Posted by Kath on June 12, 2000, at 10:33:32
In reply to Re: Une probleme avec ton idee Andre Tina, posted by NikkiT on June 12, 2000, at 10:18:37
Hey Tina - Just answered your post from the 8th and just NOW read this one. I'm sorry your feeling yucky. Sounds like some good advice here. I'll add my favorite flag-waving. Twelve-step programs. (Al-Anon, Nar-Anon - the one I go to, CoDependents Anonymous.) Here, in Ontario, they have Depressed Anonymous, or maybe it's called Depression Anonymous. I don't know if they have them where you live. I know that CoDA is the best thing that's happened to me. I have been going about 3 months & feel so cared-for & supported there. We have the meeting, share feelings in a no-feedback environment, which was very unusual for me at first, but ends up feeling very safe, because I know that everyone simply accepts me & accepts my feelings. I am in the process of developing 3 friendships with people in the group. I highly recommend looking into it, or, if you can't do that, asking someone to look into it for you. Your local Health Department or Hospital should be able to help. I get on the band-wagon about this, because it's made SUCH a difference in my life.
Last year I tried volunteering & that worked very well for me. I worked in a school for kids who had various emotional problems & weren't doing well in ordinary school. I was a "special friend" to two 12-yr old boys. I spend time separately with each of them - in one case, playing board games/ drawing etc.; in the other case helping him learn to read. He hated reading buy loved 4-wheeler heavy trucks, so I'd buy 4-wheeler magazines & give them to him & he'd pick out various sentences & read them. I also got books about trucks from the library for him. It was extremely rewarding. The one boy invited me to his Bar Mitzvah (sp?) which made me feel very special because it was such a special occasion for him!
Do take care, and hope you feel better soon.
Hugs, Kath
> Damn.. this sounds like the PERFECT excuse for another hioliday in the US..
>
> Except you;re from Canada aren't you... Oh well, it'll have to be Canada.. been trying to get hubby out to Toronto to meet some family I ahve there... and they ahve this gorge cottage for vacations in the Canadian Shield!!!
>
> Guess it *might* be a tad far for popping over for the weekend though!!!
>
> > Excuse me??? What am I, chopped liver?
> >
> > > No friends!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > Last year, after spending a month in the hospital, I left much improved but I was still moderately depressed. For the next three weeks, I sat on my ass and felt like complete garbage. I eventually found a job a began going out a little more. This made the difference. I became "well" within a week.
> > > >
> > > > I read a study last week that was done on mice to see if being socially active had any effect of the neurotransmitters involved in depression. There were two groups. Group A was put in isolation for X number of weeks. Group B lived with other mice and was social for the same number of weeks. At the end of the study, test were conducted to measure the neurochemicals involved in depression. The tests showed that group B had much higher levels of serotonin, etc and they were much more socially compatable.
> > > >
> > > > Since I came back from school at the end of April, I have not been that well. I start working this week and I will try to go out with friends every night if I can. In two weeks time, I can guarantee that I will be much better. This is one of the reasons why depression is so common in the elderly. They do not do anything! Well, most of them anyways. I know that it is much easier for me to go out with my friends and do something because of the age I am at - 21. This does not mean that you cannot call up a few friends or go out with your family. If you do not have kids, there are no excuses. So I expect to see you downtown this weekend, dancing it up.
poster:Kath
thread:36859
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000610/msgs/37032.html