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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by namaste on January 30, 2005, at 17:59:40
It is hard to accept the fact that I have this illness. I was at risk for it and with multiple psychostressors in the past two years I am now diagnosed with clinical depression and on medication and see my T. I am tired of the struggle and the thought that even if it passes if can come back with 50/50 chance of reoccurance is depressing in itself!, I am up and down. It is painful when it hits me and it is lonely.
Posted by pinkeye on January 30, 2005, at 18:31:15
In reply to Accepting the illness of depression, posted by namaste on January 30, 2005, at 17:59:40
why is it hard? lot of people go through it and are successful in their lives in other areas. It is not a major ailment - only something which you need to be aware of for yourself and guard yourself against in the future - just like if you have a tendency to put on weight, you need to be cautious with what you eat and have to do some regular exercise right? Just like that. Read a lot, work on it a lot and with sufficient mental resources at your disposal, it won't return and even if it returns, you will be able to catch it early and either get out of it yourself or get help. My therapist gave me a book - Learned optimism - it teaches you the basics of getting out of it yourself. Here is the link - http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671019112/drbobsvirte00-20. It is an extremely good book and maybe that is a good place to start your lifelong recovery.
> It is hard to accept the fact that I have this illness. I was at risk for it and with multiple psychostressors in the past two years I am now diagnosed with clinical depression and on medication and see my T. I am tired of the struggle and the thought that even if it passes if can come back with 50/50 chance of reoccurance is depressing in itself!, I am up and down. It is painful when it hits me and it is lonely.
Posted by chaaya on January 30, 2005, at 19:37:44
In reply to Accepting the illness of depression, posted by namaste on January 30, 2005, at 17:59:40
I have had depresion since childhood so you would think that I would be used to it but after reading your post and thinking about it, I realize that I really do hate this disease. I am an unstable bipolar and as a result, I am on disablity - this means that I now get 2/3 of my salary from the insurance company and no longer have my job (I worked for the company for 20 yrs). All because of this disease. I hate this disease and I hate the title disabled.
I do have to say that it isn't the disease itself that I hate, but the effect that it has on my life. Except for the manic state, then I really like having this disease.
Posted by namaste on January 30, 2005, at 20:07:05
In reply to Re: Accepting the illness of depression, posted by chaaya on January 30, 2005, at 19:37:44
Thanks pinkeye. It is all about being aware. I will read, i have been avoiding reading about the illness as it depresses me more but I read passages from Amazon web site of your book. Interesting it talks to blowing things out of proportion and me and my T were just talking about how I do that at last session.Maybe I am reading the wrong books It is all about the mind and taming it. It IS hard though, or maybe I am just new to this. It is an attachment to needing to feel happy. I have some work to do.
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on January 31, 2005, at 9:21:48
In reply to Accepting the illness of depression, posted by namaste on January 30, 2005, at 17:59:40
Namaste,
I've been in therapy now for a year and a half for what I thought was severe anxiety. My last session last week, my T told me he had diagnosed me with Major Depressive Disorder! This was a shock! I know I have been depressed in the past, but apparently my anxiety was a symptom of my depression. He has now downgraded me to dysthmia (sp?) which is a sort of low grade depression.
Since I've been in therapy, I have a learned a lot of skills which will act as armor against depression. ONe of them is not to blow things out of proportion and use dramatic languegae as you mentioned. Also, not to put "shoulds" on myself or others. Also not to be so self critical. And many other skills.
So, to practice this, depression is NOT the end of the world. PLenty of people have it and deal with it. It is controllable. I have worked hard hard hard this past year and a half. ANd while it has been no walk in the park, all of the struggle has been worth it.
I read as much as I can about depression. I find this demystifies it for me and makes it LESS scary.
And when I find that I am being particularly irrational, I write down the thoughts which are causing me to be dpressed (such as I'm a loser, worthless, a terrible friend), etc., and reframe those statements to more rational statements. I find this helps a lot, putting this all down on paper like that.
What are some of the techniques you use to combat depression?
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on January 31, 2005, at 9:23:26
In reply to Re: Accepting the illness of depression, posted by chaaya on January 30, 2005, at 19:37:44
chaaya,
I'm a bit mystified. You mentioned in your post that aside from the manic side, you actually LIKE this disease. Can you elaborate what you like about it?
Posted by chaaya on January 31, 2005, at 13:09:35
In reply to Re: Accepting the illness of depression » chaaya, posted by Miss Honeychurch on January 31, 2005, at 9:23:26
I didn't mean that I like the disease (although I do kove the manic state), what I was trying to say was that I've accepted the disease and that what I hate is the affect that it has had on my life.
I'm sure that I'm not saying this right,
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on January 31, 2005, at 13:50:49
In reply to Re: Accepting the illness of depression » Miss Honeychurch, posted by chaaya on January 31, 2005, at 13:09:35
I see. I understand now :)
Posted by pinkeye on January 31, 2005, at 14:05:59
In reply to Re: Accepting the illness of depression, posted by namaste on January 30, 2005, at 20:07:05
I would actually suggest that you probably don't read too much about the clinical thing about depresssion. The book that I wrote doesn't get into the depths of the disease or the symptoms or anything. It only teaches you how to get yourself a positive way - rather a non negative way of looking at life which lifts depression.
Read the right books and it will help you.
> Thanks pinkeye. It is all about being aware. I will read, i have been avoiding reading about the illness as it depresses me more but I read passages from Amazon web site of your book. Interesting it talks to blowing things out of proportion and me and my T were just talking about how I do that at last session.Maybe I am reading the wrong books It is all about the mind and taming it. It IS hard though, or maybe I am just new to this. It is an attachment to needing to feel happy. I have some work to do.
Posted by namaste on January 31, 2005, at 17:17:41
In reply to Re: Accepting the illness of depression, posted by pinkeye on January 31, 2005, at 14:05:59
Yeah, i read Darkness Visible by William Styron, a great writer but I indentifyed too much with his depression.He had all my symptoms!!! He did recover though. i see what you mean, I have to not wallow in the clinical part but move to healing.
Posted by pinkeye on January 31, 2005, at 17:59:34
In reply to Re: Accepting the illness of depression, posted by namaste on January 31, 2005, at 17:17:41
There you go. You seem to be quite smart - so you know how to navigate yourself. Leave the clinical part to psychologists and psychiatrists and just take what you need for your life. If you want you can write to me at pinkeye_babble@yahoo.com - I have gone through depression and recovery from it myself, so might be able to help you a little with it outside of what you do with your therapist.
Posted by Dr. Bob on February 1, 2005, at 22:33:06
In reply to Re: Accepting the illness of depression, posted by namaste on January 31, 2005, at 17:17:41
> Yeah, i read Darkness Visible by William Styron, a great writer but I indentifyed too much with his depression.
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book, movie, or music without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
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