Dealing with depression?

[Oulanbator]

Medication for such a diagnosis is not a cure. One of the problems with people taking medication for their diagnosed depression (aside from the shitty initial side effects) is that once you start feeling better/happier, you will most likely come to the conclusion that it's you getting over it and not actually the medication changing the chemical balances inside your skull. Thus, patients tend to halt their dosage, deciding they don't need it, and it all comes rushing back.

Definitely not an absolute truth. Every individual have different reactions. Something true for one person will not be true for others.

I'm not qualified to talk about your girlfriend, but we can clearly see origins of her depression. Some people aren't depressed because of some tragic life experience, they are just depressed because at some point their body started producing the wrong hormones ( or whatever).
Medication can help these people without taking them into the vicious circle you describe. I think it's different for every single individual.

I personally took medication at some point, I quit when the doctor advised me to quit, and I haven't needed any pills since then. I've been against pills for a while, thinking stuff like "I don't wanna feel well just because of pill and not because I'm really feeling well" ( and various shit like this)... but in the end I don't regret taking the medication.

Therapy is garbage, your going to end up more unhappy after throwing all of your money at a random doctor who just sits and listens, do this with a friend of family member you are truly comfortable with and save your cash.

No no, this is not a good advice imo.
Friends and family will judge him, no matter how nice they are and how much they love and care about him. It can change a relationship forever if he just puts all his thoughts on the table like this.
Also, friends and family do not know where to seek in his thoughts, they can't make the difference between what is relevant and what isn't, they can't figure what he may not know himself.

I mean, we all have thoughts other people aren't able to even imagine or figure... sharing these with some that may not understand and will judge him is definitely a bad idea.

A psychiatrist will help him to sort this out. He will find what is right, what is wrong, he will reassure him on what is "normal" "common" or not. He will probably help him to figure out what to share with his family and friends, and what to keep for himself, and in the end feel better with himself and with his surroundings.

[Yuri-G]

the "friends and family > therapist" fallacy is a horrible one. a good therapist is trained to listen impartially. your family and friends are not. I can tell my therapist things I know he will 100% disapprove of because I know he will give me advice, but ultimately, he will leave my life up to me. family and friends aren't often able to do that. and even if he does disapprove of what I'm doing so strongly that he says he can't see me anymore, I can just get a new therapist. I can't just get a new set of parents.

even if you think your family will be the most impartial listeners in the world, hell, even if that's true, the plain fact that they have emotional attachment to you ruins any prospect of them being able to treat you for real serious depress. minor life issues, sure. major life issues, maybe. but actual clinical depression? it's just not a good idea. even if your mom was a licensed therapist who had been practicing for decades, I wouldn't recommend it, and if she was worth her salt, she wouldn't either.

[Darunia]

A psychiatrist will help him to sort this out. He will find what is right, what is wrong, he will reassure him on what is "normal" "common" or not. He will probably help him to figure out what to share with his family and friends, and what to keep for himself, and in the end feel better with himself and with his surroundings.

I guess i may have been a little hasty in my generalisation of psychiatrists. For some people talking about your problems to someone who can't judge you may be the better option, for me however, I have an unexplainable loathing for most people i meet therefore i'd rather speak to people I've known for a long time and can trust with things. Some people may not have friends or family they can speak to about such matters in which case I would suggest go see a therapist, they're highly trained and can most of the time help. Therapy didn't work for me, so i'm speaking from my experience as what i'd call myself a recovered depressant. Talking to people close to you does help depending on the subject.
If you ever have doubts about the person you want to speak to, talking about this requires one hell of a strong friendship or family bond, dont talk to them, you need to be sure in yourself that this person will try his/her best to understand.

[CerberusResin]

First things first, I don't know what your relationship is with your parents, but I would personally advise you talk to someone else first. Like a counselor at college or something. Just, get a general idea from someone else before you talk to your parents. Whenever i tried talking to mine about depression, i got slammed with guilt trips, which only made me feel worse.

