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Welcome to our new depression blog
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Welcome to our depression blog. I am excited about this opportunity to provide information and stimulate discussion on depression.
I think it is important to know that depression is treatable. There is hope and medicine is making tremendous strides in understanding depression and how to best treat it. Depression can erode one's sense of self, self-esteem and self-confidence.
People describe not having the same zest for living that they normally do. Characteristic signs and symptoms that can accompany depression include depressed mood, decreased interest in pleasurable activities, sleep, energy, and appetite disturbance, feelings of guilt, hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness.
Thoughts of suicide also may accompany depression. Talking about suicide does not mean that one will act on the thoughts. It is imperative to ask for help so that treatment can begin as soon as possible. Use resources such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Be active in your treatment and make sure you're well-informed about your illness. Learning what steps you can take to manage your depression is empowering!
My hope is that the stories you share will help both yourself and others. Depression can feel like an ongoing battle at times. Instead, let's reframe depression as a chronic illness like diabetes or chronic pain. We don't have a cure, but there are tools that help you to manage depression effectively. You don't have to do it alone. Thanks, and I look forward to your comments.
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I agree with others that self acceptance is so important. I could not keep my house clean. Now I have one hour of home care and it makes a big difference in my wellbeing. My employer knows about my illness. I am not ashamed to reveal to others that I have Bi polar. having said that i mhave had to be carefull as to who and how I self disclose. Personal relationships are more diffcult but even then eventually it makes sense to self disclose. Surprisingly, sometimes it is other mental health professionals who can be the most judgemental.
Having a good support team is so important too. Support groups can be very helpfull. Dealing with other issues ( sleep apnea, chronic pain ) that contribute to depression is also really important. I have always believed in myself despite the challenges and that has helped me to create a great career.
Relationships are more difficult as loved ones have to cope with the behaviours of a depressed individual. I have an affirmation that has helped me for many years. It is Challenge, Commitment, Control. A psychologist I worked with gave me that. When I feel low it helps to motivate me to pay less attention to my negative thinking. Having goals and working through procrastination around the goals has helped a lot too. All the best to you and yours. Keep trying even if you fauil a few times you will eventually succeed. I recommend the book "The Enlightened Gardener' re understanding how our thoughts create our reality.---Rico from Canada
I remarked to my wife the other day that our bodies do not belong to us. They are leased from God and one day we give them back to Him. Take that for what it may be worth. God does not make junk and one day we will get a glorious spiritual body. Please do not insult God by rejecting your (His) body by harming it. If you suffer depression endure this illness, if required, to His glory and let others rejoice in your endurance and suffering.
With the Olympics on right now I am reminded of Eric Liddell, the 1924 Olympics gold medal champion in the 400M run. His "Olympic experience" was reenacted in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. This film won the Academy Award for best picture. In the movie Eric Liddell honoured the Lord by refusing to run in his best event, the 100M, on a Sunday, the (his) Sabbath. He retired from athletics immediately after these (1924) Olympics. He was still a very young man. Him and his new wife went very soon thereafter to a missionary career in China. He died on the mission field about 20 years later. I said all that to say this; Eric Liddell had a very neat saying, repeated often in the movie, “God made me for a reason, ....... but he made me fast”.
Use this idea and turn it around. Keep in mind that Eric Liddell achieved hero status as both a sports hero and a hero of faith on the mission field in China. You can be a hero too, right where you are. Think of yourself, if you suffer from depression, as SLOW. Say, “God made me for a reason but
i google'd depression blog and found this site. not going to call anyoe. i waited almost 4 weeks to see someone after begging my doc for a referral ... that person told me when i arrived she only works w/ adolescents ... wtf?!?! she referred me to a different person ... my appt. is sept.12 ... why do i have to wait so long? ... i need help and want to get better ... my husband says i can't go to the hospital because he's too busy ... we have a 6 y.o. and a 4 y.o. .... just writing here because i want help and figured i have to try harder since no one is available around here ... we live in a very rural area of the US ...
still struggling to live on a daily basis. vns is not working, medication is not working. anyone know where there are trials for deep brain stimulation? any on the west coast of us or canada?
Hi all, just wanted to share that I bought a new (new to me) home last fall with nothing but a pile of dirt around it. I have spent this summer gardening (planting shrubs, grass seed, flowers; putting in pavers; hauling rock; etc). I cannot believe how much I love this. Everytime I go outside to do this work, my mood just lifts within about 10 minutes or so. I have found a great summer hobby. Anybody have any suggestions for the winter months?
I have been so down struggling with depression for so long now. Often I feel that is all I know no hope for me just despare can't look into the future.
Dear Bloggers,
As we have written before, all of the comments are read by our staff. We do remove comments that we judge to be harmful, distasteful, self-promoting, etc.
Please respect our judgment. Also please remember to respect others when you write.
We again want this to stimulate helpful exchanges between people. We do not expect all comments to be postiive, but we would ask that they be appropriately constructive.
Thank you very much!
Good afternoon. Thank you for all of your stories! We read all of the comments you send to us. Just a friendly reminder that our hope is to provide you with accurate, helpful information for managing depression. We want to stimulate constructive dialogue between visiting bloggers. We apologize, but are not able to reply to all of the entires received.
We sincerely appreciate your interest in Mayo Clinic.com.
I check this blog fairly often as well, and have also been disappointed to see the number of participants drop so dramatically. It can be encouraging to share struggles and stories so we know we're not alone, but it can be kind of hard to read too. Sometimes there just isn't anything else left to say. When we know what it is we're dealing with, we have to do just that. I like having a place to talk about it without being in a circle and watched through a two way mirror though. :-)
Welcome aboard, Katie, the number of posts on this blog sure has dropped off. Perhaps the quantity is not as important as the quality. I like the last line of your post, "God loves me and I know that life will be better in eternity. That is very wise and, oh, so true. Here is an update on my situation is. I got an ECT treatment yesterday, which I really wanted to prevent my mood from slipping again. I went to the emergency and told them it was unacceptable to have to wait for 4 - 6 weeks just to see a new Psychiatrist in order to get maintenance (repeat) ECT. They agreed to speed the process but it required that I stay a few days on the Psych ward. It is a bit of an adventure, and interesting to say the least, but mostly boring. I told my wife it is “Loony Camp …. kind of like Bible Camp but with less Bible”. Best wishes and prayers, Katie, get well soon. Btw, ECT is supposed to be good for bi-polar illness.
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