Depression

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

I'm with mooncat. Excellent advice

[Rainbowmonkey]

I'm with mooncat. Excellent advice

Yes. I particularly like what he said about anxiety being a physiological response and the benefits of exercise. I've saved your post, thanks mooncat.

[kevin04]

Agree, Mooncat great post.

Just repeating things a bit, but if you are feeling shitty - go for a walk, cycle, do 20 press ups right from the get go, go clean out or paint that old shed you have always planned, re-arrange shit, play a sport or read a book, start up a new project or do some online classes.

If still feeling shitty after that - best to go to the docs. Everyone is different, but for mild depression much of it can be helped through diet, exercise and even just having a routine.

If lonely, try looking at clubs or places to go. There's a ton of free stuff going on all over the UK too - do stuff and even if it's boring like art galleries, town hustings, car boot sales - go check what's out there.
Try stuff too. If you've always fancied a sport, hobby - go do it, give it a crack and see how it goes.

All the best.

[AlcoholBrazil]

If you've always fancied a sport, hobby - go do it, give it a crack and see how it goes.
All the best.

Failing all the above, join Chess.com and enter The Official TalkForum Chess Tournament.
Pit your mind against the legends.

[johnnyboy45]

You are all good people giving good advice on a horrible, very horrible condition. Keep it up and bless this forum.

[m4 colin]

Thank you for your thoughts and kind words.

I will be looking into therapy/counselling.

i would advise avoiding the doctor if at all possible they will put you on anti depressant medication which dont work and create many more problems than they help. Have you got any animals ? a dog or cat can be very therapeutic so can gentle exercise like Tai Chi yoga or just walking also meditation might help.

You can always PM me or any of the more laid back members we'd all be glad to give you a little time and talk things over with you.

[kevin04]

Colin, did you not post up some over the counter thing that worked a few months back that you bought from Amazon. Could well be worth a try too for the OP if he's not wanting to go to the docs.

[m4 colin]

Colin, did you not post up some over the counter thing that worked a few months back that you bought from Amazon. Could well be worth a try too for the OP if he's not wanting to go to the docs.

Oh yes lithium orotate Yes its as cheap as chips and works as quick as a bullet It certainly did wonders for me !

[kevin04]

Colin, did you not post up some over the counter thing that worked a few months back that you bought from Amazon. Could well be worth a try too for the OP if he's not wanting to go to the docs.

Oh yes lithium orotate Yes its as cheap as chips and works as quick as a bullet It certainly did wonders for me !

Cheers, Colin.

[cahill]

ilk. The fact that you're able to function, carrying on working, attending social functions, you've found a new job which presumably means you've filled application forms in and had an interview, I actually don't think you're depressed. Depressed people really can't function in ways which you describe. My experience of GPs is that they'll turn to medication which in some cases can bring relief. You've had some good advice on here especially CBT. Some GPs are enlightened and again you have to figure in the postcode lottery and what's available in you area. If you think your GP would listen and you feel able to assert yourself with him/her ask to be referred into psychology and/or a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist. Make sure it is a CBT therapist not just a nurse (although many nurses are CBT specialists) who's done 3 months at University on a short course, CBT is used for lots of psychological conditions. Alternatively you could ask for a psychology assessment which could sign post where you need to go for a particular and specific therapy.

Keep exercising, watch the alcohol 'cos that's a depressant.

Are you sleeping or do you have trouble getting to sleep or waking early ? Are you tearful, irritable, appetite ok ?

[imavinoops]

Thank you for your thoughts and kind words.

I will be looking into therapy/counselling.

All the very best M8, Just hope you get some good people to help you, I suffer from anxiety and have had counselling, the fuckers fell asleep when I was spilling my guts to them, made me feel 10 times worse. It makes me either sick or extremely angry, adrenaline overload, but things are better now, I have tabs and they seem to take the steam away,still prone to some mad moments, some cunt in a taxi was outside my house with clattery diesel engine running at 5am, I came out and the fucker laughed at me, that's it,went over to the taxi and he laughed again and locked himself in, I thought fuck it I'll punch the cunt through the fucking window, he shit himself and tried to squash me against a garden wall with the car, I didnt feel a thing, I was fucked the next day though! Not enough people come out and say/admit these things, well done and good luck M8!.

