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One Road Out of Depression

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Re: One Road Out of Depression

#141

Post by artifaxx »

Broken_Hippo wrote: post #109
swimorsinka wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. At this point, I use meditation, exercise, omega 3 supplementation, and therapy all in addition to the mental attitudes I discussed.

I've an odd question for you: How did you wind up sticking with meditation? What made you notice that it helped and how long did that take? I generally quit after 2-3 months. At first it is kind of nice, but as time goes, I become a bit frustrated and bored. I don't notice a difference in myself, and I always wonder if it isn't just that I don't know what I should be looking for. I'm mostly asking to get your persona…

I find that yoga classes that integrate meditation (such as hatha) tend to work better. It also forces you to sit and work through it for at least an hour. Here is a page to get started with the evidence: http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety...

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#142

Post by bnjms »

dcw303 wrote: post #139
patrickdavey wrote: post #31

When I got Depressed (capital D, though I was only 4 on a 10 point scale) the hardest part for me was accepting that I needed to take medication, that I couldn't WILL myself better (not for want of trying I can tell you). Maybe some people can think themselves better, but if you are properly depressed, and your doctor is suggesting medication, it's not failing/losing/lessening to take the drugs to correct a chemical…

I am in no way trying to be snarky here, but can I ask what is meant by the phrase, "Capital D Depressed"? I've also seen someone use "Capital A Architect". Does the meaning change by capitalizing a word that isn't usually? Is this something to do with making it into a proper noun? Sorry that this is off-topic but it's something that's bugged me for a long time. I've never understood it and it's very hard to google f…

Capital D depression implies they were diagnosed with major depressive disorder or are certain they meet the requirements and are aware of the difference between sadness and Depression.

If you see this elsewhere it is context specific. But for example there is a difference between those who draw suburban house plans and those who plan museums.

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#143

Post by [deleted] »

dcw303 wrote: post #139
patrickdavey wrote: post #31

When I got Depressed (capital D, though I was only 4 on a 10 point scale) the hardest part for me was accepting that I needed to take medication, that I couldn't WILL myself better (not for want of trying I can tell you). Maybe some people can think themselves better, but if you are properly depressed, and your doctor is suggesting medication, it's not failing/losing/lessening to take the drugs to correct a chemical…

I am in no way trying to be snarky here, but can I ask what is meant by the phrase, "Capital D Depressed"? I've also seen someone use "Capital A Architect". Does the meaning change by capitalizing a word that isn't usually? Is this something to do with making it into a proper noun? Sorry that this is off-topic but it's something that's bugged me for a long time. I've never understood it and it's very hard to google f…

[deleted]

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#144

Post by zumatic »

dcw303 wrote: post #139
patrickdavey wrote: post #31

When I got Depressed (capital D, though I was only 4 on a 10 point scale) the hardest part for me was accepting that I needed to take medication, that I couldn't WILL myself better (not for want of trying I can tell you). Maybe some people can think themselves better, but if you are properly depressed, and your doctor is suggesting medication, it's not failing/losing/lessening to take the drugs to correct a chemical…

I am in no way trying to be snarky here, but can I ask what is meant by the phrase, "Capital D Depressed"? I've also seen someone use "Capital A Architect". Does the meaning change by capitalizing a word that isn't usually? Is this something to do with making it into a proper noun? Sorry that this is off-topic but it's something that's bugged me for a long time. I've never understood it and it's very hard to google f…

I am not a doctor, but I think if you have been clinically diagnosed as depressed, you can call yourself "Capital-D depressed" -- IMHO, obviously.

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#145

Post by patrickdavey »

bnjms wrote: post #142
dcw303 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am in no way trying to be snarky here, but can I ask what is meant by the phrase, "Capital D Depressed"? I've also seen someone use "Capital A Architect". Does the meaning change by capitalizing a word that isn't usually? Is this something to do with making it into a proper noun? Sorry that this is off-topic but it's something that's bugged me for a long time. I've never understood it and it's very hard to google f…

Capital D depression implies they were diagnosed with major depressive disorder or are certain they meet the requirements and are aware of the difference between sadness and Depression. If you see this elsewhere it is context specific. But for example there is a difference between those who draw suburban house plans and those who plan museums.

Yip, this is what I meant.

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#146

Post by ianvanness »

Swizec wrote: post #114
Broken_Hippo wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In a way, I think your doctor was correct. The meds change the way you see life - supposedly - even if you didn't actually feel better. My unprofessional opinion is that LSD and other hallucinogens function about the same way - gets you out of your mindset enough so that your perspective is different when you get back in.

