Depression.

[don simon]

I think it's time to start dealing with this, and fitst thing is to get it out there and say that I have been diagnosed with depression.

[Lazy-Ferret]

I think it's time to start dealing with this, and fitst thing is to get it out there and say that I have been diagnosed with depression.Try putting it into 4wd low, not met a deep enough hole that does not work on...

Sorry, being a bit flippant, I have the same, but most of the time can keep it under control by looking at the bigger, hopefully brighter, picture.

Having a back log of jobs with no end in sight seems to trigger mine, and things that are out of my control, like having to find someone to do things if I can't do them.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[johnb5177]

Don,

I read with sadness and interest, your post. However, recognising that you have a problem and confronting it yourself, is a huge leap forward in getting help and hopefully resolving the greater crisis......you have to want to help yourself.

I curse roundly those people that just say.. ..oh, just pull yourself together...!!!!! What utter nonsense and crass behaviour, I would almost wish it on them and see how they got on.....but I wouldn't wish it on anyone....

It has been a recurring problem for me.....I have have had medication in the past, when first diagnosed, along with very good counselling.

On the second occasion, I had no medication, but again received very good counselling.

Currently I believe I am very down, but just about coping......

All the episodes I think, were triggered by critical events in my life. I also learnt a while back that my Father was depressive, and gather that this may be hereditary.

I learnt and developed coping strategies, and also learnt the little alarm bells/early warnings to look out for......they do help enormously.......it's just a shame that this time around, I was too busy and engrossed in my move back/house renovation, to notice them......and crashed and got a little burnt.....

Medication is not the definitive cure (there isn't one really) but good counselling (talking therapy) is very often a great way forward. It depends greatly on your individual GP' s attitude and resources to help you, rather than just doling out tablets, and hoping you'll go away.....I know I was mega lucky with my GP.. ..

As a family on here, we confronted Uncles life changing events, and supported him and others through them.....lets hope that mental health problems can receive the same open and caring support......

I'm sure they will....

[Thomas61]

Hi,
This is definitely something that should a open subject. A very positive step Don simon, we as blokes should talk more.

We were shown this video at some training I attended late last year and one that I actually thought was well put together and at least to me thought provoking.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc

[don simon]

Hi,
This is definitely something that should a open subject. A very positive step Don simon, we as blokes should talk more.

We were shown this video at some training I attended late last year.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc

I'm sacred to death about talking about it at work, as a glorified salesman I'm supposed to be upfront and confident, which I am (and which has no connection with depression). I also know that there is a strong likelyhood that it'll be misunderstood (it has happened in the past with a company that claims to have stong links with mental health charities and a strong internal mental health policy). I mentioned to my previous employer that their mental health policy was failing (me), and they responded that I was talking rubbish and that the policy was robust. That really makes you want to talk about it and be concerned about companies that promote mental health policies.

There's enough people out there talking about it that I feel quite confident discussing it now..... Just not at work....
Hopefully it is positive.
We all have something wrong with us, my failure is depression. :D

Thanks for the replies.

[Banshee]

PM'd mate :thumbs

[don simon]

PM'd mate :thumbs
Replied. MWUAK!

[johnb5177]

There's enough people out there talking about it that I feel quite confident discussing it now..... Just not at work....
Hopefully it is positive.
We all have something wrong with us, my failure is depression. :D

Thanks for the replies.

Don, Your depression IS NOT YOUR FAILURE.......

It is merely the side effect of submicroscopic trace elements missing, causing a reaction.....thats a bit of science out of the way......

I'm a big hairy lumberjack, so what ! What you are doesn't make you who you are...

So don't tell work, tell your friends, your family (this one included) and certainly if they have the regard they should have for you, they will listen and try to help.....

[don simon]

Don, Your depression IS NOT YOUR FAILURE.......

It is merely the side effect of submicroscopic trace elements missing, causing a reaction.....thats a bit of science out of the way......

I'm a big hairy lumberjack, so what ! What you are doesn't make you who you are...

So don't tell work, tell your friends, your family (this one included) and certainly if they have the regard they should have for you, they will listen and try to help.....
That was an attempt at humour.
Tell my family!!!!! THEY'RE THE MAJOR KERFUFFLING CAUSE OF IT!!!!! :eek:
:D

[johnb5177]

No humour Don, sorry to hear that bit of news.....but I can understand that....

