worse and I actually had to take the last month of my junior year off to figure out what the hell was going on with me. I broke.

Finally I went to see a psychiatrist. I told her that i WANTED to graduate high school, I WANTED to be happy, but I just had no motivation. I was just sad all the time. I was suicidal. And I could never quite lift myself up. She put me on medication. I have always been against medication, just like you, as I believe the body is equipped with a natural ability to heal itself. And for the longest time I thought my depression was just a phase, that I wasn't trying hard enough...

But I went on the medication and I am doing SO MUCH better now, a month or so later. It's not like it makes me happy all the time, but.... things don't bother me like they used to. I handle situations better. I know this because whenever I go off my meds for just two days or something every little thing bothers me (and I also go back to eating everything in sight).

Perhaps seeking some medical attention could help you too? I know you don't want to, but if it can help you get past this, then why not?