[vcoheda]

medication and therapy.

 

[Spiritboxer]

Fatal
A good friend who is chronically depressed is taking meds that have been astonishingly effective. Don't know what it is but I can find out. Of course as someone mentioned it's only a temporary fix and an opportunity to build a solid base to stand on.
I've been doing Tai Chi for many years and over the last four I've been close to death several times. Started by rupturing part of my intestinal tract and almost bled to death, after surgery had two pulmonary embolisms hit my lungs which should have killed me but didn't. Two months out of the hospital I had a stroke and it was back to the hospital where they overmedicated me so I fell and broke my back.
A year later I was pretty much recovered but then it was discovered I had cancer (the doc called me and told me over the phone). That's when I lost it, felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. Surprisingly enough, fifteen minutes later I was fine, Went through radiation, two years of chemo (the worse, I swear to god) and here I am six months after my last chemo session, alive and well and working to get back on my feet.
Look, the Tai Chi gave me balance, strongly rooted me so nothing could knock me down for any long period of time. This or perhaps some other discipline about balance like yoga, for example can give you what you need to stand up strong and not be swayed.
This is not a short time solution, it takes years but if you can find a way to stablize yourself and have the commitment to work at it, it can be done. I'm living proof of this. This is my 998 post I believe, I'm shooting for 1k and then I'm pretty much gone from here for the most part. Trained as a hospice volunteer at Beth Isreal and soon I'll be strong enough to go back and do other things I have in mind as well.
Anyway I wish you well, there are many folks on the west coast who can counsel you further on this particular path. Look for them, they'll help.
Be Blessed, there's always hope,
Carlos

 

[manaox2]

I have cycles where I get depressed at times and feel like its too late. Whether it is or it isn't, its always worth a try to go down fighting. You do not deserve to suffer, even though you may feel like you do sometimes.

First off, maybe see the school guidance, counseling or psychiatry center so that they can offer some advice and help with the grade situation. The advice on talking to your professors is also good, they generally care and many understand the situation and its seriousness. If you do not find help in this route, your GPA may be saved at least to ease the suffering.

I have felt how hard it is to get out of bed and have to deal with anything when I feel depressed. I have felt like I'm already in so deep, what use is there to do anything now. I really do not feel like I want to see or talk to anyone, yet have wished someone would still try to talk to me as odd as that sounds. The feeling that no one notices or understands why its happening, sometimes even myself. It feels out of control; like being disoriented in a burning building with the smoke that makes you disoriented and weak, but you feel like you'll die if you give in. Medication really does not help sometimes either.

Talk to your family also if possible. Its good that you are not ignoring it and seems like a really good sign. I really have dropped people I have thought were my friends and started over a few times now. It saddened me deeply. I became a person who focused more upon myself to build my own confidence and then when I didn't care about what others thought any longer because I myself was proud, it seems like people cared more about me.

Depression can become a slippery slope with a self-perpetuating cycle. I find exercise is my best means of keeping my world together, but it seems so extremely hard to get the motivation. It is, but it is an amazing change when the pheromones hit after a workout time to time. People have told me almost hundreds of times how it has made me seem like a different person in a happy manner. I have a hard time sharing myself because I'm sure most know what its like to have a negative conversation of any manner, it makes some things uncomfortable. It is necessary to find someone who cares and someone to share.

I also have some social anxiety and feel horrible to imagine that I may have been beaten. It helps to focus on certain long term goals and then make a plan to get back to them. A real plan makes things much easier to follow. Rank things towards your long term goals to form intermediate and short term goals. Don't fret over getting everything done, focus on the relative few important things and then move down the rack from there to the many fairly important before going to the many less important that can wait. With a plan like that, you know that you did your best and can sleep easily with the plan you already are making for the next day. That way you can track things as they get better.

As for the drugs, they make you feel artificial. Its like Sheryl Crow once said, "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad. If it makes you happy, why the hell are you so sad?" The drugs just aren't you and no matter how they influence what you become, your feelings are what you have when your in your head and you can hide, but you can't run. Don't bother, just getting away from them may (perhaps should) inspire you to get back on your horse. I'm sure you already know that you are capable of things that you imagine, no matter if you have had some failures. Get your needs taken care of, and then your wants can fall into place. I care very much man, I wouldn't wish these feelings upon my worst enemy. You will be a very strong person from becoming determined to get through this.

 

[m11a1]

I hate to say this but, I would never rely on mediations. It's something that I truly believe could affect you positively and negatively so it's not guaranteed to always work. What I found to be the more efficient was having the courage to have a stronger mindset. The environment is also very supportive if it's in the right place. I suppose it's hard for me to come up with advice because I was only lightly depressed a while ago for a good long four months. I was heartbroken by a girl that I was deeply in love with and after what happened I lost all interest in life, I even dropped out of college. I didn't care at the fact that I wanted to be a heart surgeon anymore, I was constantly rude to people, angered when thoughts of her reappeared.

Well, I'm much better now, I did a lot of things I get rid of my depression. I meet new people, I found new hobbies, I started exercising, I made new goals in life. In fact, at times I would drive to a cliff at the border of my city and I would yell at the top of my lungs towards to the city, I found that very relieving.

I don't know, all I know is that, there's always hope for everyone.

 

[stevenkelby]

Posting this was a great step in the right direction. Asking for help is the first step toward getting it, and most people are very willing to help with anything you need. Don't be scared to ask for help in your "real" life too.

Hang in there, some day you'll look back be glad you got through this.

 

[ken36]

Join NA. Make a call. Go to a meeting.

