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Depression lies

wilwheaton.net

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Re: Depression lies

#161

Post by hcarvalhoalves »

the_economist wrote: post #106
rubashov wrote: post #84

I thought I was depressed and anxious for almost two years. It turned out I just had a chronic sinus infection. I'm suspicious that a lot of what gets considered as psychiatric problems are really physical health problems. Anecdotally, a lot of people switch to a nutrient dense diet and cut out potential allergens and wind up feeling all better.

Not just anecdotally -- plenty of studies confirm this. Some people -- 30% of the people by some estimates -- simply suffer from fructose malabsorption. This means that when they eat foods with excess fructose (even fruit), they fail to properly absorb nutrients. In particular, individuals who suffer from fructose malabsorption fail to absorb tryptophan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose_malabsorption Tryptophan…

Nutrition is everything.

My dad last year suffered from a mix of dizziness, nausea, depression and if he got too nervous, muscular contractions.

Went to a bunch of doctors, each one gave a different pill, and his situation wasn't improving. I had to research the internet looking for symptoms and possible causes.

Then, in the end, talking with a generalist doctor, it ended up being a thyroid disfunction (he was taking pills for that) and magnesium deficiency. After a year taking kelated magnesium and cutting the thyroid medicine (the doctor told to), he's 100% again.

Re: Depression lies

#162

Post by msfd »

msfd wrote: post #81
diffeomorph wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the same problem. My depression had been latent since early HS but it really manifested when I began college, and my grades were horrible as a result despite having been a model student until then(well, until the last year of HS; college only hastened its development). I'm 29 and I've since gotten treatment but the effect on my professional development has been incredibly damaging. It's less a stumble out of th…

I would say "Maybe". Maybe they have better lives, or maybe they are (or will be) depressed like you were. The point is, you don't know, so enjoy you live, I think you deserve it.

Cannot edit anymore, so what I wanted to say (I was not very clear) is : The lives they have is not necessarily as nice as you picture it, nor yours as bleak as you think. In the end, I would not really think too much (even if I know it's hard) about them. After all, they might had enormous advantage, or actually a shitty live, because everything is too perfect or maybe they struggled so much to be where they are and so, are exhausted intellectually and depressed.

You achieved an incredible feat by controlling your depression, I'd be proud of it.

Re: Depression lies

#163

Post by makmanalp »

chris_wot wrote: post #66

I only recently finished having suicidal thoughts. In fact, I had them 4 days ago. It's frightening, and disturbing. I have two small children and my wife loves me. Still the thoughts come. Awful.

Hey, look. Please go and talk to your loved and trusted ones about this, and go see a pro. Simply that is progress, and it is the kind that'll keep turning into more progress. Just make a few phone calls and get yourself into that office.

Don't fret about choosing the right doctor etc. It's like startups: release your MVP as fast as you can, and then tweak it later iteratively.

Re: Depression lies

#164

Post by eggdude »

jetti wrote: post #105

I'll preface this with the fact that I know that people will see me as being cold or just generally not agree with my opinion but I am going to share it with you all anyways. I have experienced this first hand. I have attempted suicide twice in my life and have gotten help for it. Because of my experience, I think I have come out of it with a different view which is this: Suicide is somebody's choice and theirs only…

I think whether people have a right to do it (which I also believe they do), is less important than realizing that their desire and decision to do it is based on faulty logic. Depression completely changes the way people think.

Re: Depression lies

#165

Post by philwelch »

lotharbot wrote: post #154
philwelch wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes it's unavoidable, but it's a concern that's worthy of consideration, and saying shit like "just don't have sex until you're married lol" isn't helpful.

The way you choose to build a relationship has a lot to do with how well you are able to sustain it through certain types of difficulty. The comment you were responding to said something considerably more nuanced and interesting than "lol" in conjunction with the "don't have sex until you're married" part. It's OK if you disagree, but please do so in a more thoughtful way.

What I found interesting wasn't so much what was said as the unstated assumptions behind it. The comment was in any case almost deliberately useless in how to handle an existing relationship that already entailed sex.

Re: Depression lies

#166

Post by jokermatt999 »

lectrick wrote: post #158
jdietrich wrote: post #137

I am rather disappointed by much of the discussion in these comments. The HN community has always taken pride in being careful, analytical and data-led. If someone were to advocate an unproven cancer therapy based on anecdote, they would rightly be harshly criticised. The evidence base for SSRIs is extremely poor. The most favourable metastudies indicate only a very mild benefit, similar to that of many non-drug inte…

Scumbag HN user Talks about evidence and/or the lack thereof Cites zero evidence (via links) towards his assertion that there is no evidence

You're right, but Hacker News is not the place for memespeak.

Re: Depression lies

#167

Post by dkarl »

kahawe wrote: post #57
lusr wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. I haven't seen anybody mention David Burns' book "Feeling Good" but it probably saved my life from a descent into insanity. It's my "bible" now. I knew something was completely and absolutely wrong with my self-destructive thought patterns but didn't understand what until I learned about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A sad observation: everytime I encounter a struggling friend with dysfunctional tho…

I do think it is great you take the time to help them like that; I also think this isn't something you should be doing, basically taking them through a "mini therapy". Now, granted, the line between "I just wanted to cheer them up" and "I showed them CBT" can be blurry but as soon as you take it onto yourself to actively make them better, I'd say you are strolling down a path you shouldn't. The main reason being I do…

Analyzing, talking through, and attempting to change thought patterns isn't just a clinical technique for serious problems. In my experience, the smaller the problem and the healthier the person, the more quickly and dramatically it seems to work. Other than people who have been in therapy or who have grappled with mental health issues on their own, I rarely see people using it, with one exception: I see the parents I know using it with their children all the time to help them deal with everyday emotional difficulties such as anger management. A decade from now, there might be a generation of adults who consider it common sense and have no idea it originated in the treatment of mental illness.

Re: Depression lies

#168

Post by benjash »

I've had what would call an a depressive trait since i was a teenager until now at 28. When i was 20 i was diagnosed with severe clinical depression and received treatment, including counseling and medication.

My own anecdotal evidence - when i was at my worst the talk did nothing to help me. Citalopram really help leveled and my mood, dull my anxiety and helped me balance myself out. There probably was some sort of placebo effect, re-enforced by the physical side effects. It helped either way...

Over the years i realized that brain does lie to me. Sometimes my brain convinced me I'm depressed when I'm just ill, grumpy, tired, frustrated. etc.

I've know now not to trust my brain, my feelings or medication.

Talking helps keep your perception in check, i recommend it.

Re: Depression lies

#170

Post by baddox »

eggdude wrote: post #164
jetti wrote: post #105

I'll preface this with the fact that I know that people will see me as being cold or just generally not agree with my opinion but I am going to share it with you all anyways. I have experienced this first hand. I have attempted suicide twice in my life and have gotten help for it. Because of my experience, I think I have come out of it with a different view which is this: Suicide is somebody's choice and theirs only…

I think whether people have a right to do it (which I also believe they do), is less important than realizing that their desire and decision to do it is based on faulty logic. Depression completely changes the way people think.

> Depression completely changes the way people think.

But that's the point, right? Depression causes so much pain that some people decide it is better to end their life rather than suffer. I don't see how it's any different than someone in chronic pain from any terminal illness desiring physician-assisted suicide. Of course their decision is affected by the pain they're suffering. That's the whole point.

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