Depression???

[triple5]

Just came across this on a friend's facebook status:

DEPRESSION is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign that you have been trying to be strong for too long. Put this as your status if you know someone who has, or had, depression. Most people won't, as they see depression as an illness that can be caught.

He then went on to say 1 in 5 are on anti-depressants :doh That may be true in the UK, but I'm not sure that can be said of other countries :Erm: Not even sure how depression is diagnosed, as we all go through phases in life where things don't go our way and we feel down.

I wonder if there would be so many depressed brits if anti-depressants weren't given out so freely and full pay and sickness benefit were an option.

Depression costs the UK £7.5bn a year :yikes:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8436111.stm

[joebloggs]

we all go through phases in life where things don't go our way and we feel down.

I wonder if there would be so many depressed brits if anti-depressants weren't given out so freely and full pay and sickness benefit were an option.


it's easy to fix a broken bone a doctor can see, but not a broken mind :NoNo:

until you've been in their shoes, you dont know what they've been thru, sure some people over react to a little problem that they see as the end of the world :NoNo:, but some people have been thru bad times that your lucky you'll never go thru :cwm24:

a bit of time and laughter is the best cure :Rasp::laugher::Hellooo:

[pacificelectric]

I thought France is n° 1 in the world for anti-depressants.... well depression is not that easy to assess and to heal. One office mate of mine is currently on a long-term sick leave because she is suffering heavy depression. She has been a widow for 7 years and never fully recovered from that. Also her children are adult now and have a life of their own so she feels empty and useless.

My ex-gf from Davao also went through widowhood with worse life conditions but she never felt depression because of strong faith and involvement in lots of social activities and friends around. This is perhaps what we lack in western countries. My office mate takes medication and follows a therapy. But of course a spiritual and busy social life would help also I guess.

[South-east boy]

Women have been the main cause for me feeling down/depressed in my life! I keep trying, but keep getting hurt-when do I just give up on it? :Brick: Seen many friends & relations etc meet partners, get married, have kids, some even divorced then meet someone else, where I'm still alone the same as ever, keeping trying and getting nowhere. :NoNo:

[triple5]

Women have been the main cause for me feeling down/depressed in my life! I keep trying, but keep getting hurt-when do I just give up on it? :Brick: Seen many friends & relations etc meet partners, get married, have kids, some even divorced then meet someone else, where I'm still alone the same as ever, keeping trying and getting nowhere. :NoNo:

Maybe a different approach is needed :Erm:

[pacificelectric]

laughter is the best medicine :D

What about kayat? :omg:

[Ping]

I heard people said regular "kayat" makes you live longer and younger looking.Woww!!!!!!!!!!!!:

[Arthur Little]

It seems to be fairly common knowledge that Sir Winston Churchill ... one of the greatest statesmen in British history ... was "plagued" by what he frequently referred to as 'The Black Dog' - in other words, he suffered from intermittent bouts of Depression. :cwm24:

[somebody]

Women have been the main cause for me feeling down/depressed in my life! I keep trying, but keep getting hurt-when do I just give up on it? :Brick: Seen many friends & relations etc meet partners, get married, have kids, some even divorced then meet someone else, where I'm still alone the same as ever, keeping trying and getting nowhere. :NoNo:

Tim maybe its your trying to hard? I think we all know how things happen when least expected..

Having been single but not single this last 3 week while the Missus in Phill and when out with mates found far more opptunties to possibly "pull" if i had wanted to as did most of the others in the group who were in long term happy relationships than those who were looking!!! Im guessing its the old not trying to hard thingy occuring:D

[triple5]

It seems to be fairly common knowledge that Sir Winston Churchill ... one of the greatest statesmen in British history ... was "plagued" by what he frequently referred to as 'The Black Dog' - in other words, he suffered from intermittent bouts of Depression. :cwm24:

I didn't know that. I remember reading Ernest Hemingway was also plagued by depression, and suicide ran in his family. I guess a lot of talented people throughout history have been prone to it.

[joebloggs]

Sir Winston Churchill ... one of the greatest statesmen in British history ...


:xxgrinning--00xx3::icon_sorry:
who are the others Arthur:Erm: and no one better mention thatcher :laugher: :crazy:

[Arthur Little]

:xxgrinning--00xx3::icon_sorry:
who are the others Arthur:Erm: and no one better mention thatcher :laugher: :crazy:

ME for one, Joe :icon_lol: ... though, of course, I'M just an ORDINARY bloke! But seriously, I suspect I AM only one of countless *millions to have been afflicted by this dreadful disorder. And I'd wager my vague speculation merely accounts for the number of sufferers in the UK alone! Again, I suppose it could be argued that - based on the diagnoses of the specialists treating me at the time - MY particular condition was symptomatic of anxiety and/or stress, rather than of either the clinical or endogenous types of depression normally triggered by life-events.

[fred]

Ive had some mild bouts about 10 years ago..
Wake up in the morning(perfectly fine night before),open eyes in morning and a dark cloud behind eyes..Had 3/4 days off work and as self employed person 3/4 days with no pay and pissed off customers!! Recurred once every few months but better managed after previous experiences.. No idea why after racking my brain so just put it down to some kind of brain chemical imbalance or simply life in the UK..
Used to wake up in the morning a little nervous to open eyes as the cloud was either there or it was simply gone!!
Sigh of relief if it had gone and I was suddenly a different person..
Previous to this experience I would not take the subject seriously..No problems for 7 years whatsoever since and I can only describe my problems as mild compared to how others have described what they have experienced..
"Poor buggers" is my only comment apart from think your self lucky if you have managed to avoid the black dog...In whatever form.

