National Depression Screening Day

I am absolutely sure I am depressed….but there doesn’t seem to be ONE damn thing I can do about it. lol I just don’t know what to say or do anymore.. NOBODY I know seems to understand or even care how I feel and I just….I don’t know. I have completely run out of words…energy..you name it. What possible solutions could anyone offer me NOW?

I have had depression for years. I know how it feels. I also had a breakdown before too. If you would like to talk email me. I need a good friend who knows whaat it feels like.

Judy and Candace- you are not alone- I have been sufferring for more years than I want to count. I have offered help and support to others but it never comes back. Feel terribly alone but can’t give in to it because I have to work to support myself and have other responsibilities.

Is there a way we could communcate, and Nancy can you refer us to a blog or other group for support and help? I don;t want to continue only to weep and express feelings but want serious help and guidance.

Everyone undergoes a depressed state. Some acknowledge it and others dont. The ones that acknowledge it and take action to deal with depressions are the ones that win. The ones that acknowledge depression but wait for someone else to help them with their problem lose. And those that never acknowledge are just known as normal folks that continue to pretend to lead so called normal lives. Every one goes through cycles of happiness and sadness and fear is most felt during sadness when self confiudence is at its lowest. Every situation has a positive isde and if we concentrate on that depression can be overcome without need for others to help.

Frustration that cannot find a site with useful info on sites for depression screening tomorrow…sites listed for Az. are few and far between and I know a woman who only has a bicycle in Prescott Valley and cannot get to Kingman, Tempe, Bullhead City or whereever…Not very helpful at all and a waste of my time, y’all.

There is a difference between sadness and depression. Everyone has periods or days of sadness throughout their lives, a normal reaction when something emotionally traumatic happens, stressful situations, at a loss, etc. which we can and do “get over”, but depression is something that lingers long after the traumatic, stressful events have passed, for seemingly no rational reason at all, and lasts longer than a week or two, and you find it hard to overcome, often not something one can simply “get over” or fix by oneself.

As someone who has suffered from severe depression for over a decade, now post-depression, I am thankful there is such a day promoting depression screenings, awareness and understanding of depression. The deceptive part about depression is that no one notices when it starts as it can become the day to day “norm” in your life making it difficult to become aware of it and identify it, which is why depression screenings, and promoting awareness and understanding of depression is so important.

I would also like to share a link to Dr. Martin Seligman’s Authentic Happiness website that similarly has screenings that are extremely helpful, and information on Positive Psychology that helps lastingly decrease depression symptoms, helps people identify and relearn/ create happiness that lasts. These tools helped me move past depression, past medication, and on to a happier me.

Authentic Happiness

I had seen someone on here who was unable to find anything for their depression. If they have tried everything else, I want to suggest something that certainly may be of benefit. But I urge caution also.

The only type of drug that worked for me as an anti-depressant was an MAOI. There are several that are on the market. However, like any anti-depressant, you can flip into mania, if you are actually manic-depressive. I did not know that I was. Nor did the psychiatrist I spoke to…at least not at first. He taught at UCLA, and he told me to go to a clinic and get on lithium. I told him I felt great. So now I was not sleeping. I am still on an MAOI(it is the only thing that works…and in fact the doctor had told me that I could get back on it after getting on the lithium). I do take depakote but there are others, and the thing that helped me sleep, and turn off the cycle of constant thinking and not sleeping, was seroquel

These are just suggestions. But I have gone through a lot, and have lost a marriage, an excellent job, and when manic, had spent my share of days in the hospital, and a few days in jail. My sin, my crime, was that I was strange to others. When I was depressed, no one really cared other than my family. But the mania scares people.

So, find a good psychiatrist, and ask about an MAOI. They do not want to put you on them because you have to be careful what you eat, but believe me, if you can control yourself in certain areas, it is a life-saver. Just do not get off your medicines. Ever. Because each time you do, you will an episode, and each time it will be harder and harder to get back to where you were.

May God Bless You Always, and others understand you, because I do understand, and I care also. I don’t want anyone else to go through these things. There are worse things I guess, but when you are depressed to the point of wanting to end things, that, in my opinion, is as bad as it can get.

Sincerely,

B.D.