[m4 colin]

Ancient Greek and Roman Doctors prescribed moderately severe whippings for depression and this has been tried out in modern day Russia apparently with great success. It said that the whipper must be the opposite sex to the whippee and the whipping must be severe enough to draw a little blood. Must be the Endorphin rush

[henrycrs]

I must first apologize for the content of this thread, I, like I suppose everyone else, visit this forum for some light relief and this subject stands in stark contrast to that. I am not the type of person to extemporize about my feelings publicly, however, I would like to make an exception in this case.

I find myself in a bit of a rut, I have always been a pessimist (ironically I consider it a positive thing), and I have in my life experienced terribly dark feelings, but for the past six months I have been feeling depressed. In this time, I have continued to attend work, in fact, I have found a better job in the private sector which I will be starting in June. I have remained cordial with my friends and relatives. I have continued to attend social functions. Yet, when I am left alone with my thoughts, I feel overwhelmed with anxiety and sadness.

I have been searching for an answer. Perhaps it is my colleagues? They are ruthless gossips and a source of negative energy, but, although maybe not in the same density, I have encountered such people my whole life. Perhaps it was my lifestyle? I changed my diet and intensely exercise four times a week; but still the feelings persist.

What I want to know is how to beat this. I am hesitant to go to a medical professional because my job requires me to disclose my medical history.

How you getting on Ilk?

I've had a really shit few months and the doctor thinks I'm suffering with depression. It's the first time I've cried in years. Absolutely gutted doing it, but I left feeling better if that makes sense?

He reckons taking to a counsellor is the best way? Putting my issues into pockets?

[therealHJ]

Henrycrs sometimes just being told you are depressed helps, talking to someone definitely does.

It did in my case at least, after a very close run thing with death in the mid 90's I became withdrawn, lost my sex drive, drank too much, became unhappy with my relationship and lost interest in work. A close friend insisted I go to the doctors and after some resistance I did.

"You are depressed" she said, "here's a prescription, come back in a month".

That was the turning point for me, I walked out of the surgery, thought "fuck that", threw the prescription away and started to get things back on track (maybe the shock was akin to M4's whipping?!). It took quite a while, definitely a two-steps forward one step backwards process, but I got there in the end. An important factor was having someone to talk to and I was fortunate to have a good friend who I suppose acted as my "counsellor". I would advise taking the doctor up on his counsellor suggestion if you haven't got someone you can confide in. Counsellors tend to use the compartment (pocket) approach and looking back on it that's probably what I did in a roundabout way.

It is a shit thing to go through but it is possible to get out of it.

[colinthewarriormonkey]

I must first apologize for the content of this thread, I, like I suppose everyone else, visit this forum for some light relief and this subject stands in stark contrast to that. I am not the type of person to extemporize about my feelings publicly, however, I would like to make an exception in this case.

I find myself in a bit of a rut, I have always been a pessimist (ironically I consider it a positive thing), and I have in my life experienced terribly dark feelings, but for the past six months I have been feeling depressed. In this time, I have continued to attend work, in fact, I have found a better job in the private sector which I will be starting in June. I have remained cordial with my friends and relatives. I have continued to attend social functions. Yet, when I am left alone with my thoughts, I feel overwhelmed with anxiety and sadness.

I have been searching for an answer. Perhaps it is my colleagues? They are ruthless gossips and a source of negative energy, but, although maybe not in the same density, I have encountered such people my whole life. Perhaps it was my lifestyle? I changed my diet and intensely exercise four times a week; but still the feelings persist.

What I want to know is how to beat this. I am hesitant to go to a medical professional because my job requires me to disclose my medical history.

How you getting on Ilk?

I've had a really shit few months and the doctor thinks I'm suffering with depression. It's the first time I've cried in years. Absolutely gutted doing it, but I left feeling better if that makes sense?

He reckons taking to a counsellor is the best way? Putting my issues into pockets?

St Johns Wort (available from Holland and Barret) is recognised by the NHS to be just as effective as some anti depressants.

There are two forms of depression - reactive (the death of a family member, divorce etc) or there is the common chemical imbalance in the brain, where people become depressed for no good reason. Restore the chemical imbalance and you will feel better. So St Johns Wort would certainly help in that case, and it's natural.