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I thought we could start a what is working what is definitely not working thread

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Depression
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Posted 9/6/2006 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
For me MEDS definitely do NOT work, so I was wondering if anyone had any success or horrible failure stories....it's all learning from here.

 

Posted 9/7/2006 1:03 AM (GMT 0)
Zoloft has worked for me but only to an extent.  What has helped me the most is to get out there, do volunteer work, exercise, eat healthy, rest.  I find I am not so all alone but it is tough to try to stay motivated.  I have vegetative depression which means all I want to do is sleep and eat...escape through tv, books, videos, etc. I also have a lot of other health problems too. The boards have also helped me. 

Posted 9/7/2006 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

what works? hmmm, I take the medicine and I think it helps me to stay calm and not say crazy stuff that I will regret later.

I always think it would be great to do volunteer work but usually I go and then feel like an oddball -- I tend to be very quiet and that just freaks people out. Plus, I am gay and in my red state that is not a great thing.

I have tried church -- but I just can't deal with it. If you don't go every Sunday, they forget who you are. I just read a magazine from one of my favorite faiths, that's all I can handle.

My favorite thing is to just peace out in nature. When I walk in the woods, especially if it is a new trail and a lot of birds are singing in the trees, I feel happy to be alive.

I hope that helps, wildbeagle. And I welcome anybody else's comments on my issues.

-- MK

Posted 9/7/2006 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
For me, helping somebody else helps me - I can see how volunteer work would be so helpful - but I am too shy and am intimidated by new situations. I try very hard but end up feeling like I am sticking out like a sore thumb. My work helps me a lot - feeling useful empowers me. I have no kids but feel like that would have helped me get a sense of belonging. I come from a close family - unfortunately i am far away from  them and now feel a sense of rootlessness where I am at. I think having a loving and caring family close by is so important for me - I feel like I have no one to care for - unfortunately I have to compormise because the sense of independence (financial  and emotional) I have here is even more important to me.

Spirituality is of importance - I am not really religious but feel my sense of spirituality often rescues me from my worst periods of depression. Exercising defnitely helps - putting my house and office in order helps me a lot - feels like I am getting control of some element of clutter in my life. Learning a new language - discovering something different whether it is a well written piece of prose - an interesting health article - a new insight in something related to my job makes me feel alive. Travelling to new places - the ability to do new activities that i have never done before ( I was a sickly child and teen and am only now discovering the sheer pleasure of being relatively physically healthy - unfortunately my mental state is another issue !)

What does not work is people being patronizing and encouraging my sense of worthlessness however well-intentioned. I cannot stand it when people make me out to be a victim (I guess that helps in a paradoxical way because I feel like I need to prove them wrong)

Posted 9/7/2006 6:31 AM (GMT 0)
Hello wildbeagle, nice to meet you! I take alot of meds for my heart, thyroidism, depression(zoloft), anxiety(klonopon). I am all for taking medicine that helps you as long as people don't abuse them. I take mine just as prescribed for me. These medicines have kept me alive and also happier in every day life. I'm sorry to hear that meds do not work for you. Maybe you have'nt found the right ones yet. Or its great you can function without them. But some can't like me! Anyway, its just my opinion, I don't expect everyone to agree with me. Good Luck to You!
Posted 9/7/2006 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
Meds did work for me. I have always seen meds as a short term solution. That is for me and I am not making a judgement about anyone who is taking them long term. We all know that depression takes on many forms and that is just the form it takes for me.

The thing that really works for me is action on my part. I try to be brutally honest with myself about what is going on around me, accept responsibility for what is mine to accept and realize where I am trying to take responsibility that is not mine. If it isn't mine I let it go. I take control of my life and try to be responsible for me without taking on other's lives too. That does not mean that I don't help other people and have community service that I am involved in. It does mean that I realize that I can only do what I can do and I don't blame myself if I can't do more. That works for me.
Posted 9/7/2006 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
This is a really good question. Meds (Zoloft) have worked for me, but depending on the time of the year and my current stress level, I have to alter the dosage occasionally. My doctor just told me the other day that even as early as September, people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder start to feel the difference. It's like the summer got us used to a lot of sunlight, and as soon as it dwindles a little, we start to feel it.

I see medication as being a tool to help deal with issues. Medication doesn't make the problems go away, but it does help you have the strength to deal with them and hopefully get life in order.

I have an uncle who suffers from depression and anxiety. I have never known him without meds or 'normal.' He can be rude and neurotic, and as a child I didn't understand why he acted that way. Now as an adult, especially one with similar issues, I can sympathize, but I still don't want to be seen that way by others. I'm inspired to be the best person that I can be in spite of and because of my depression diagnosis.

Exercise, taking pride in being healthy in other ways, eating well, and keeping up close relationships with friends and family have helped. Trying to keep continuity in the areas of my life that I can is also a big one. I try not to do too much at once, because once I get overwhelmed it's all over from there, and I find it hard to know where to start.

What has not worked is people who are patronizing or use depression as an excuse for other problems in life. I'm allowed to have a bad day whether or not I'm on meds, and I hate it when people ask, "Have you been taking your medication?" Trying to keep it all inside hasn't worked either, and luckily a good friend is also on Zoloft and we compare and contrast our mental states and problems.
Posted 9/9/2006 11:13 AM (GMT 0)

I think anyone who has been effected with depression has encountered a medication, therapist, or doctor that has "worked for them" to our satisfaction or expectations.  It would be great if there were testing that could be done before hand to show what medications would work best for us so we wouldn’t have to go through all the starting and stopping of meds when they don’t work or we react badly.  Lord knows I have had my fair share of this and it is hard to go through.

I worked in the mental health field for lots of years with depression and anxiety/panic disorder and fought everyday not to become "one of my clients".  Was actually terrified that I would wake up go to work and be compared to them, even though the people I worked with had Schizophrenia, Bipolar and similar disorders.  Its funny how none of my co-workers paid any attention to my idiosyncrasies.

I take medication for my depression and also the anxiety when I need to.  I look at it the same way as I do the medication I take for my Multiple Sclerosis and my heart meds, blood pressure meds.  Without it I wouldn’t function and possibly be alive.

I am so happy that everyone has turned this into a positive thread.... :-)

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