How to cope with depression.

Bi-polar is heriditary in my family. It goes way back, as far as my grandmother could go in terms of geneology everybody had bi-polar or some form of depression—it did seem to skip some generations and it seemed to come from my mothers side, my father who I never met was addicted to gambiling, too.

I suppose I've self diagnosed myself, I often feel worthless and there's no excitement in my life. Writing this brings a tear to my eye because I'm so unhappy all the time now. There's no stimulation in my life. I don't wish to meet new people and even though I was popular in school before I was expelled I'm dreading going to college and meeting new people.

I used to come on the forums and speak to like minded young adults but I lost interest quickly and soon fell back into stealing, drugs and violence amongst my peers. I don't share the same ideals as them and hold no prejudices against anybody. I love music from the '60s and wish I could've been alive then. I often contemplate suicide.

On a lot of forums you're told to "seek help" but I don't think I care enough about myself to seek help.

 

Try talking to somebody

 

Well for starters, how much do you exercise, how is your diet, and how is your sleep?

 

I sleep between 7-11 hours a night, I don't exercise often but I'm in good shape, whenever I feel like doing press ups I can do 40 before it starts to strain my arms, 61 before I have to give up. I can do 30 one armed press ups. I used to work in a warehouse when I was kicked out of school so the constant lifting really put me in good knick. My diet is atrocious.

 

If you sleep between 7-11 hours a night you're probably not bipolar or suffering from GAD. Unless you're on a heavy duty anti-psychotic like Seroquel. But you're right depression is often times inherited.

 

You don't say anything about any manic symptoms, so not sure if bipolar is the problem. It may be depression or something else.

Bipolar disorder (or depression) is usually easy for a psychiatrist, etc. to diagnose. There are effective treatment options, especially medications with varying side effects - but none with side effects as problematic as struggling on your own with the condition. I don't know what avenues to treatment are open in the UK. I'll guess that people get screwed around in trying to get treatment. But you know what? Tough shit. You just have to push on through.

Good luck to you.

 

Being diagnosed as bipolar is manic depression, not simple depression. Which gets into BP I, II and III. with bipolar III being a controversial diagnosis because it deals with depression only, which is not an indication a person is bipolar, only depressed.

 

Taking certain kinds of drugs including alcohol certainly don't help mate, not in the long term.

 

I meant either bipolar (or depression) - unclear writing.

In any case, lots of good medications out there and I hope you're able to get to some help. And not to ignore what Chris (who's in there, himself) and Shivaya brought up: exercise, diet, sleep, substance use. To those I'd add work, as in (especially when you're struggling), it's important to be doing it.

 

Hey Chris, Loving you, man. Hope it's going well.

 

This is just what I would advise to whom I care about and I care about you.

First find a doctor who you feel comfortable with. This may take some time and patience to find the right one.

Second, make sure and I mean MAKE SURE you have the most correct diagnosis. Research it make sure it fits your symptoms.

Third if drugs are prescribed research them too, check the side affects and interactions.

I went through all this and realized the drugs were doing me more harm than good and the doctors lied to me, I was never Bipolar I was something else.

 

I had a similar thing going on and I came across a movie that gave me a very different outlook on EVERYTHING, changed my life really. Check it out, "What the Bleep Do We Know" good luck.

 

I have my bouts of depression and one thing that helps me through my ups and downs is the Buddhist concept of impermenance. Nothing is permanent. When I'm depressed I remind myself that nothing is permenent and it changes my perspective and I pull out of it easier. When I am happy I remember that it is impermenent and I enjoy it more because I know it won't always be that way.

Be thankful that it isn't the 60's. We know more about this now. Then ECT and prefrontal lobotomys were still common treatments for "Mood Disorders". "Alternative" treatments like diet and exercise and suppliments like St. Johns Wort were unheard of. The disabled rights movement didn't really start until '71. We've come a long way but we have a long way to go.

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

Man, give your self a week and cut out caffeine, booze and drugs. Take a walk everyday. Check in on yourself. How's your mood?

Talk to someone you trust.

I'm going through a "life challenge" right now. I found a therapist who I can talk to. It's helping

 

hey, thanks man, things are going well, slow but heading in the right direction.

 

I guess the worst thing about depression is: It can go from a state of mind to a way of life if it's not treated.

 

First of all I would tell you "mens sana in corpore sano" (a sound mind in a sound body), try to sleep the right number of hours (over 8 per night and in the right moment), have a good diet, don't take drugs and also practice sport.

Then this quote may help you: "Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes" (William Gibson).

For sure then remember also that the life is not a constant euphoria and growing up feeling, so try learn how to accept the current moment, the present, without expectations and without evaluations and estimations. If you are in this forum probably meditation is your answer, but if you don't feel good with yourself and your suicide ideas continue, go to a doctor.

 

im gonna weigh in also, i have actually found that depression has been with me for more than 30 years, in my earliest onset that i now recognize as such, it was depression caused by the loss of a female companion, i guess i never got over her. i climed into a bottle of alcohol, and a large amount of sodium seconals. thats a sure recipe for disaster, to top all this off i had been living with tragedys associated with the military. denial exisisted im me, but i didnt recognize at that time nor the problems associated with it. i sometime later was in a really foul mood, that accompanies depression, along with (social withdrawl, not answering the phone, or the door bell, i was tired ALL the time, and i hated people in general for no reason).
I walked in the V.A. hospital one day and decided to bear my soul, i continue to see that therapist, and over time and effort i have made great progress in making peace with my issues.....my suggestion, once you decide to take the step and see someone, do not hold back, let it all go, even the shit you tell yourself your not going to discuss, at some point let it out. if they put you on a mild seditive like mertazipine and possibly xanax, take them like the bottle says, if you use the xanax to blurr out the past your going nowhere....i'll be glad to talk to ya bout what i have experienced from some therapy, just ask n i'll reply. its a true bitch, but you can win

 

If I could go back in time and age and relive my life page by page
I'd not alter a deed nor change the scripts
of any words that have passed my lips.
I'd have the same problems I had while in school
I'd make the same statements that made me the fool.
I'd lie to my mother, I'd steal from a friend
I'd have nasty thoughts though I know they're a sin.
I'd smoke that first joint, I'd pop that first pill
I'd do all those drugs that made me so ill.
But why not go back and do everything right?
Instead of getting my as kicked avoid the fight.
Why not start over being honest and good?
Because I've learned in the long run that I should and I could.
What has taken my past and made it all right?
What has taken the darkness and filled it with light?
I've learned those were lessons all part of a plan
and to change them would change me and who I now am.
Though the lessons were painful and so full of strife
they gave me the guidlines for living my life.
And I've learned there's a God that I can call friend
who doesn't keep track of the times that I've sinned
A God who will judge me at the end of life's game
on not who i've been, but on who I became.

I'm a 70 year old hippie and I'm still evolving
And I can't count the number of times that I
thought my life was falling apart
but in retrospect it was comming together.​

 

How to cope with depression?

Smile.