[Wheelie]

I have never suffered with depression so I can’t comment much but I guess finding the root cause is a good place to start and work from there, sorry to hear your suffering
Regards

[jims-terrano]

Agreed with what has been said and whole heartedly agree that blokes don’t talk enough, this is one thing uncle has left us all with. It’s all too often brushed under the carpet which is utter crap. The black dog often pops along unexpectedly and it’s right that people should talk about it.
I also believe that meds are not always the answer but good friends are.

[Blocky10]

I too do not and have not suffered with depression, as far as I'm aware, but if I did have a problem I thought I couldn't share with anyone close to me, I would be visiting my doctor.
They are supposed to be professionals and I'd hope, guide me in the right direction.
As already said DS, you've got a head start on it sharing your thoughts here.
All the best and carry on looking after No. 1 :thumbs

[jims-terrano]

One problem is recognising you have a problem and then having a clear enough thought process and confidence to go to the doctors. That’s one reason why people suffer in silence. What a hell of a place we have here guys, I’ve seen it evolve and change over the years and mature into the place we all have here. Long may the place last.

[Blocky10]

That's because we're all that bit older and wiser:grouphug

[Jay666d]

I love to see the support given on this site... Makes me feel all warm inside! (& I've been accused more than once for not having any feeling; 'Emotionally Void' was the exact wording!)

It takes a huge amount of bravery to tell others about it, so I commend you (and others on this thread!) for that! :bow

It's hard to find the words to say, because being of a 'Sunny Disposition' I could come across as being a bit too light hearted about the matter!

I had no dealing with depression/mental health, until my last girlfriend. Up to that point, I'm ashamed to say that I could of fell into the category of those who would flippantly say 'Just think positive...' and other such cliche nonsense! :(

She really did open my eyes to the whole thing... And I honestly wish you all the best! Look out for those signs of dips, know your triggers... It's already been said, but I don't know too much more than that.

I was like a spotter for my now ex girlfriend, I knew the signs and her triggers, but all to often would still fall short!

Anyway, I could waffle... You know that as a big family, we're always here to lend an ear. (Or an eye if we're reading!)

[terranosaurusdoug]

It's crippling lately, that with a heavy dose of anxiety I'm struggling to work.

[solarman216]

Sorry to hear about this and even more sorry that you have no family to call on for support, but you do have this family and in some ways can be more beneficial than the natural one, I have not experienced depression myself, but I can see that I could if I worried about workload or the mounting things that need doing at home, but one of the things that helps me is the fact I have an abismal short term memory, I suffer from tinnitus and can understand how it can drive people mad, but I have the ability to turn off from it, occupational therapy is to my mind the best "medicine" for both tinnitus and depression, you have made the first steps and are now discussing it, well done but I also think that work mates are not the ones to be confiding in, best regards Rick

[don simon]

It's crippling lately, that with a heavy dose of anxiety I'm struggling to work.
Talk about it, mate, you're amongst friends here. I've pm'ed you and you gave me the strength to start this thread.:eek:

[macabethiel]

My late Mum was what they used to call a Manic Depressive now called Bipolar Disorder, she refused medical treatment so had a pretty miserable life a lot of the time - that impacted on all of us when we lived at home.

I had one quite serious bout of Depression in 1985/6 that was job triggered it lasted about 8 months in total before a combination of medication & therapy sorted me.

My therapy consisted of Diary keeping where I would write a daily log of my fears when I got up and how the day worked out before I went to bed. Over time I could see my own improvements as I overcame my negative thoughts. Thankfully that has been the only time I needed medical intervention. As you know Depression is not just being a bit low in yourself it is a downward spiral with seemingly no end in sight often with no attributable cause.

My Brother has been on medication for mood swings for about 20 years.
He still takes Seratoin Uptake Inhibitors to manage his brain chemistry as we call it. The medication helps but his big break through came with Cognative Behavioural Therapy (CBT) though it took years for him to find a practitioner in the private sector that was any good.

