Mental Health Support Thread

[Medesha]

I started to read that "Habits" post but it seemed so hostile and ferocious it actually made me uncomfortable. Maybe it's just me?

[loki_ragnarock]

It's not just you.

There are alot of people - chronically depressed or not - who get extremely hostile when you suggest that changing their behavior might change their condition. They take it as a personal attack, and they get defensive to the point being offensive.

It's a pretty common reaction. Of course, as an elitist with no problems in my life, or even a perspective on problems, I mean that in a super-condescending and judgemental way.

[Medesha]

Hehehehe well naturally I have no problems either, that's why I commented...yes...

[Aethera]

<insert extremely hostile and defensive to the point of being offensive comment here>

I didn't think it was too bad, but I was expecting it to be biased from how it was suggested.

[Gath]

Honestly, I skipped over the somewhat hostile intro and went straight for the 21 steps. The first two are still a bit edgy but it quickly evens out from there.

[Digorig]

Thanks Crafty.

I don't get Self-Help books. If it's self help, why do I need your book?

Did not read it.

DiG

[OllieNorth]

It's an interesting topic for me. Depression ended up with me drinking my way out of college, gaining about fifty pounds, and owing my sister a few thousands dollars. Looking back, it's a strange combination. I think I always struggled with it. As a brainy, overweight, and rather abrasive kid growing up in the shadow of an All-American sister (at least that's how I saw it), I always had trouble. Even once I got myself together and attractive in high school, I continually sabotaged myself out of self doubt. I ended up in one of those painfully over-the-top high school romances, and when she broke up with me before I went to college, I brooded for years. That, combined with realizing that I had no idea what I was going to school for, led to a pretty bad downward spiral. At one point I actually woke up temporarily blind in an alley in New Orleans.

When I left school, taking antidepressants and feeling defeated, I ended up poking around. I still had no clue what I wanted to do, so I wasn't getting better. In an attempt to find something better, I went to join my sister in Boston, hoping vaguely to find a job in 'the big city' but mainly to get away from home where I was continually reminded of my ex. Another string of spectacular failures in Boston and I found myself essentially kicked out, crawling back home. I got a job pushing carts at Home Depot, which I would soon get fired from for, well, not doing my job. The only plus side is that I met the girl who would become my wife. Even though she was finishing her senior year of high school (I know, I'm a bad man) she was mature enough to encourage me when I was contemplating joining the Navy as I had always considered.

The Navy was a huge turning point for me. I had, apparently, been craving that sense of purpose for a long time. My natural disdain for authority led me to many difficulties, including very nearly going to court martial at one point. But thanks to my support group, my wife, and a newfound talent for leadership, I ended making the most of my remaining time, even running a twenty person decision before I got out at 5 years.

A few years on now, I have gone through another few ups and downs, both mentally and physically, but the other day I realized that I'm not depressed any more. I'm genuinely happy, with my 6-month old son, my wife, and my job, but it took me 13 years to get here.

Is there a moral? I don't know, but I found that once I stopped trying to be something I wasn't and simply doing what came natural, things got better. Don't let yourself be trapped by what you feel you should be doing. Instead, go out and do what you feel is right. It will make all the difference.

I hope that helps someone. Feel free to send along any questions if you have them.

[PIG]

I'm dealing with alcoholism daily and it lifts me knowing that you made it through. My life time partner, my wife of 14 years, has stuck with me through every bad move. In respect to her I won't illustrate the bad things I have done to our relationship and my own future.

Each day, recently, has been better than the last and I think we can get through this. GL Ollie and love Her, Life, and most of all- your self.

[Panthas]

Last I recall, and it has been 2 years since I got my psychology degree, ECT is what they go to when nothing else has really worked in depression. It has a rather good success rate as I recall.

I have to wonder where my depression stems from. I have never really been to a therapist, I spent about 3-4 sessions with a social worker once but we didn't get anywhere. As far as I can tell, mine is less chemical depression and more "well this world sucks," Or if you like you can call it existential depression.

[Gath]

I have some paperwork on ECT waiting to be researched. I'm on quite a number of medications and it sounds like it would be possible to do away with all of that with a major treatment of ECT (three times a week over several weeks), and then a followup maintenance treatment maybe every six to twelve months. Unfortunately that service isn't offered in Alaska, so I would have to go out of state for it. Which would not only mean travel and room and board, but it requires full time supervision during the initial treatment - forgive the pun, but it is a rather big shock to your system, leaving you feeling out of it, some loss of memory and various other side effects one might expect from having electrically induced seizures in the brain..

