Mental health / Depression

[Ganbare!]

No one's perfect and we all have some kind of mental defects but how do you deal with serious mental issues like megalomania, melancholy-depression or others whether afflicting your own mind or the ones of close friends/relatives.

I feel powerless to help people I care for...

[i move the stars for no one]

sad truth is that you are until they decide to get or accept help for themselves. i believe there are support systems for people close to the mentally ill.several of us have either dealt with our own mental illness or with the illness of someone close.good luck to you.

[tifonito]

So Ganbare, are you in a medical profession?

One of my close friends suffered from clinical depression several years back. I wasn't with him at the time but I did what I could - we talked it over through whatever means possible (even MSN) and I think those words of encouragement/advice helped to give him a bit of a boost. Thankfully my brother was in the same city so he could see him pretty often.

The strange thing is, the situation really turned a corner after he saw another friend OD on sleeping pills. He sent her to the hospital and then decided that he didn't want to end up doing the same thing. Soon afterwards he got some professional help and made a full recovery from his depression.

[Ganbare!]

I have considered working as a doctor but I came to the conclusion I would be merely contributing a drop in this ocean of suffering so right now I'm focusing my efforts on international organizations and government.

My problem is that I'm no one to judge if someone really needs medical help.

[betahat]

I think you be as gentle and supportive as you can. Educating yourself is probably first and foremost, because a lot of people have misconceptions about mental health problems. As you say "I'm no one to judge if someone really needs medical help" the best you can do is inform yourself more.

Someone close to me had psychosis manifested in a persecution complex, auditory hallucinations and major delusions. I only understood later that you can't reason someone out of that kind of stuff - you first have to treat the chemical imbalance with anti-psychotic medication. Only then can you really get through to the brain and the heart and hopefully get the person to reach greater self-understanding of what they experienced and what they might experience again. I'm not saying that every mental health problem can or should be medicated, but for more serious things it's often the best (or only) option.

[penguinopolipitese]

I have trouble reading new people and gauging how to act around them. Maybe that's true of a lot of people, but it kind of bugs me.

[hypeforlife91]

I need support from you guys =(, I have depression, but I don't seem like it online. Scary eh? *sighs*

Everyone I know thinks it's all in my head and don't even attempt to support me. tear**

[betahat]

Hey hype,
have you sought professional help? There are many different types and gradations of depression and a variety of treatments. It's really sad that people around you are not being supportive or understanding, as I think a good support system is the most important thing for mental health generally. I think the biggest issue with mental health is the general level of ignorance about what causes mental illness and its potential severity, along with the social stigma that is still attached to most forms of mental illness.

You're definitely not alone - depression affects about 1 in 5 people at some point in their life, and it is much more common in women. All I can say is hang in there, understand that it's not your fault but the fault of some neurons in your head acting up, and take solace in the fact that you have something which (a)is usually temporary (though it can last a while) and (b)has a very high successful treatment rate, if you seek treatment. Tifonito's friend is pretty typical - most people with depression don't seek out professional help, but when they do they are very likely to receive a successful treatment. Having friends and family who support and understand would be very helpful, but you can definitely take the first steps yourself.

[ay1128]

yeah, i think that professional help is the best way of treatment for any form of depression; and yes, i am very surprised that you have any form of depression even though i don't know you personally but u seem like a fun loving person while you are online; i am guessing its only a mild form of depression; since i have known people mostly girls around there 20's having depressions; but even though if its not very serious, i still would suggest to seek professional help, and letting the people who u fell most comfortable with know the situation, such as your parents, best friends, etc. I do know a person who have depressions for over 2 years now, at first it wasn't that serious, in that he occasionally have a hard time sleeping; but he never thought it to be serious; but over the 2 years time frame, it been getting worse for him, he now cannot sleep at all at night even with the help of medicine, his mood and emotion would change constantly very drastically from day to day, and overall he just seems like a completely different person. So i really suggest that if u do suspect something is wrong, get help early.

[waywardwolf]

I used to battle with depression and anger a lot. After spending a lot of time with my uncles, I took to joking around to deal with it, but when I'm alone I feel a palpable weight bearing on my mind. Strange, I suppose, that I seek solitude quite often.

[hypeforlife91]

I have been really stressed lately and tired. Caffeine, unfortunately, does not help me AT ALL. Well, the larger problems began when I started college. I was always known as the one "that was always happy" back then. Sometimes I wonder too if I can really forget about all the sad things in life and just live every day and smile brightly. I want to. Maybe I'm selfish or self-centered sometimes, but I do care about others and want to share happiness with them. No one would guess that I was depressed if they look at me. I was born with the "happy face" look lol. And I am MUCH less shy online..but I think some people are that way too. I am not a good talker, but I can be very fun when I think about what I say first or else it will be lame. I have to go through a slower, more thorough thinking process and that is what online stuff allows me to do. In real life I say a lot of random and very very lame things. I sometimes also wonder why I am so sad...at first I thought it was just a phase and I still hope it is just a phase.

It bothers me that alot people think of depression as an unreal illness. My parents say "you're crazy" when I told them I think I have it. They don't take it seriously at all. And all the other people I know just tell me to "think on the bright side", "think happy thoughts"..like I haven't tried that. =(

We'll see...we'll see...

And thanks guys, *hug*. =')

[ay1128]

have u looked into it, like do u think its just the normal depressed mood that people go through when things aren't right or is it depression the illness; though i don't really know where to draw the line between the two. i think the only time that i have gone through anything that led to me to suspect if i had depression was my senior year of HS, when i was losing sleep; but after that everything been all good. And i think there are just people born with certain personality and traits, I could relate to some of the stuff that you were saying such as being born with the happy face and having a pretty easy going personality; so people just assumed that you are happy when you are actually not. I'm also pretty slow processing in what i say and a lot of time, my friend would be like WTF; but i guess some people also find that kind of funny... i remembered one time recently when i was having a talk with my mom about her friend who had just been diagnosed with depression, and she was telling me how i would never get depression because of my "slow and easy going" personality.

But i really think that its not thinking happy thoughts that solves the issue. i think there has got to be some problems that is bothering you whether it be in school, work, relationships, etc; and look in to it and try to solve the problem; since i think thinking happy thoughts doesn't do anything but to try to hide the unhappy thoughts only for a temporarily time.

[hypeforlife91]

^ Well said. Thanks for your help! =)

Hehe I'll ask you guys again if I need anything if you don't mind

[Ganbare!]

I think self-aware individuals like EAs are more prone to depression due to an existentialistic personality, I tend to question social phenomenons much more than average people.

Physical activity and daylight exposition are also effective ways to cure mild forms of depression.