CBT is quite a complex concept, it is not a one size fits all solution needing a skilled Psychiatrist to identify the causes of depression and come up with a treatment plan that works. I bought a book on the subject a few years ago in the hope of understanding more about it but it was very heavy reading and despite at least half a dozen reads I still find CBT very difficult to comprehend. I cant even begin to describe how it works but it does for many people.

You will find your GP can get you the help you need as well as finding the right medication to sort out the problem with your brain chemistry.

[jims-terrano]

Ironically this morning an email came through at work informing us that in May there is Mental Health week. My work place are having events to mark this, a very clued up place and supportive employer too and much as politically correctness would say it is wrong the place is a male dominated environment. Anyway here are a couple of links the email had.

Living with the Black Dog Of depression https://youtu.be/XiCrniLQGYc

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/

[don simon]

Ironically this morning an email came through at work informing us that in May there is Mental Health week. My work place are having events to mark this, a very clued up place and supportive employer too and much as politically correctness would say it is wrong the place is a male dominated environment. Anyway here are a couple of links the email had.

Living with the Black Dog Of depression https://youtu.be/XiCrniLQGYc

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
:clap :clap :clap :clap :clap

[jims-terrano]

Well guys it’s Mental Health Awareness week and as promised my employer has been running events to mark this. Today I went to the Mental Health Awareness Session over lunchtime. There was a guest speaker Jon Moss premiership referee, what a great bloke he is and has his fair share of stress on the pitch and off including his daytime job. There was a lot of info about health and fitness along with try out sessions for different ways of exercise. There was also a free lunch:augie
One thing that struck me is that a good diet can help tremendously with mood and outlook, apparently Omega3 is key which is not just oily fish but also walnuts are a large source of it.

Just thought it was a good subject to bump due the nature of this week.

Hope you’re feeling ok at the moment mate.

[zephyr]

I think it's time to start dealing with this, and fitst thing is to get it out there and say that I have been diagnosed with depression.

...Recently I'm steps behind from other members, but just read this post. Sorry to hear about this but I praise your courage and I appreciate you what you shared how you are. Hope you are doing good.

As my partner used to have depression, I understand how hard things can be. Although it really depends on how it comes out, how heavy it is, how your circumstances are, in my very humble opinion most of people who have/had depression that I have met, are someone who usually makes their best effort, trying things to be perfect, have a higher expectation on things that she/he is dealing with, very thoughtful on people/things. So all who are hard workers:bow

My partner's case was she had so many things to deal with, making her best efforts with all things she had ended up physical impacts on her body like pain/burning sensation with her shoulder, neck, back, then it came down to her arms, legs. She had to be off work for three months+. At that time I had a bit of problem to face the situation to support her. (I thought I'm like J-Tac, me too, I'm sometimes too light hearted. Looks like I have a laugh tolerance at quite low so it is easy to make me laugh) But in the end I have learnt but not 100%, to support her. When she's in a depression mode, she could get easily cry, shout or with pains over her body. But as she started to take medication; citalopram, she started changing her mood gradually for over long period of time to get back to how she was before depression happened.

Now she's fine (but easily can get pains all over her neck, shoulder, back so we are very careful about it), though sometimes she can get very stressed and unhappy when things didn't go well. Still I'm not doing 100% good to deal with her mood, sometimes something I do/I say would make things worse, but I think we are doing ok.

Thanks, Jim for reminding Mental Health Awareness week.

[don simon]

I guess it's time for an update and give thanks for the words of support, the light at the end of the tunnel isn't always an oncoming train... :D
It's good that you can be open about it at work Jim, I think that working in sales is a bit different and that there is so little understanding that depression would be seen as a weakness. I tend to look at as being challenging and character building, that when days go well that I look to see how the days went well and try and replicate this.
That might actually be normal for most.
This last week has been brilliant, and the weather has played a major part. I have done more cycling this last week than in the rest of the year. Exercise is important, and as Jim knows, diet is important. I think we know that I already take my food seriously and try not to eat rubbish, even when out and about camping.
So part of the self improvement is putting a greater priority on cycling, it has taken a bit of a backseat due to weather and work, I'm developing a strategy for when the weather is rubbish and when I'm working away from home.

One of the things I missed when I was in Spain was music. There's a huge amount of rubbish Spanish music out there, but thanks to 6 Music, I'm getting back into it.

