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Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

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Re: Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

#21

Post by pranith_h »

tekdude wrote: post #18

Since there's a link to 'unvote' next to the option that I chose, I can only assume that this poll is not anonymous and that my choice is stored with my username somewhere on HN's server. It could also be cookie-based, but something to keep in mind if you have privacy concerns.

How would a better implementation of this work? They definitely need to store your username somewhere to prevent the same user from voting multiple times.

I imagine they could simply keep track of whether you voted or not, and not which specific choice you made. That way your choice remains private but we would not be able to show even you which choice you made.

I’m sure Reddit tracks each upvote and downvote individually and doesn’t just increment a score counter somewhere.

Re: Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

#22

Post by danielvaughn »

I don't felt the need to see a doctor about what I'm experiencing, so I'm not sure if what I have qualifies as depression. But over the past several months, it feels like my entire personality and being is a rug that has been pulled out from underneath me. I'm no longer the driven and interested person that I used to be. I struggle to sit down and work - my brain feels scattered and no matter how much I sleep and rest, I feel so tired that my body literally aches. The only thing I really feel is a subtle sadness, like a background hum that feels like it's dragging me down. It also feels like it's never going to go away.

So is that depression? I have no idea, but I hate the feeling and I pray that once this pandemic is over, the symptoms will fade.

Re: Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

#23

Post by rosywoozlechan »

I feel a constant sense of inadequacy and that I haven't achieved enough, but it doesn't really get me down or stop me from enjoying things. It's just background noise that sometimes flares up in intensity, like when I feel like I should have known something or I failed at a task. That isn't fun. I work to address this by constant self-improvement and making and achieving reasonably attainable goals. That helps.

I guess I also worry about the health of the relationships I have with important people in my life and what I'm doing to maintain them.

I don't think any of these things qualify as depression though. It just feels like to me that's what life is.

Re: Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

#24

Post by roflc0ptic »

young_unixer wrote: post #8

I've never felt like life has no joy in it, I'm highly motivated to achieve my goals and I think they're worthwhile goals. The thing is, I think I won't achieve those goals, and that makes me anxious, not medically anxious, but there's this constant felling of dread. So, I wouldn't say I'm depressed, but I have this constant dread that accompanies me everyday.

That's actually medically anxious. One doesn't need panic attacks, or even really dysfunction to have anxiety. A constant feeling of aimless dread is classic anxiety. It also doesn't have to be aimless: when I'm anxious, I realize I mostly post-facto create stories about why I'm feeling anxious. Sometimes there's a bona fide trigger, but other times I'm just inflating problems to justify my feelings.

Medication, meditation, therapy and exercise are great tools for improving quality of life. Not feeling constant dread is wonderful. 10/10 would recommend taking steps to alleviate.

Re: Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

#25

Post by bb88 »

moltar wrote: post #4

For this poll to be accurate, I think a list of agreed exact symptoms needs to be included. E.g. I have no idea what depressive symptoms are.

Feeling of dread, hopelessness, or lack of motivation to do normal tasks. Not just for work, but for things you typically enjoy doing -- so more than just procrastination.

This can be caused by anger, despair, loss of a loved one, brain chemical imbalance, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.

Severe symptoms would including thinking about harming yourself or others.

Re: Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

#26

Post by roflc0ptic »

roflc0ptic wrote: post #24
young_unixer wrote: post #8

I've never felt like life has no joy in it, I'm highly motivated to achieve my goals and I think they're worthwhile goals. The thing is, I think I won't achieve those goals, and that makes me anxious, not medically anxious, but there's this constant felling of dread. So, I wouldn't say I'm depressed, but I have this constant dread that accompanies me everyday.

That's actually medically anxious. One doesn't need panic attacks, or even really dysfunction to have anxiety. A constant feeling of aimless dread is classic anxiety. It also doesn't have to be aimless: when I'm anxious, I realize I mostly post-facto create stories about why I'm feeling anxious. Sometimes there's a bona fide trigger, but other times I'm just inflating problems to justify my feelings. Medication, medi…

Also: drink less coffee.

Re: Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

#27

Post by tspike »

danielvaughn wrote: post #22

I don't felt the need to see a doctor about what I'm experiencing, so I'm not sure if what I have qualifies as depression. But over the past several months, it feels like my entire personality and being is a rug that has been pulled out from underneath me. I'm no longer the driven and interested person that I used to be. I struggle to sit down and work - my brain feels scattered and no matter how much I sleep and res…

Yep, that's exactly what depression is like.

Re: Poll: Have you experienced depressive symptoms over the past two weeks?

#29

Post by hyperdimension »

I voted, but I'm not really sure if I'm the audience you sought for this poll; I've been severely depressed for the majority of my life (it gets more and less worse from time to time, but always what I'd consider depressed), but the coronavirus situation hasn't (as far as I've noticed) affected it all that much.

I wish good luck to all of you out there who might be going through this for the first time in your life, or those for whom it is a regular (yet unwelcome) visitor.

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