But for right now, I am doing alright, so the paperwork sits on its shelf.

[Aethera]

Thanks for bringing this up, I meant to start looking into ECT as something that (shockingly) I haven't tried. Of course, with chronic migraines I'm already having strange seizure-like impulses running through my brain... not sure ECT is a possibility for me. But if I don't look...

Happy May Day, everyone. At the risk of sounding cliche, I really recommend everyone going outside and getting some sun. I know I avoid it sometimes, and effectively end up with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) due to lack of light. Even if it's only briefly, go outside, see sun. Go for a walk. It helps.

[AgentBonkers]

I'm on a number of meds for it myself, with limited efficacy. In general, I've found self help books do more for my then talk therapy (though current med shrink is cool) but I think its one of those different strokes for different folks type thing. Different things help people more or less, and its good to try this and that and see what helps you.

[lymphomaniac]

A lightbulb turned on in my head as I was posting in an OOC thread for one of Gath's games. I think I mentioned earlier in this thread that I don't know how or why, but my suspected depression suddenly disappeared one day shortly after dating someone (who is now my fiancée). I have a strong suspicion about the source of my depression now: instant noodles (instant ramen)... or more generally, "garbage food".

Garbage food is the stuff that is really not very healthy for people to eat, but people eat it anyways out of convenience, low cost, and high availability. Instant noodles were top of my list of meal selections through my highschool and University years. For much of my post-graduation working years (until I met my fiancée), it was also a regular lunch item for me - I brought in a couple of packages to work, soaked them in boiling water, dumped in the "flavour packets", and then dug in. I would say in a regular month, I would be easily - very easily - eating about 40-50 packages.

Kraft Dinner was also up there on my list. High sodium, like the instant noodles. While instant noodles was like re-purposed pulp, Kraft Dinner was like a chemistry lab experiment.

Throw into that mix all the pop, chips, pepperoni sticks, and other quick, cheap, and easily available garbage off the grocery store shelves that I used to shovel down my mouth, it's probably no co-incidence that when I stopped eating most of that crap (after I met my fiancée) that my suspected depression also disappeared.

Maybe that's what it is for some people: dietary choices. Perhaps a healthy diet does bring about a better state of mind. It certainly now seems to be the case for me.

Thanks Gath - if not for your discussion in the OOC thread, I don't know if I'd ever have this epiphany.

[Gath]

Well, I agree with you, lymph. But there are other sides to the story. During my times of depression there are things that I simply won't do, for example, cooking and washing dishes. Those things take effort and discipline or else it doesn't work. I spent about six or eight months eating ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day the same thing. Guess what, I lost weight. I realized after a while that the reason was partly malnutrition but also portion control. Rather than gorging on whatever junk food I could find, I was eating the same modest portions three times a day.

I used to drink three or four cases of soda a week, even though they were all diet caffeine free that's just a crazy intake of random chemicals. It's been a solid year since I've stopped drinking soda and I don't drink alcohol or caffeine. So my beverage choice is basically crystal light and water. I've found that I am better hydrated and I've got a good bit more cash in my pocket as a result; soda is pretty expensive, really.

Now I'm coming out of a prolonged depression phase and instead of ramen three times a day I am eating a high protein cereal with grains, nuts and seeds and soy milk (which is also fairly high protein) in the morning, plus I started using my rice cooker/steamer to steam a stout chicken breast with a mountain of steamed veggies each night. Sometimes I eat ramen for lunch; I haven't figured out a good replacement for that yet. But like you say, lymph, I'm doing quite well. I love my diet, I'm getting some exercise each day and it all adds up. The steaming process is pretty awesome by the way. Even if you just coat the meat with pepper, the meat absorbs the flavor and it's pretty much completely saturated by the time it's done. Add some garlic, teriyaki sauce, marinade it overnight, lots of options, but a lot of times I just stick to the pepper routine. I'm looking for sustainable processes though so I try to keep it simple.

I am well aware, though, that depression brings apathy, so again, I am trying to figure out sustainable processes now while I am on the upswing so that it will be habit when the downswing comes again. That's the interesting thing that I think about every time I read your signature, lymph; my condition doesn't go away - there is no end, so I must continue to plan for when the down phase returns. Step by step I'm getting stronger though.

I'm glad to have helped you with your epiphany.

[ShadowcatX]

I've never done ECT, but someone very close to me has and for her it was a very unpleasant experience so I would caution everyone considering it to seriously weigh the risks and benefits. Not to say it shouldn't ever be done, but its kind of like chemotherapy, it sucks, even if it does give results.