If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed • Hacker News Board

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#291

Post by magduf » Tue, Feb 05, 2019, 8:16 PM UTC

magduf wrote: post #239

eeeeeeeeeeeee wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not surprised by the paranoia. I think it's a natural reaction to the disgusting state of America, one which encourages a kill-or-be-killed mentality. There is very little of a safety net if you fall through the cracks (and the safety net built up during the 20th century is rapidly being torn down). Health care costs are the number one cause of bankruptcy in America. And if you can't afford your rent/mortgage and…

Maybe, but as one who grew up in this country, I can say that this state of paranoia simply did not exist to this extent decades ago. Personally, I think it happened after 9/11. People just weren't like this back in the 80s and 90s, and many of those factors were, if anything, worse than they are now. At least now, with ObamaCare, you aren't totally screwed on pre-existing conditions. And if you go back before the Ne…

I'd also like to point out that the crime rates were a LOT worse back in the 1970s, and have been steadily falling ever since then. There's even a theory that leaded gasoline is to blame. Anyhow, even with worse street crime back in the 70s-80s, Americans simply weren't paranoid back then like they are now. Back then, kids routinely ran around by themselves with no adult supervision, and this is now unheard of in suburbia, even though the crime rates are a small fraction of what they were back then, and kidnappings were never a common thing.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#292

Post by magduf » Tue, Feb 05, 2019, 8:17 PM UTC

jki275 wrote: post #289

magduf wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Flyover country is full of Trump voters, has no cultural events (unless you consider tractor pulls to be "cultural"), has locals who are generally very religious, and there's zero public transit there. It doesn't compare in any way to the large metro areas. The weather can be really brutal in the midwest too.

You should really educate yourself about what you denigrate before you do it. The culture in "flyover country" is different. It's not non-existent. In fact, in many ways there is far greater diversity throughout the midwest than in your metros -- not everyone votes or thinks the way you want them to think in "flyover country", they tend to be pretty independent.

I grew up in the South, so I know very well what the "culture" in rural America is like. It's not something to be celebrated.

Furthermore, you cannot argue that flyover country is full of Trump voters. The voting records are quite clear about that: those states all voted red in 2016.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#293

Post by gabriel34 » Tue, Feb 05, 2019, 8:17 PM UTC

Dolores12 wrote: post #243

gabriel34 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

mental health and gut bacteria seem to be heavily correlated. Anecdotally, if I don't eat sugary "reward" food I tend to feel better. That is also why I adopted intermittent fasting. I tend to fell better mentally if I fast 24h once a week.

fasting is bad for your gall bladder. fast with care!

thanks for the heads up, I'll be on the lookout for symptoms. I do believe though that the benefits far outweigh the risk in this case.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#294

Post by twodave » Tue, Feb 05, 2019, 8:56 PM UTC

uneasy-sausage wrote: post #250

twodave wrote: post #237

My personal challenges with anger/depression came from attempts to escape reality. It started out as a way to spend my down time (video games). Then over time it became what I looked forward to doing. I would skip outings with friends and ignore my family in favor of playing games. Then it morphed into other forms of impulsive behavior. After about 20 years (2/3 of my life to that point) I had become an extremely sel…

Have you cut out some of the compulsive habits/actions such as binging video games?

Yeah, as far as video games, occasionally I will install something on my phone or whatever but I’ve found I either don’t enjoy them anymore because they feel too much like work, or else they wreck me pretty quickly and I end up just ripping the band aid off by uninstalling.

Some of the other habits have been easier. For instance I quit drinking over 5 years ago and haven’t looked back. Still other habits have proven way more difficult and I continue to battle them.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#295

Post by smaddox » Tue, Feb 05, 2019, 11:12 PM UTC

LeifCarrotson wrote: post #112

smaddox wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to think like this. Then I read "12 Rules for Life" by Jordan Peterson and "Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown a few times, and I realized I was making an implicit choice to see the world that way, and that it is a completely counter productive viewpoint. A shift in perspective can change everything.

Didn't downvote you, but while I've heard similar recommendations before, that's not a reasonable response to existential depression. On the one hand, you're correct, one's outlook on the world does impact your mood. Humans are emotional and easily confused, and shifting your viewpoint can change your mood in powerful ways. Perhaps those books present a position from which to view the world that's useful in lifting o…

Reading these books and changing your perspective is by no means a cure-all for depression. For me, it's been a necessary catalyst for taking the actions necessary to combat feelings of depression, though. And it has dramatically reduced my feelings of anger and irritability.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#296

Post by jki275 » Wed, Feb 06, 2019, 11:14 AM UTC

magduf wrote: post #292

jki275 wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You should really educate yourself about what you denigrate before you do it. The culture in "flyover country" is different. It's not non-existent. In fact, in many ways there is far greater diversity throughout the midwest than in your metros -- not everyone votes or thinks the way you want them to think in "flyover country", they tend to be pretty independent.

