Has anyone on NT suffered from diagnosed depression?

[so slickening]

I have a friend who I'm worried for and I want to see if anyone can shed some light from their perspective on what depression is in comparison to just regular sadness. I don't think he's considered it an actual health issue, he's just living life feeling severely

a little too often. Can someone share their experience with it?

 

[g14]

JUST LET THEM BE

THEY NEED SOME DEEP SOUL SEARCHING

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Soul searching yes, but being left alone, no. Leaving a depressed person alone leads to them committing suicide because they believe they have nothing in this world. If you want to help your friend you need to sit down with him, pick up the vice that you two enjoy (if you want), and have a serious discussion about life and why he feels the way he does. I'm a firm believer that almost anything in life can be solved with a great conversation.

Also, introduce him to the Eastern philosophies (meditation especially) and some uplifting literature written by Jack Kerouac and Paulo Coehlo.

 

[missdivadoll]

I have, but fortunately for me I had a lot of family around me at the time. They could see what was wrong and encouraged me to talk to my doctor about it. I talked with him and he put me on pristiq. I was on it for about 2 years before I was able to go off of it. It's really hard because for me, it was just a general feeling of hopelessness. No matter how hard I tried I felt like nothing would ever go right for me. After I was on the medication, I went through a period of feeling like a failure because I wasn't able to live life normally and needed medication to be able to function.

There are a lot of ups and downs with depression, even in the treatment state. I had a good support system though and was able to overcome it. Being someone that your friend can talk to is a good start. Maybe try some hotlines or talk to a mental health professional.

 

[an dee 51o]

I definitely have.

Make sure that you let him know that you're there for him if he needs to talk, but don't be pushy about it. A simple "Hey, how are things going?" text every once in a while could really help a lot.

Depression is different from normal sadness because it's constant. A good way to tell is if his normal patterns have seemed to change (sleeping more, not wanting to kick it, eating significantly more or less, disinterest in hobbies and things he likes doing, etc).

If it seems to be getting worse, suggest that he see someone. I know this is a tough issue to bring up, but a good way to say it is, "It's good to have a professional's opinion on things. They have a lot of experience dealing with depression, and they could probably help you out."

I honestly think that everyone should see a therapist regularly. They're highly trained and they do see a lot of things that a normal person, even a friend, isn't able to.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Originally Posted by MissDivaDoll

I have, but fortunately for me I had a lot of family around me at the time. They could see what was wrong and encouraged me to talk to my doctor about it. I talked with him and he put me on pristiq. I was on it for about 2 years before I was able to go off of it. It's really hard because for me, it was just a general feeling of hopelessness. No matter how hard I tried I felt like nothing would ever go right for me. After I was on the medication, I went through a period of feeling like a failure because I wasn't able to live life normally and needed medication to be able to function.

There are a lot of ups and downs with depression, even in the treatment state. I had a good support system though and was able to overcome it. Being someone that your friend can talk to is a good start. Maybe try some hotlines or talk to a mental health professional.

Did you ever try to sit down and remove those thoughts from your mind? Or were you constantly bombarded no matter how hard you tried?
Congrats, btw, on overcoming it.

 

[pr0phecy718]

when I saw Johnyredstorm replied in this thread, I was like "Oh boy, that aint surprising considering he's been a long time Mets, Knicks and Redstorm fan "

 

[so slickening]

Hey, thanks everyone for your responses. What I really wanted to know was how to tell the difference between diagnosable depression and just sadness. His bouts of being super bummed out all the time came after a really bad breakup that involved a lot of emotional twisting and turning, and in the end it got to him really bad. I don't know whether it's just something time will heal or that it's something more serious.

What symptoms to people with depression have that people with regular sadness don't?

Edit: I ask this because I'm not sure if depressed people are depressed all the time. When he hangs out he seems okay, but I know for a fact hearing from his closer friends that when he gets home and when he's alone he's a wreck.

 

[missdivadoll]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

Originally Posted by MissDivaDoll

I have, but fortunately for me I had a lot of family around me at the time. They could see what was wrong and encouraged me to talk to my doctor about it. I talked with him and he put me on pristiq. I was on it for about 2 years before I was able to go off of it. It's really hard because for me, it was just a general feeling of hopelessness. No matter how hard I tried I felt like nothing would ever go right for me. After I was on the medication, I went through a period of feeling like a failure because I wasn't able to live life normally and needed medication to be able to function.

There are a lot of ups and downs with depression, even in the treatment state. I had a good support system though and was able to overcome it. Being someone that your friend can talk to is a good start. Maybe try some hotlines or talk to a mental health professional.

Did you ever try to sit down and remove those thoughts from your mind? Or were you constantly bombarded no matter how hard you tried?
Congrats, btw, on overcoming it.

Trust me, I tried everything before going on medication. Most days though, I would lay in bed, cry and eat. I'm an emotional eater so I ended up gaining weight around this time which made me even more depressed because then I hated myself even more for being so big. I was sleeping 10-12 hours a day and just couldn't function without having negative thoughts and feelings. I've fought depression most of my life, starting from when I was 11 years old.

