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Ask HN: How to cope with depression

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Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#101

Post by 112864 »

DanBC wrote: post #75
112864 wrote: post #53

Take the meds, Take the meds ........ Well that's what people (specialist or not) told me. But that were my worse mistake Anti depressants may not be too bad (they are said to even increase gray matter) but a year ago, I was prescribed antipsychotics by injections (because I had some paranoia against cigarette smoke) and those have been the worse thing I had to live, basically it deconnects your brain. So be happy an…

Anti psychotic medication, especialy depot injections, is very different to anti depressant tablets!

worse? (in term of effects)

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#102

Post by lotsofthrows »

DanBC wrote: post #44

This is not medical advice. In England front line treatment for depression is a talking therapy. This would normally be cognitive behaviour therapy, butthere are others. This works best one to one, face to face, with an experienced practitioner. But some people like and get benefit from group therapy, or from telephone provided sessions, or even self-guided by book or website. Meds should help. The side effects can b…

Thank you for responding. I found this to be a very helpful comment.

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#103

Post by lotsofthrows »

diminoten wrote: post #97
DanBC wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a frustrating mix of terrible advice and good advice. Is that why you'd recommend not getting advice here, or is there some other reason? (I upvoted you.)

Oh, absolutely -- I always worry when someone who's having emotional trouble seeks out the greater Internet for advice. There are some very good reasons why it takes a high level of training to counsel people.

I mentioned this elsewhere, but I'm not taking direct action based on any comments here. Yours is an understandable concern, though.

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#104

Post by lotsofthrows »

anigbrowl wrote: post #92
anigbrowl wrote: post #91

Well, there's no magic bullet. You could ask you professionals about getting cognitive therapy or look up a psychoanalyst in your area. 'Talk thereapy' like psychoanalysis has been severely out of fashion in recent years because it's intuitive rather than rigorous, so your existing professionals might not want to recommend anyone. Where it does well is in helping the patient to get fully familiar with the course of h…

2/2 If you're still having a problem imagining other places you want to go, work with your therapist to identify what sort of things you feel unambiguously positive about even though you may get intense anxiety that you don't deserve to enjoy such things. I have a theory (which I'm going to completely handwave here) that when we're depressed we often avoid thinking about the good things in life too hard because our b…

thank you very much. I found your post quite helpful. I definitely have experienced at points an existential crisis wrt programming. I do enjoy it, but it's been a while since I worked on something I truly cared about.

my therapist described me as having an "idealistic streak" and mentioned I might be happier if I were working on something that motivated me more than a paycheck. This is something I'll have to take into account as I look for a new position.

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#105

Post by lotsofthrows »

jklinger410 wrote: post #64
rmxt wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I get that you're trying to be edgy, but none of those are full-on substitutes for the the results of evidence-backed medical trials. They are great in conjunction with standard pharmacological and therapeutic approaches, but might end up pushing someone already on the brink further into the abyss of depression. They might not have good familial relationships or friends to fall back on, or they might have issues with…

I'm not trying to be edgy at all. I have anxiety disorder and personally suffered through depression. I spent years on medications that didn't work. Sometimes you can't fix depression with pills. There are alot of mights in this situation because none of us know what OP is actually going through. I would kindly ask that you consider my advice from personal experience and not downplay it so much. I never suggested OP…

It's taken me a while to write back, because new HN accounts are severely rate limited.

The spirit of your post(s) is well taken. Also, I watched the shit out of the magic school bus (which is, at least, what "sometimes you have to get dirty. sometimes you have to make mistakes" reminded me of)

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#106

Post by lotsofthrows »

Tech1 wrote: post #17

I'm an Army veteran that was diagnosed with PTSD in 2010 after a particularly shit deployment to Afghanistan. I've also battled with depression my entire life. Name an anti-depressant or anti-anxiety pill and I've probably been on it at one point in my life. They definitely help you. Conversely a good therapist is also extremely helpful. They can help you find directions that are away from the meds. I've currently be…

thank you for sharing your experience. it sounds like you've struggled more than I have, and I admire your persistence in making it through.

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#107

Post by lotsofthrows »

Lewisham wrote: post #2

Take the meds; if you aren't able to feel like you can do the other things, your depression might be too severe for those to help anyway. I didn't realize I was depressed for a number of years, until my wife forced me to go. I am now on medication and I feel much improved. The wrong medicine will dull your focus (I had a very bad sedative reaction to Lexapro) but the right ones will make you feel more normal. My work…

> The wrong medicine will dull your focus (I had a very bad sedative reaction to Lexapro) but the right ones will make you feel more normal. My work is the same as it was before, except I am happier now.

I'm really glad to hear that. It's surprisingly reassuring.

Out of curiosity, how long did it take you to decide Lexapro wasn't right for you?

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#108

Post by lotsofthrows »

beat wrote: post #34

As everyone else is saying, take the meds. But be sure to work thoroughly with your psychiatrist to monitor the effects of the medication, and stop anything that's going awry. Don't make the decision on your own to quit a med, either - make an appointment. Don't self-medicate with alcohol, "drugs" (the non-prescription kind), promiscuity, video games, or other things that numb you. As the psych meds take hold, you'll…

> Don't self-medicate with alcohol, "drugs" (the non-prescription kind), promiscuity, video games, or other things that numb you. As the psych meds take hold, you'll be able to get up, but you'll be dragged back down as well.

poignant. I either have at one point or actively self medicate with all of the above.

> Be very conscious of suicidal ideas as you heal. The real danger point for depression-driven suicide isn't when things are so black you can't even get out of bed. It gets dangerous when you start feeling energetic again. Then you have enough energy to hurt yourself. Have a support group or friends who understand, and check in all the time.

this is valuable, thanks. I tend to be very private about anything concerning my mental health, but this makes me consider sharing it with a friend I trust who I can check in with.

> Consider getting a new job now. It might help you to have a fresh thing to care about, and getting fired from your existing job will only hurt you.

this is something I've considered very strongly. I'm a bit hesitant because I worry I'll fail to produce in my new position (if i don't take the time to heal), but it's definitely worth considering.

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#109

Post by lotsofthrows »

turoczy wrote: post #5

I don't have any immediate answers, but I did want to quickly thank you for having the courage to reach out, rather than just suffering silently. This is something with which many of us struggle on a regular basis.

thank you. that's kind of you to say, and very reassuring. I honestly felt really apprehensive and guilty / self centered / narcissistic for posting here.

> This is something with which many of us struggle on a regular basis.

it certainly feels that way at times :(

Re: Ask HN: How to cope with depression

#110

Post by techlibertarian »

DanBC wrote: post #79
techlibertarian wrote: post #30

Sleep, exercise, and a good diet are always a great start. I always to look to one of those three things when anything feels off in my own life. Everyone here is suggesting you take your meds. One alternative that is increasingly popular, especially with depression, are psychedelics. I would suggest Amber Lyon's Reset.me [1] if you're interested in further reading. Now for the downvotes... [1] http://reset.me/

Suggesting hallucinogenics for someone with a known mental health problem is irresponsible. Therapeutic uses would be of known doses in tightly controlled situations - neither of which are available to OP.

> Therapeutic uses would be of known doses in tightly controlled situations - neither of which are available to OP.

I wasn't aware of this and I wasn't suggesting that he go down and buy a hit off of the nearest corner. I was suggesting that OP consider researching alternative methods that are taboo yet effective.

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