As I said, this week has been good and one of the reasons has been that I've been busy, so guess what my objective is now.
Again that's probably normal for most, but a little insight into the thought process is connected into the point of doing things and it becomes a downward spiral. What's the point of ironing a shirt? It'll only get dirty and creased.
What's the point in doing the washing up? Plates will only get dirty again, just clean the ones that you need.
What's the point in hoovering? Etc, etc.
It's a negative thought process that makes inactivity a very easy option.
Training myself to think differently is a challenge, but so far, so good.

I'm trying to deal with things on my own, there is no family support because those barstewards are one of the contributory factors. I found a packet of Cilatropram last week and was tempted to open it, but I see that as a failure, I didn't need tablets to help me get depressed, I shouldn't need them to get me out of here.

I'm not sure if any of that makes sense, but it's kind of good to get it out there.

Thanks for the positive replies and feedback. :clap :bow

[RJL Services]

i suffer with severe depression for the last 5 years and tablets is all the doctor offers i did take them for the first year and found myself not being able to do anything that i used to do or make any type of descision i ditch them one day and suffered a severe withdraw from them the shakes was the worst but now i do feel better without them but still suffer from the depression and due to other health issues meant i had to retire but having time on your hands is the worst bit i find but try and stay positive and focused does help and even if it just setting little goals to get done does help to but the wait for any kind of therapy around me is a long one i have been waiting a year now for cbt with no help insight yet but do find my monthly talk with my therapist lady really helps me to gives me drive so the next time i see her i have acheived what she had set out for me

[Blocky10]

Well those 2 posts are full of positivity :D
Glad you're feeling better about yourselves.
Just reading this thread is helpful:thumbs

[johnb5177]

It is sometimes so very difficult to be or gain positives.....but they are there, we somehow cannot see through the fog...good friends help, as does exercise and good diet, as stated in previous posts.
I have been able to organise myself again, and returned to twice weekly sessions in a gym and pool....feeling the difference already.
My son in law is going through another bout of depression, and trying to help him......nearly the blind leading the blind....except in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king......
This site is so good, so much support from an extended family....:bow :bow :bow

[zippy656]

Your not the only one.

There are more of us than your ever think.

Subjects like this on a 4x4 site? Just shows how much we think of everyone here. Its not easy to stand up and some things. To family or friends.

I'm glad to say I know what causes mine, even better to know what helps me. Not all the family that's for sure! But friends, some I've not even met yet, friends here I feel help a lot more than they will ever know.

[johnb5177]

:thumb2

[macabethiel]

I'm trying to deal with things on my own, there is no family support because those barstewards are one of the contributory factors. I found a packet of Cilatropram last week and was tempted to open it, but I see that as a failure, I didn't need tablets to help me get depressed, I shouldn't need them to get me out of here.

I'm not sure if any of that makes sense, but it's kind of good to get it out there.

Thanks for the positive replies and feedback. :clap :bow

Good weather always helps with mild depression (e.g. SAD) and of course exercise releases endorphins that affect mood in a positive way as does having sex. The brain is a complex organ that is really not well understood, it is sensitive to chemical changes that affect the circuitry & thus how you feel.

You should not see taking medication if it is prescribed by your GP as a failure, quite the reverse it takes courage to visit your GP and get help .

Just like you might have a vitamin injection for certain conditions as your body is lacking in certain nutrients (hence need for a balanced diet) so the brain sometimes causes physical manifestations like depression due to chemicals like serotonin being either too high or too low. Drugs such as S.U.I.'s can fix the brain function over time, some drugs work better with some and not others it is a bit trial and error. That said nothing ventured nothing gained.

You might be able to tough it out with self help and recover much like a bad sore throat often gets better without antibiotics. But the question I ask myself is can I avoid another sore throat by addressing the cause and treat the cause rather than the symptom.
This why CBT can help.

Not trying to preach or be smart just giving an opinion based on my personal journey through the last 70 years as a flawed human being

[perelaar]

Don Simon, glad to hear things are going a bit better for you. Can't offer any meaningful advice as I have no experience with depression, but if you want to leave things behind for a few days and visit the land of Kafka, chocolate and beer I'm very willing to share some proper beers with you here in Belgium!