Edit: Btw, thanks/ When I look back at myself then compared to now I almost don't even recognize that other person.

 

[ryair max 1]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

Soul searching yes, but being left alone, no. Leaving a depressed person alone leads to them committing suicide because they believe they have nothing in this world. If you want to help your friend you need to sit down with him, pick up the vice that you two enjoy (if you want), and have a serious discussion about life and why he feels the way he does. I'm a firm believer that almost anything in life can be solved with a great conversation.

Also, introduce him to the Eastern philosophies (meditation especially) and some uplifting literature written by Jack Kerouac and Paulo Coehlo.

 Man I learned this all too well just recently.

I found out a pretty good friend of mine tried to kill himself a few weeks ago. I hadn't talked to him in a while because of a new job that has kept me busy and then I find out he is an ICU unit after trying to jump off a bridge and trying to set him self on fire. I'm just like damn...he is still laying in a medically induced coma with burns over 60% of his body. His fam isn't letting any of his friends visit either.  I was helping him train for the Army and I tried to call him up a few days before he was scheduled to leave but got no response thinking he might have left early for basic. He left a note with my name in it saying he was going to miss us. I feel like I wish I could have talked to him more. It gets to me but I got so much other stuff to worry about I can't let it get to me that much.

Also, my mother suffers from clinical depression. It has made life difficult for everyone because we don't know what she is going to do sometimes. She's left more than a few notes over the years depicting graphic details about her funeral. I sometimes don't know how to deal with them because sometimes they seem like suicide notes. Her depression often gets in the way of her productivity relating to professional, social, family, and personal agendas. Its a roller coaster, especially when she is so depressed she stops taking her medication. She often lets her depression run her but the only thing we (my family and I) is just try to be there for her and help her out. She's been good for the last few months but we never know what might happen.

Depression is a %$%$!...I wouldn't wish that on anybody because it makes people feel hopeless and can make them do drastic, scary *%#! if they feel like they have nothing left.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Originally Posted by pr0phecy718

when I saw Johnyredstorm replied in this thread, I was like "Oh boy, that aint surprising considering he's been a long time Mets, Knicks and Redstorm fan "

I'm invincible to it now

I honestly think that everyone should see a therapist regularly. They're highly trained and they do see a lot of things that a normal person, even a friend, isn't able to.
I'm a little torn on whether or not a therapist is necessary. I feel like self-analysis/awareness of self and meditation could be as beneficial. I wonder if depression is as prevalent in the East as it is here; might need to do a little research.

Edit: Btw, thanks/ When I look back at myself then compared to now I almost don't even recognize that other person.
That's awesome to hear, this new person sounds like someone fun to be around

I found out a pretty good friend of mine tried to kill himself a few weeks ago. I hadn't talked to him in a while because of a new job that has kept me busy and then I find out he is an ICU unit after trying to jump off a bridge and trying to set him self on fire. I'm just like damn...he is still laying in a medically induced coma with burns over 60% of his body. His fam isn't letting any of his friends visit either.  I was helping him train for the Army and I tried to call him up a few days before he was scheduled to leave but got no response thinking he might have left early for basic. He left a note with my name in it saying he was going to miss us. I feel like I wish I could have talked to him more. It gets to me but I got so much other stuff to worry about I can't let it get to me that much.
Damn dude, I'm sorry to hear that. Look at it this way, though, since he's alive you've got a second chance to talk to him more and be there for him. Hope everything works out well with your mother as well.

 

[norcalhussla]

What are the best drugs to help depression? Not trying to take ones that turn u into a zombie tho.

 

[an dee 51o]

Originally Posted by NORCALHUSSLA

What are the best drugs to help depression? Not trying to take ones that turn u into a zombie tho.

There are a ton of different ones on the market. I personally HATE pharm companies, but honestly a lot of antidepressants actually work. It really depends on you, and whether you have bipolar or unipolar depression. I've been on a bunch of different stuff that didn't work, but Seroquel turned out to be the best fit for me. It WILL make you zombie-status though, so I usually take it before I go to sleep. If I take it during the day I'm walking around like

all day.

 

[ryair max 1]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

I found out a pretty good friend of mine tried to kill himself a few weeks ago. I hadn't talked to him in a while because of a new job that has kept me busy and then I find out he is an ICU unit after trying to jump off a bridge and trying to set him self on fire. I'm just like damn...he is still laying in a medically induced coma with burns over 60% of his body. His fam isn't letting any of his friends visit either.  I was helping him train for the Army and I tried to call him up a few days before he was scheduled to leave but got no response thinking he might have left early for basic. He left a note with my name in it saying he was going to miss us. I feel like I wish I could have talked to him more. It gets to me but I got so much other stuff to worry about I can't let it get to me that much.

Damn dude, I'm sorry to hear that. Look at it this way, though, since he's alive you've got a second chance to talk to him more and be there for him. Hope everything works out well with your mother as well.