It also helps make you feel a little bit more comfortable talking openly about it, which is what your going to need to do. Obviously you don't start throwing it all out there, thats only going to keep you open for a let down, and some of it you might have to keep to yourself. Use your discretion. The more you talk about it, the easier it is to talk about. Don't get angry if someone doesn't see it from your point of view, that's not what your talking to people for, if they agree with everything you say, guess what? They're probably in the same boat as you. You want to aim for as many different opinions on the subject as possible. Then you can figure out whats causing most of the problem and where you were in the wrong and work from there, and if you really are suffering from depression, you've definitely lashed out on others about stupid things because "They don't understand what your going through". Which is true, they probably don't, but yelling at them wont get you anywhere or make you feel any better(Maybe temporarily if you really don't like the person).

On the same note though, don't try and talk to everyone you ever meet about it. You will come off as a desperate and broken person, and no one will want to deal with you. Learn to lighten up every now and then, and when to go and talk to someone about something serious.

You can honestly work through a lot of it without any medication at all, as long as you are not to far in or to unstable. The number one way to fix it is TIME(I know, it sucks so much, and you hear it all the time, but it honestly is the truth) and having a decent person supporting you(Weather its the counselor, a parent, a friend, someone your close to in some way). Change your habits a bit, maybe spend less time on a computer and more time trying to interact with others. Pick up exercising, it does wonders for your mentality, and keep working on school.

Its hard to say when it will start getting better, because depression isn't a linear mood or feeling, there's up and downs. You have to work around the downs when they come, and enjoy the ups while they last. You could start feeling better and then just have an off week were everything around you is fucking irrelevant and you don't want to deal with anyone or their bullshit. Just keep a stiff upper lip and work through it. Try your hardest not to let your grades drop, ever, because you will only fuck yourself over in the end if you do.

[Maguspk]

Nobody said depression isn't real, but in his case and based on the OP it sounded like he needed to talk to someone or have someone care more than he needed to be drugged up. Just like half of the posts are diagnosing him get some drugs, I diagnosed him to talk about it and force himself to enjoy his life.

The only really good advice is to simply see a therapist because nobody on this forum is qualified to answer you on how to fix your depression.

[Obev]

Economic stimulus packages, bail outs, and nationalisation.

Alternatively, keeping yourself active and talking/thinking your problems through do wonders for alleviating the symptoms and causes of depression.

[chillin]

youve never heard of zoloft man?

[amentis]

Zoloft made me 10,000 times worse than I ever was, I stay away from that devil drug.

[Askari0]

Since this thread has popped up and bloomed fairly well I thought I might ask. What are the common symptoms or depression? I tell myself that I am depressed, but part of me is trying to tell me otherwise. Basically I just want to make sure that I'm not just going through the typical high school angst, which I don't think it is. I personally think for me it's either depression or just shitty moods all the time.

What really makes me lean towards depression is not that I contemplate suicide, it's that I just think about it. I would never commit suicide as one funeral was more than enough to rule that out for me. Besides, I'm a pussy xD

Thanks for any response!

[chillin]

Zoloft made me 10,000 times worse than I ever was, I stay away from that devil drug.

ok, wellbutrin. you've never heard of wellbutrin man?

[Rhinox]

Got to love the internet tough guys that have no fucking clue about something yet they feel the need to comment GOGETLAID HURKHURK. Kindly get the fuck out. As it's been previously stated Depression is no joke. I've been dealing with it for the better part of 10 years. It's something I'm coming to realize I'll probably be fighting for the rest of my life. People have pretty much summed it up on what to do. Drugs never worked for me they were either too strong or not strong enough.

Spoiler: show

Piece of advice though is don't isolate yourself from your friends. at my worst I didn't leave my room but to use the restroom. Suicide seemed like the answer at the time and would often Pray to deaf ears. The only thing that kept me from ending it was I was too much of a chickenshit to actually go through with it(thankfully). I stopped answering my ex-gf/friends calls/emails and ultimately lost touch with them. fast foward 3 years later I tried Reconnecting with my friends but it was awkward and the friendship that was there was gone. It was like talking to strangers ( I'm sure they felt the same). Since my family isn't as close as most they were oblivious to what I was going through until I finally broke down in front of them and asked for help. But like I said It's something I still struggle with I have my good days and bad days. Just hang in there and believe that you eventually will overcome it.

[Oulanbator]

What are the common symptoms or depression? I tell myself that I am depressed, but part of me is trying to tell me otherwise.

Go see your doctor and talk with him. He will tell you.
There are tons of symptoms, thought one that is really common is probably the lack of motivation to do things, more or less something like "I don't give a fuck".
Add some constant mix of bad mood, lack of sleep, quick anger etc etc... Can be all these things, can be some of these, can be different things. We're all different and we all have our own ways to feel and express stuff.

