71–80 of 224 posts
Related, but not exactly on topic: what do people make of the word “depressed”? I am unsure whether people use the word to mean “a deep lack of any enjoyment that persists for a long period of time (weeks?)” or something stronger, which adds on “ and whose source is not easily explained ”. In my head, depression means the latter, but I’m unsure what the popular conception is.
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> I don't think this is accurate Yes it is accurate. It is very accurate. The garbage studies routinely dumped on us by Big Pharma have been continually debunked, reversed, and retracted after the raw data comes out (often in lawsuits). Nevermind the complete absence of long-term studies or any studies that reflect the actually usage of these drugs in the real world.
Here we go, actual data about SSRIs vs the placebo effect: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4172306/ It would be super cool if we all took the time to cite data that back up our assertions instead of just insisting that our ideas are correct.
Instead of curing depression, popular antidepressants may induce a biological vulnerability making people more likely to become depressed in the future.
Nobody currently taking antidepressants should stop them without very careful planning and consideration of whether they should and how, but the same very strong consideration should be given before starting them for long term use, too (with a professional ideally, which I am not).
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What did Nietzsche mean by that?
He never said. Nietzsche wrote very aphoristically, and it's often up to the reader to make sense of it. For me, this saying resonates because I've found that when I think of suicide I feel better because it makes me think that after my death I won't have any more of the troubles that plague me in life. It'll be a relief. In a way, it's hope. It also, I think, for a time gives me the feeling of control over my life.…
Because of the views around suicide and how it can be seen as an "out" for issues that are actually only temporary, associating suicide with hope in any sense could be counterproductive. You have to make these people understand. Sometimes they never intend to understand, and only take the parts that validate their preexisting notions. Suicide and hope in the same statement.
I largely agree with all the advice here. I dropped out of college due to depression, then I torched my tech career with a manic episode that led me straight from a FAANG SWE job to an involuntary psych ward patient for a month, which was followed by a half year brutal depression. I’ve done a lot of research and I think psychiatry is pseudoscience and antidepressants are largely placebo. I’m really on the mindfulness…
Then your research methodology leaves a lot to be desired.
I largely agree with all the advice here. I dropped out of college due to depression, then I torched my tech career with a manic episode that led me straight from a FAANG SWE job to an involuntary psych ward patient for a month, which was followed by a half year brutal depression. I’ve done a lot of research and I think psychiatry is pseudoscience and antidepressants are largely placebo. I’m really on the mindfulness…
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectical_behavior_therapy
I hope they work for some, but for me, SSRI's are frankly, trash. All the downsides with none of the upsides. The only thing that worked was Imipramine, and I can't get it anymore because it's "old" and "not recommended". The newer focus on psychedelics and drugs usually used for recreational purposes seems more encouraging. If you're anti-depressant resistant, I'd recommend you try Gabapentin, a seemingly overlooked…
Despite that I don't think it's a good idea to recommend or disrecommend any specific drug; it is very much a biochemical roll of the dice as to whether a med will work on a given individual and the odds aren't even particularly good. My suggestion to the depressed is to try as many as you can withstand to increase your odds of finding something that works, with the understanding you might be among the unlucky ones that nothing works on.
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Coincidentally, I really see no point in making the bed. I wonder if I'm depressed.
Is there anything else where you do see a purpose that needs doing? Maybe folding laundry, cleaning the kitchen, etc. That usually makes you feel more comfortable at home. Whatever it is, you can start small. Fold one pair of socks. Clean one dish. Vacuum one room. I think a lot of people don't see any purpose in making a bed.
One of the biggest force multipliers in overcoming depression is accepting that you can modulate your condition by taking small, deliberate actions. It's also one of the most difficult and delicate ideas to communicate to a depressed person. Depression notoriously clouds peoples' judgment and makes simple tasks seem impossible. Depression also encourages a lot of binary thinking, where people tend to give up because…
I used to workout 2 hours everyday in gym. When I stopped supplements, I couldn't get myself to lift for even 15 minutes. I lost all my stenght and got depressed.
Things that help me when I feel depressed: - Listening to upbeat, energetic music and avoiding depressing music, which tends to make me feel worse - Walking outside on a clear, sunny day - Eating my favorite food - Playing a good game to get my mind off whatever it is that I'm obsessing about - If I am able to concentrate, reading something by a favorite author, listening to a good podcast, or watching a non-depressi…
> Listening to upbeat, energetic music and avoiding depressing music, which tends to make me feel worse Anecdotally, this would have completely the opposite effect on me. If I was frustrated or down in high school I would listen to Whitehouse or something and get over it by virtue of the fact that there exists someone orders of magnitude more manic than I was. It made my feelings seem trivial in comparison. Even when…
It doesn't have to be stereotypically upbeat music. It should be music you actually enjoy and make you feel more energetic and lifts your mood up. If listening to depressing music does that for you, great.
"I can never bring myself to believe this, depressed or not. Some people are born a certain way, and there's no real cure for whatever condition they have."
I can't speak for everyone. I can only speak for my own experience, and in my experience with time I've always eventually felt better. Maybe I wasn't "cured" of my depression, and I'd always feel depressed again eventually too, but at least for some time I'd find relief and my feelings of gloom and doom would be behind me. I could even smile and laugh for a time, and enjoy myself. For me depression comes in cycles and waves.. I've learned to ride them out.
"I was reading Johnny Got His Gun the other night, which is probably an antithesis to this statement. Imagine you're a veteran, no arms, no legs, no mouth or eyes or ears or anything really except one's own mind. All of it blown off by shrapnel. Nothing but your own thoughts to pore over the details for the rest of your existence. Can time literally heal such wounds?"
Oh, come on. That's a super extreme example. Do you have your limbs, sight, speech, and hearing? If so, you're much better off than Johnny. He'd have probably have given anything to have a fraction of what you have for a single day. You should try to appreciate that and be grateful for it.
There's a way of looking at life that helps you and a way that hurts you. Focusing on how miserable and unlucky you are will inevitably lead you in a downward spiral. Count on it. Instead, do everything in your power to focus on the positive aspects of your life and how you can improve your life. That way leads to healing. Your choice.
Also, I'd strongly recommend you watch some videos on Brooke Ellison and Kyle Maynard. Ellison was paralyzed from the neck down when she was hit by a car when she was 11 years old. Maynard was born a congenital amputee, missing half of each arm and leg. Ellison wound up going to Harvard and becoming a professor. Maynard became a champion wrestler and climbed Mount Kilamanjaro.
These are people who've overcome adversity the like of which most of us can not fathom. They're far from alone, either. I like to seek out stories like this, because they put my life and my problems in perspective, and really inspire me to appreciate what I have and make the most of my life.
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Coincidentally, I really see no point in making the bed. I wonder if I'm depressed.
Is there anything else where you do see a purpose that needs doing? Maybe folding laundry, cleaning the kitchen, etc. That usually makes you feel more comfortable at home. Whatever it is, you can start small. Fold one pair of socks. Clean one dish. Vacuum one room. I think a lot of people don't see any purpose in making a bed.
I don't see a point in making the bed though - I can lie typing this just as well in a bed that's unmade. I feel similarly about cleaning up the dust in the apartment - it just doesn't bother me. I don't know if it's depression or nirvana...