Thanks for the good word. I'm def going to take the opportunity to be there and talk to him. But like I said, his family isn't letting anyone come through so I don't even know when I'll be able to see him. The messed up part is that a few of his other friends think that his family that pushed him over the edge. They always thought he was a burn out but he turned himself around within the last year and a half with great grades, getting accepted to a decent school, and a few other good things, but they still thought he was full of *%+# and said forget him.

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by MissDivaDoll

Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

Originally Posted by MissDivaDoll

I have, but fortunately for me I had a lot of family around me at the time. They could see what was wrong and encouraged me to talk to my doctor about it. I talked with him and he put me on pristiq. I was on it for about 2 years before I was able to go off of it. It's really hard because for me, it was just a general feeling of hopelessness. No matter how hard I tried I felt like nothing would ever go right for me. After I was on the medication, I went through a period of feeling like a failure because I wasn't able to live life normally and needed medication to be able to function.

There are a lot of ups and downs with depression, even in the treatment state. I had a good support system though and was able to overcome it. Being someone that your friend can talk to is a good start. Maybe try some hotlines or talk to a mental health professional.

Did you ever try to sit down and remove those thoughts from your mind? Or were you constantly bombarded no matter how hard you tried?
Congrats, btw, on overcoming it.

Trust me, I tried everything before going on medication. Most days though, I would lay in bed, cry and eat. I'm an emotional eater so I ended up gaining weight around this time which made me even more depressed because then I hated myself even more for being so big. I was sleeping 10-12 hours a day and just couldn't function without having negative thoughts and feelings. I've fought depression most of my life, starting from when I was 11 years old.

Edit: Btw, thanks/ When I look back at myself then compared to now I almost don't even recognize that other person.

Did they put you on MAOIs? Good to hear you're getting better.

 

[missdivadoll]

No it wasn't an MAOI. It was called pristine and the actual name for it was desvenlafaxine or something like that. I think it was an SNRI but I'd have to google it. I've been off it for over a year now so I don't really remember.

 

[mytmouse76]

I have a friend who is depressed. It's hard to deal with. Sometimes I find myself not talking to her cuz it's so draining on me to be so worried about her & I have to distance myself from the situation. The most you can do is just be there for them.

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by MissDivaDoll

No it wasn't an MAOI. It was called pristine and the actual name for it was desvenlafaxine or something like that. I think it was an SNRI but I'd have to google it. I've been off it for over a year now so I don't really remember.

Cool, I just noticed you said you were eating and sleeping a lot which are signs of atypical depression. Typical depression manifests as lack of sleep and appetite. They usually prescrible MAOI for atypical. Sry if I'm rambling, I just learned this stuff and it's pretty interesting to me

Glad ur ok tho.

 

[millionuppercuts]

Originally Posted by mytmouse76

I have a friend who is depressed. It's hard to deal with. Sometimes I find myself not talking to her cuz it's so draining on me to be so worried about her & I have to distance myself from the situation. The most you can do is just be there for them.

You sure that's your friend?

 

[missdivadoll]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by MissDivaDoll

No it wasn't an MAOI. It was called pristine and the actual name for it was desvenlafaxine or something like that. I think it was an SNRI but I'd have to google it. I've been off it for over a year now so I don't really remember.

Cool, I just noticed you said you were eating and sleeping a lot which are signs of atypical depression. Typical depression manifests as lack of sleep and appetite. They usually prescrible MAOI for atypical. Sry if I'm rambling, I just learned this stuff and it's pretty interesting to me

Glad ur ok tho.

No, it's cool. That's very interesting because I didn't know that myself. When I took the medication though, I did notice that I felt more energetic and focused and it definitely kept my mood swings under control. I also felt restless, lack of concentration and had zero attention span and couldn't focus. When I took the meds, all of that went away as well. I kinda wondered if maybe I had adult adhd but the doctor told me I didn't.

 

[buggz05]

This: Depression sucks. It will always be there, it doesn't go away, you have to learn to live. You can still be happy, when you're depressed.

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by MissDivaDoll

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by MissDivaDoll

No it wasn't an MAOI. It was called pristine and the actual name for it was desvenlafaxine or something like that. I think it was an SNRI but I'd have to google it. I've been off it for over a year now so I don't really remember.

Cool, I just noticed you said you were eating and sleeping a lot which are signs of atypical depression. Typical depression manifests as lack of sleep and appetite. They usually prescrible MAOI for atypical. Sry if I'm rambling, I just learned this stuff and it's pretty interesting to me

Glad ur ok tho.

No, it's cool. That's very interesting because I didn't know that myself. When I took the medication though, I did notice that I felt more energetic and focused and it definitely kept my mood swings under control. I also felt restless, lack of concentration and had zero attention span and couldn't focus. When I took the meds, all of that went away as well. I kinda wondered if maybe I had adult adhd but the doctor told me I didn't.

lack of focus and concentration are symptoms of depression, you didnt have adhd. For example depressed students usually see a fall in their performance due to lack of focus due to preoccupation with negative thoughts and lack of motivation