The meds[1] I had supposedly weren't made to change how you see life, but to numb your emotional response. You lose the ability to feel bad, but you also lose the ability to feel good. Debatable whether that's better or worse, really. Fundamentally, I did have the meds and I did get better. Without a control, I can't say whether I got better because of the drugs, in spite of the drugs, or they had no effect. Consider…

In general, I'd be cautious recommending any type of medication, especially those involving serotonin, to others given how we as individuals react differently to them.

For example, the first time that I took SSRI's (a decade ago or so, recommended by my primary care physician), I had a negative reaction, and roughly a year of CBT was a much better solution (with a diagnosis of major depression). Fast forward to a few months ago, after being diagnosed yet again with major depression, this time by a psychiatrist, the SSRI's that were recommended and that I took triggered bipolar disorder--not an uncommon occurrence from what I now understand--and my current diagnosis.

All in all, it sounds like you may likely benefit from therapy (individual or group based) in addition to the meds that you're already taking (for what it's worth, it's helped me immensely).

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#147

Post by crispweed »

DenisM wrote: post #131
crispweed wrote: post #87

I experienced some depression, as a teenager, and remember eventually finding a kind of 'logical' (or perhaps 'philosophical') way out of it. A key part of this was that, for me, depression is linked to lack of purpose. So there was this question hanging over me, 'what is the purpose of it all'. Well the answer to that question was then essentially 'why are you asking?'. Putting it less glibly, if you are unhappy abo…

So, what you are saying is that true question that is/was bugging you is "what is the purpose that justifies my suffering?". And then you can get out of that existential dread either by finding a purpose, or by tackling the suffering, one way or another. Is that about right?

Not exactly. The interesting question was really just "what is the purpose", full stop. In the sense of "what is the point of it all".

The point about the introspection bit is then that being unhappy, suffering from depression, and so on, can (philosophically) be taken to imply a purpose, even if you do not otherwise feel a desire or direct motivation that would get you out of that mental state.

(Justification is irrelevant, I think. It is only about how things are, and what you choose to do. But that is maybe just one philosophical viewpoint.)

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#148

Post by crispweed »

M_Grey wrote: post #104
crispweed wrote: post #87

I experienced some depression, as a teenager, and remember eventually finding a kind of 'logical' (or perhaps 'philosophical') way out of it. A key part of this was that, for me, depression is linked to lack of purpose. So there was this question hanging over me, 'what is the purpose of it all'. Well the answer to that question was then essentially 'why are you asking?'. Putting it less glibly, if you are unhappy abo…

I just want to add a cautionary note, which is that sometimes introspection isn't the solution, but the problem itself. Especially in the case of a combination of depression and anxiety, it may be that introspection drops you further down the rabbit hole, when the way out is to do not think .

Fair point.

But on the other hand, not exploring the root cause of a problem can be like papering over the cracks..

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#149

Post by elsurudo »

hackaflocka wrote: post #73

When I was unhappy I was always unhappy (eventually). Whether it was by myself or with other people. Smallco or Bigco. IMHO, 5 things are essential. Everything else is secondary: - Sleep / resting the body-mind - Exercise / moving the body - Meditation / moving the mind - Nutrition / feeding the body-mind - Access to high quality internet on a high quality computer with a good electricity network

I realize this is subjective to you, but one of these is not like the others, as they say. Care to explain?

Re: One Road Out of Depression

#150

Post by crispweed »

dionidium wrote: post #125
crispweed wrote: post #87

I experienced some depression, as a teenager, and remember eventually finding a kind of 'logical' (or perhaps 'philosophical') way out of it. A key part of this was that, for me, depression is linked to lack of purpose. So there was this question hanging over me, 'what is the purpose of it all'. Well the answer to that question was then essentially 'why are you asking?'. Putting it less glibly, if you are unhappy abo…

I think you're right that this sort of approach to bootstrapping purpose is the only one that could possibly work. But once every 5 or so years I remember and become fixated again on the fact that there's nothing underneath. And the results aren't good. If I could figure out how to skip that quinquennial crisis, then things would be a lot better.

Bootstrapping is a great way to describe this.

But once every 5 or so years I remember and become fixated again on the fact that there's nothing underneath.

And the results aren't good.

So the idea is that two sentiments you express there contradict each other, in some sense.

i.e. If there really was 'nothing underneath', then the results would be, well, irrelevant.

And, then if you start from the second bit, the fact that you have a fairly strong feeling that a certain situation is not good (by the sounds of it) and therefore (by implication) believe that there is a certain way that things should be, is what 'goes underneath'.

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