You can google symptoms but the best is still to see your family doctor and to ask him. It's his job.

[Rhinox]

Since this thread has popped up and bloomed fairly well I thought I might ask. What are the common symptoms or depression? I tell myself that I am depressed, but part of me is trying to tell me otherwise. Basically I just want to make sure that I'm not just going through the typical high school angst, which I don't think it is. I personally think for me it's either depression or just shitty moods all the time.

What really makes me lean towards depression is not that I contemplate suicide, it's that I just think about it. I would never commit suicide as one funeral was more than enough to rule that out for me. Besides, I'm a pussy xD

Thanks for any response!

Aside from the Major depressive disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia symptoms. One key thing I've found out to be especially true is that you start withdrawing yourself from your friends and from activities you previously enjoyed.

[Vuitton]

ok, wellbutrin. you've never heard of wellbutrin man?

I love my wellbutrin. No shitty side effects, easy to start, and easy to stop.

I am no longer depressed AND this wonder pill dropped me 10lbs due to decreased hunger, increased my sex drive, and improved my ability to concentrate.

Wellbutrin is my fucking wonder pill.

[Rocl]

See a medically licensed professional first off. A regular physician can recommend you to a good psychiatrist, psychologist, etc. I see a psychologist four times a year now, far from weekly visits, but it took a while to get there. Really, they'll know what's up with you and if you need to be put under the microscope for drugs, or just an environmental change, be it people or places. Some people just live fucked-up lives that they can't fix, because nobody should ever have to deal with, others just have a little hiccup from actual biochemistry or stress.

Just seek help from a professional. Friends, family, forums, all ok places, but they can not help you. It is not their burden to bear, you and your doctor can focus it on you, where it should be. And if medication is right for you (I'm still taking 10mg a day four years later), don't ever stop or reduce dosage without recommendation from your doctor. It sounds like common sense, but as anyone who's been there can tell you, you feel so good like you're not depressed anymore, but you are, you're just over the hill and all that and stopping just drops you off the empire state building.

Bad analogy, but my point stands. You'll crash 1000x worse. I had more going, but it's best to just seek help, and go from there. Get in the hands of a professional and you're good as gold. Not over night, for sure, even if the first doctor isn't the right fit, they can toss you around a few times. I was lucky enough to find a doctor willing to take my case, and work it through with me at my own pace. Plus he's a pretty funny guy.

[Kuya]

Just in case, a psychiatrist is not the same thing as a therapist. A psychiatrist is kind of like a general doctor, and they are usually the ones who can and will decide if you need pills or not, while therapists tend to focus on helping you out of psychological anguish via a specific methodology. I would go with the therapist, since depressions are quite vast in their presence, and that only really increases the chances of misdiagnoses.

[amentis]

I love my wellbutrin. No shitty side effects, easy to start, and easy to stop.

I am no longer depressed AND this wonder pill dropped me 10lbs due to decreased hunger, increased my sex drive, and improved my ability to concentrate.

Wellbutrin is my fucking wonder pill.

Wellbutrin bothered me because it's more or less speed. All it did was make me stop eating, and make my insomnia worse.
But hey, if it worked for you, then more power to ya.

[Norelco]

Anyone seen Dabis?

[ertyu]

ITT: People who have never been depressed or know what it's like give advice to someone who does.

Ignore any and all statements by anyone that says "It's all in your head" "just get over it" "kill yourself" or any fucking retarded statement like that. These are the people that only know what exists in their world and don't realize anything outside of it. Go seek out help and tell the people who are close to you (that are in the position to help you) that you want them to help you get through this time in your life. If they are truly your friends, they will understand. Your parents, unless they are dicks, will always understand anything that is wrong with their son. The key to talking to parents about depression is you need to let them know that just because you're depressed doesn't mean you don't have a grasp on reality, and that you realize you have a problem, and that you want it to be solved.

[thetruepandagod]

after having been in a pyschward for close to 10 years i can safely say that 90% of the people that either talk about their problems or say that they are suicidal are the liars, the ones that refuse to talk are the ones that you need to worry about and watch.

And what you are going through is completely normal for most people, also stay away from zoloft if not all depression drugs entirely it will be best in the long run.