Serious Question About Depression Type Stuff

[quote="Dogmatix" post=132763
Edit: and that was a long way of saying *exactly* what Dave said. He's a smart dude on this shit.[/quote]

Well, I'm not THAT smart; it's more of a do as I say not as I do situation...

QP...I agree it sounds like at first glance your depression is linked to your job loss and not a condition. You are on the right track; you really don't want to exascerbate a problem by creating the potential issue of withdrawl. Keep talking to professionals until you are comfortable. I also agree with volunteering. It keeps your mid off things and potentially could get you leads to a pying gig.It's great if you can volunteer doing something you want to get paid to do. People look at you differently, as a passionate gut who's doing it because he loves it, not totally for the money.

My advice about volunteering is don't do too much. You still want to give yourself time for the job hunt.

Finally: Avoid my mistakes.

1) Whatever your plan to battle your depression; stick with maintaining the plan. That is very tough for me because of my condition, but you seem to be on top of things. Keep on it; it is a contiuing procees.

2) Along the same lines: stuff like doctors and drugs cost money. It is important you spend what you have to spend. THIS is the biggest problem for me, and one of the main causes of my occassional relapses.

Carmen...what kind of work do you normally do and whatnkind of things do younknow how to do?

Best therapy for you seems to be a job! Let's see what we can do there.

The problem with drug treatment is that it takes a while to kick in (at least couple of weeks) and there are so many different drugs available. Doctors are usually as much in the dark as you about which one to prescribe so pretty much the only way to go is to try several them. That means it could take several months to find something that is really helping. I'm not really aware of anything that you only use when it's particularly bad.

Another thing that might help is to keep yourself occupied. You say you can spend the whole day on the couch, but are you just staring at the wall or watching the telly/browsing the net? It's really easy to fuck around all day like that when you are unemployed but it's a downward spiral. You don't do shit so you fell like shit so you don't do shit. Any activity is good for you. Go for a walk, play with your kid, exercise, start a hobby project. Things that require longer commitment are the best cause they can force you into a routine that will keep you occupied. Imagine all the things you wanted to do but never had the time, now is the time to try.

In the end Superfly is probably spot on with the job comment.

Just wanted to chip in and say God Bless and that you've got a great group here to BS with. We're not a replacement for therapy/meds/job/exercise/etc, but I'd like to think we're a damn fine addition!

You misspelled that Ska... "addiction", not "addition"!

I have valium for the vertigo and I fucking hate it. It works great for the most part, but coming off the stuff is "bamboo under fingernails" terrible. So, I take it only when I absolutely have to (ie. just drove 4 hours to a sales meeting..) and I'm worthless and nauseated for a week after.

Fuck pills. Hopeless and shameless optimism is the key to maintaining mental sanity whilst unemployed. I was out of work for 9 months, starting a week after 9/11. There simply WERE no jobs. I knew a PhD who was working at Wendy's because that's all there was.

So, I cleaned the house, spent time with my kid, jobhunted, and played a fuckload of Counterstrike. But I always knew that there would be an end to the unemployment...nobody's luck is that bad.

Ended up taking a job that moved me from my beloved Texas to Kentucky. The rest is history.

I think everyone should have a psychiatrist to go to once in a while...depressed or not. Being able to let shit out to a person who isn't going to judge and will mainly offer sound advice is a good thing for most people. You just have to find someone that you are comfortable with and that might take a few tries. If you go to one and don't like them, don't be afraid to try someone else.

I can't really comment on the drug aspect, since I've never had to use anything like that. My suggestion is to literally force yourself to do things. I would start with exercise. Even just going for a walk at the highschool track. Just get out of the house for a wee bit. Also try eating healthier (not saying you don't already...just tossing out suggestions). I know that when I'm getting depressed I tend to eat shitty food (mmmm an entire pizza covered in bacon and tomatoes). After the meal I feel even worse. Basically what I'm getting at is a healthy body can help out the mind. Also getting your body in good shape doesn't need to cost anything and can help take your focus off what is causing you stress at the moment.

Not sure if you are having trouble sleeping or anything, but try reading before you go to bed. May I suggest the following: Christopher Moore's "Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove" . Here is the premise of this offbeat adventure:

"The town psychiatrist has decided to switch everybody in Pine Cove, California, from their normal antidepressants to placebos, so naturally—well, to be accurate, artificially—business is booming at the local blues bar. Trouble is, those lonely slide-guitar notes have also attracted a colossal sea beast named Steve with, shall we say, a thing for explosive oil tanker trucks. Suddenly, morose Pine Cove turns libidinous and is hit by a mysterious crime wave, and a beleaguered constable has to fight off his own gonzo appetites to find out what's wrong and what, if anything, to do about it."

Regardless of what you do, just know that you'll pull through in the end. Try to be positive, you will get a job and things are going to work out for you.

Seems like a whole bunch of us are nutters huh?

I have a dude I see once a week. Helps immeasurably to just go say whatever the fuck to someone without any of the baggage of him being anything else in my life.

Then I prescribe myself high doses of party vibes and antics.

And have sex 3 times a week. I never, not one time, climbed up from munching the holiest of holies or climed off (or out from under) a girl and thought, "Man, my life sucks"

LOL

SuperflyTNT wrote: And have sex 3 times a week. I never, not one time, climbed up from munching the holiest of holies or climed off (or out from under) a girl and thought, "Man, my life sucks"

LOL

Yeah, you might not, but I can imagine many of *them* do

SuperflyTNT wrote: And have sex 3 times a week. I never, not one time, climbed up from munching the holiest of holies or climed off (or out from under) a girl and thought, "Man, my life sucks"

LOL

What about the girls?