Your strategies for depression

[Joel]

OK, so here is a valid question then to Chris and Matt: how do you know if it is situational or clinical? And how do you know how bad your depression is? Maybe I'm just a little whiner who can't suck it up an take it!
Joel

[Tmasgio]

Well,
You can always setup an appointment with a psychiatrist to be evaluated.

Tony

[ScrapHeap]

Sept 24, 2008 11:48:55 GMT -6 Joel said:

Maybe I'm just a little whiner who can't suck it up an take it!
Joel

Well, I'm no doctor by any stretch of the imagination. But I can say this w/pretty fair clarity. That is mostly "the man thing" flapping its trap atcha. Take it from someone who "sucked it up" most of my life. I played a lot of sports. A LOT! And that is all we ever heard and did. It was brained into us to do so and we willingly did so, every day. It was easy to accept because we were athletes and that is what athletes are expected to do. It especially goes deep w/the male drive, ego, etc. - the testosterone levels are high. If you are still breathing and not bleeding to death and can't continue then you're a whiner. Yeah, right. Whatever. If it hurts enough to make you stop what you're doing (interrupts your life) then it's silly not to address it properly. Ignoring it usually doesn't turn out so well in the long run.

Sucking it up is admirable on the surface. But it solves nothing for depression or long-term illnesses/injury of any sort, be it mental or physical. Only a highly qualified doctor can treat those w/any sort of success levels. And those are usually long-term commitments on behalf of the doctor and the patient.

If you constantly or consistently find depression pushing up on you, make an appointment. No one in their right mind who cares about you would object or think less of you. The main obstacle I've encountered w/friends and loved ones who suffer from depression is they not thinking less of themselves for seeking a proper evaluation. Even more so for any sort of treatment. I look at it much like any other illness. Go to a qualified doc seeking a proper diagnosis, and hopefully a cure. If no cure is to be had, containment (management) is a common sense option.

Please keep tabs on yourself. We're here if you need any moral support.

-Mike

[chickiet]

If this has been lingering and you're really not sure, I'd say you should get evaluated. It's no different than if you started getting new / worsened symptoms - you'd get another MRI and be evaluated to see what's going on in your spinal cord.

It is sad that society looks at mental illnesses differently than other physical illnesses. Unfortunately, they can be more debilitating than many other types of illnesses, and there is a variety of treatment options.

It is really in your best interest to get it checked out, and then to go with the flow. Don't worry about being a "whiner" - please focus on tackling the issue head-on. We all love you and hope you can find some answers / relief.

Chris

[msweeney]

Joel:

I would echo what others have said about evaluation. You don't have to guess about it if you go in and talk to an expert. Shy of that maybe try reading about it on the web. Depression effects so many and I would guess there are a lot of resources out there that by doing some research you may be able to find some direction if you are not yet comfortable going in and getting an evaluation.

I referred to my depression as situational. I became depressed after surgery due to the grief from the loss and limitations my deficits had created in my life. I had experienced this type of grief/depression when I was younger and had lost my fiancé to meningitis. It took me a full year to go through the grieving process and depression was a big part of that. But it was a process and I recognized some of the signposts. This sort of grief/depression is situational and in both cases I recovered. Outside of these two times in my life I can’t say that depression has ever been an issue.

So perhaps look back and try to objectively and honestly view your life before diagnosis and surgery to see if you have struggled with depression before. Also look at your family history as often times there can be a genetic link.

I am no expert so I am throwing out the question to others about seeing a psychiatrist or psychologist. I think the former is necessary because their MD's mean they can prescribe medicine. So that may be something you want to figure out as well.

These things I know from my friend who, as I mentioned in my previous post, suffers from clinical depression. Studies have proven that exercise can be very effective in lessening clinical depression. Medicine’s efficacy, too, has been verified in studies and better yet studies show that medicine and talk therapy in combination increases efficacy.

I hope this is helpful, but more than anything I would hope you would invest the time and energy to have this issue evaluated by a professional. You owe it to yourself and we need you here in your tip-top best and hate to think that you may suffer this unnecessarily when there may be help readily available.

Finally, I would be happy to put you in contact with my friend as I know she would be happy to talk to you about her experience and the success she has had with treatment. Again, Joel, thanks for your honesty and courage in your sharing with all of us.

Matt

[stevieray]

There is a good test for depression, the Beck Depression Inventory, I don't have the criteria to grade the results, but its a good self test. I found a link:

www.ibogaine.desk.nl/graphics/3639b1c_23.pdf

If I find more about the results I'll post them.

Steve

[stevieray]

This webpage discusses the test and results.

www.minddisorders.com/A-Br/Beck-Depression-Inventory.html

[peilynne]

I took the test, scored 29. so apparently I have moderate depression. I guess I'll probably speak with a professional. My sister works in the mental health field, I'll speak with her. Has anyone else taken this test? I was surprised by the results as I just thought I was a little "blue" sometimes.

[cindylee]

Last year my doctor had me take a similiar test. Then I went on Lexapro for awhile. Cindy

[Joel]

Cindy:
Did you find that taking Lexapro helped? Did you experience problems getting off of it, like some of the others have mentioned?
Joel