I grew up in the South, so I know very well what the "culture" in rural America is like. It's not something to be celebrated. Furthermore, you cannot argue that flyover country is full of Trump voters. The voting records are quite clear about that: those states all voted red in 2016.

The culture in the midwest is something you personally dislike. That doesn't make it any less relevant, and simply amplifies how unaware you are of the diversity that exists throughout the midwest, west, and south in the non-coastal regions.

And it was the rest of the non-flyover states that voted for him that put him over the top to win, so your point is moot. There are Trump voters everywhere except your echo chambers, and even there it's likely there are many of them you don't know about.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#297

Post by rhspeer » Wed, Feb 06, 2019, 5:14 PM UTC

onemoresoop wrote: post #290

rhspeer wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I took a written survey about my symptoms answered some questions. Doc said my brain did not produce enough of something and wrote me a script. She's a funny old lady and was hilarious about how she liked these pills because it did not effect my funny hand gestures here . I was sceptical, but took half a pill as she instructed. Next thing I know I am eating a sandwich at chick-fill-a not hating Chick-fil-A peopl…

Make sure you educate yourself on what those pills you're taking do and follow through a treatment, not just take them indefinitely.

I recognize the good intentions of your comment.

However, I want to push back a bit. I was depressed, but not from trauma. I avoided going to the doc to avoid long term prescription drug use and therapy. I regret that decision, and it cost me career opportunities and damaged relationships.

It is a legitimate concern, but wildly overstated in my mind for 18 tough years.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#298

Post by GaryNumanVevo » Wed, Feb 06, 2019, 10:32 PM UTC

thefz wrote: post #285

GaryNumanVevo wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had a similar experience with an ex-girlfriend. She was verbally abusive and sometimes even physically. I tried to break up with her multiple times but ended up being gaslight to stay. One time she removed the axel from my front bike tire hoping that I would crash and get injured when I went over a bump. She absolutely refused to get help even though I offered to take her.

Just chiming in to say that as a biker, the front axle thing is a horrible thing to do.

Yeah, I was really paranoid after that. I came out after class and she walked up to me and handed me the axle. I will never understand someone who has that much anger toward their SO.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#299

Post by brokenmachine » Thu, Feb 07, 2019, 5:39 AM UTC

magduf wrote: post #77

kingsloi wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just made HN account to reply to this, as I feel like I suffer with "existential depression" too. I had never heard of that before, so thanks for commenting. As I get older, the more I read, it just seems to be always doom and gloom. The obviousness that's occurring to things around us. I'm a natural born worrier anyway, but as I get older I think more about "existence". My wife and I plan to have kids, but then I'…

Do you live in the US? That's probably a big part of the problem. Everything in the US is doom and gloom, and everyone in the US is horribly paranoid. People are constantly paranoid about someone attacking them, and kids aren't allowed to run around outside because "someone might kidnap them". People that do get a visit from the police and CPS for "child abandonment". If you're planning to have kids, doing it in the…

I'm in Australia.

Houses are too expensive to buy an actual family home, even with a "good job". The government is all about spying and distracting and short-term thinking and isn't doing anything positive to improve actual living conditions for the majority at all.

Everything is going to hell in a handbasket, and it seems to be accelerating. Australia used to be a great country.

I'm not having kids and marooning them on this sinking ship.

Re: If You're Often Angry or Irritable, You May Be Depressed

#300

Post by munchhausen » Thu, Feb 07, 2019, 2:41 PM UTC

seancoleman wrote: post #206

It took me years to recognize that irritability and anger were actually latent side effects of coffee consumption, and related to increased anxiety. I'm curious, has anyone else experienced this and found success with cutting out caffeine?

Yeah, caffeine gives me a short fuse like nothing else.

As little as a coffee in the morning would basically make me prone to fly off the handle due to the most insignificant, trivial little things. Cost me and my wife many hours spent in pointless discussions and unnecessary arguments.

Don't get me wrong, I love coffee, but I have to treat it like you would a recreational drug. Only to be enjoyed when the set and the setting is right.