 

[gmoffatt]

If you have a deficiency of seratonin between your neurons, no amount of attitude change or talk therapy is going to fix it. Sometimes medication is a necessary part of the therapy. People that say that medication is a band-aid don't understand what clinical depression is. Sure there are side-effects, but the idea is to control the depression and then work to reduce or eliminate the drugs.

 

[dj_mocok]

You should be a bit more confident with what you can achieve and don't easily give up. Failing all classes in one semester is no big deal as long as you are willing to try harder and try to put a bit of extra discipline like at least study a week before exam or don't hold off assignments too long.

I finally got my bachelor degree at the age of 29, and in total, I think I have wasted 4 years of failing classes combined. (from high school, college, and Uni combined - mostly due to being lazy, partying too much, personal problems or whatnot). And this is not counting the extra years I spent doing bugger-all. So your case isn't as bad as mine. Just keep trying!

Friend-wise, I've learned the hard way that in these days of age, getting even one true friend can be a needle in a haystack. So just get your social (casual) connection going, but try not to get too attached or put too much into your friendship. I don't mean that you should be a selfish prick, but what I mean is, try not to think that your friends will 100% do whatever it takes to help you when the chips are down.

Most of them probably don't mind doing some small favours every now and then, but never ever expect them to be in the "jump the bridge with you" friendship level. You'll feel much less pressure (and less disappointment ) in friendship if you don't expect too much from them.

I'm not a psychiatrist, but if you asked me to assume, I think your whole problem lies in lack of self confidence and you are selling yourself short. Believe in yourself a bit more.

Man, you're 18 - you still hold the priviledge of being able to redo and start everything from scratch for many many more times compared to us older farts.
So don't try to think so much about difficult and complicated things, just enjoy yourself, do what you gotta do, and just ride the life while you're still young and can still enjoy it. Trust me, I think lots of us 30+ or 40,50,60+ers, if given the chance to go back, would probably just really appreciate and enjoy our younger years, since it's not gonna happen twice in your life man.

So just enjoy it and don't get depressed, yeah? (and lay off the drugs, for pete's sake. it won't do you any good and you're just adding one more problem by using it)

PS: Study wise, I can understand if it feels like a chore. Man for me, every subject felt like a F---in chore to me. Just discipline yourself and get it done. Just put it this way, if you hate the study so much, then just toughen up, do it and get it over ASAP and kiss the ***** subject goodbye instead of NOT doing it and ended up having to redo it all over again.

Also your path of life isn't necessarily have to be the same like other people. Like now for example, if you feel bumped and no motivation to study, you can even take a WHOLE YEAR off, get a part time job or something, and rethink what you really want and what you really can do. You don't have to follow the flocks and try to finish/get your degree by 21 or something. Just take it easy, you're 18, it is expected that you will make mistakes. Learn from it but never ever give up but try to toughen yourself instead. It's all part of learning in your life to make you a better, stronger adult.

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmoffatt /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you have a deficiency of seratonin between your neurons, no amount of attitude change or talk therapy is going to fix it. Sometimes medication is a necessary part of the therapy. People that say that medication is a band-aid don't understand what clinical depression is. Sure there are side-effects, but the idea is to control the depression and then work to reduce or eliminate the drugs.

Clinical meds are for temporary treatment of imbalances for truly depressed people. This I understand. Pot, uppers, downers, (drugs) are party tools that will only lead you to fail. They only mask your problems and delay the responsibility of dealing with your issues.

Clinical depression is throughout my family. They are all on "clinical meds" and have been for years. I have thus far resisted these as I want to see life clearly, not as a zombie. One of the main themes my family seems to have is that in their world, life is unfair and has dealt them a bad hand. Most all their problems are because of the decisions they made. I have chosen to think less about me and realize how many others there are that truly have problems. Once I see the reality of my situation, it puts me back on track.

You won't have mom and dad to fall back on your entire life. You will pay dearly to have someone professionally pat you on the back every time you start feeling sorry for yourself. Once you are on your own, you have to develop by your self. That is a daunting task. But that is the fact of life. I think too many families keep their children as children far too long. When they have to start life on their own, they have no idea what to do.

Funny how most of our society is "cured" through pharmaceutical cures. What did we do before the drug companies solved our problems? Self discipline and building confidence in your abilities through making yourself a value in society is what helps balance your mental outlook. Self pity and laziness will kill you.

To the op, what is there to be depressed about at 18? You are at the start of your adult life. You have the whole world at your disposal. Just plan one day at a time. Address one issue thru to completion and build on it. In the mean time, try to give some love to others. That's what we were made for. When you don't do that, what purpose is there in life? Bluto's solution doesn't work.

Of course this is only one person's opinion.

 

[Fatal]

Thanks guys. I know now that it's best not to wallow in the events of the past, but to instead move forward to things that are yet to come.

 

[sleepkyng]

YouTube - Hakuna Matata(English)

 

[Carmantom]

One thing I have learned from being on this planet 57 years is that this is a topic for the professionals. Wrong advice could very well lead to the demise of a human life. I have suffered chronic clinical depression several times in my life. I cannot manage my life without the aid of medications.
A psychiatrist is trained in this area and can individually interpret and recommend a course of treatment. Sometimes that is not easily attained without several trial and errors with medication. I can tell you that when a proper course of medication and or therapy is reached, a whole new quality and meaning of life emerges. Please go see a psychiatrist and "Good Luck"

 

[m11a1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepkyng /img/forum/go_quote.gif YouTube - Hakuna Matata(English)

Thanks, that always cheer me up. Reminds me how carefree and easy life was when you're young.