[Arthur Little]

Whatever the root cause in MY case, one thing's for sure ... I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy (if I had one!). :rolleyes: Nor would I EVER want to go through even two minutes of such hellish, awful torment [again] in exchange for the BIGGEST win in the history of the National Lottery! :NoNo:

[fred]

[QUOTE= in exchange for the BIGGEST win in the history of the National Lottery! :NoNo:[/QUOTE]

Not sure I would go that far Arthur!!A win like that could disrupt the most severe of chemical imbalances!!
Jokes aside though,perhaps not.

[Arthur Little]

just put it down to some kind of brain chemical imbalance

:gp:, Fred ... I've certainly heard that it CAN be attributed to some kind of chemical imbalance [*serotonin or something of the sort] in the brain.


"Poor buggers" is my only comment apart from think your self lucky if you have managed to avoid the black dog...In whatever form.

Absolutely, my friend ... :iagree:!

[Arthur Little]

Not sure I would go that far Arthur!!A win like that could disrupt the most severe of chemical imbalances!!
Jokes aside though,perhaps not.

Hmm ... now THERE'S a thought! :rolleyes: I could shell-out :REGamblMoney01HL1: on a brain transplant! :lol2:

[joebloggs]

[SIZE="3"]It takes just as long for a psychiatrist to train as it does an orthopaedic surgeon, even if a broken bone is more obvious.

which one has the higher success rate thou Alan :rolleyes:

[joebloggs]

With due respect, that is an outrageous statement not based on evidence.

:D lighten up Alan, this is not a forum for medical professionals :doh

and I'm not questioning the skills of any medical professionals, I'm just asking if you asked a 100 patients treated by a orthopaedic surgeon and a 100 patients treated by a psychiatrist if they were happy about their treatment, which would have the higher rating, and it all goes back to what i said, a broken bone can seen and fixed but a mind cannot be so easily.

[joebloggs]

Sorry, I'll keep out of such discussions.

:doh

:NoNo:

take it easy Alan, your taking things too seriously
:Jump: :Hellooo::Rasp:

everyone on here is grateful of your medical contributions and advice :xxgrinning--00xx3:

but remember were just lay people on here :ARsurrender:

so keep the posts coming :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[joebloggs]

I'm sorry.

:doh i think you might have taken that the wrong way Alan :NoNo: or my English grammar is :censored:, i should have said this is a friendly forum on the philippines and the UK, its not a academic medical forum full of MDs so go easy on ME if i take the :Rasp: out of the medical profession.

no offence meant :rolleyes:

[Alan]

I was first diagnosed with depression in 1999.

We are now 2010 and I have two wonderful children and a beautiful wife all of whom I love more than I can say.
So, I should be happy yes?

I still suffer from this TERRIBLE mental illness!! I 'break down' with monotonous regularity - and STILL feel greatly embarrassed because, unlike a broken arm or leg, it is an illness of the mind and people (some) do not understand that the mind can be 'broken.'

Al.

[Doc Alan]

no offence meant :rolleyes:
No offence taken , joebloggs, and thanks for your friendly reply :) I've often said I've learned a lot from the forum, and I'm happy to give something in return ! :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[joebloggs]

No offence taken , joebloggs, and thanks for your friendly reply :) I've often said I've learned a lot from the forum, and I'm happy to give something in return ! :xxgrinning--00xx3:

understood Alan :Beer: :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[nigel]

I believe the contents of our mind is what appear in our lives...so:

If a man keeps pictures of girls, the type of "poses" the girls are in will say a little something about his relationship with women..in the present and the future!

I keep money lying around and stuck to my walls and stuff, I've conditioned my mind to believe money is abundant in my life!:)

Depression ends when you learn to gain control of your thoughts, then you've gained control of your life! It's tricky at first maybe, the bad thoughts seem to find there way back, our minds seem somewhat cycletic..? You would do well to stop listening to news on Tv/Radio/newspapers frankly those bad stories are microscopic compared to the endless goodness in life. Figure out what your loves and desires are..and think about the ABUNDANCE of them, and only them! Why on earth would you want to think about anything else?:rolleyes:

[nigel]

Women have been the main cause for me feeling down/depressed in my life! I keep trying, but keep getting hurt-when do I just give up on it? :Brick: Seen many friends & relations etc meet partners, get married, have kids, some even divorced then meet someone else, where I'm still alone the same as ever, keeping trying and getting nowhere. :NoNo: You've mentioned that you've seen many friends divorced and remarry, how do you feel about witnessing that? It might be significant cause I believe we attract what we think and feel...in every subject, whether it's relationships..money..career...whatever...

What we believe, we will recieve.

It's hard to comprehend that life would unfold like that, but I believe 100% that it's the truth about our lives.:)

watch this! Pay special attention at 7.50 KSoLDWDOOo0&feature=related

continues with this part!

sgkOn2RkLtE&feature=related

[South-east boy]

Tim maybe its your trying to hard? I think we all know how things happen when least expected..

Having been single but not single this last 3 week while the Missus in Phill and when out with mates found far more opptunties to possibly "pull" if i had wanted to as did most of the others in the group who were in long term happy relationships than those who were looking!!! I'm guessing its the old not trying to hard thingy occuring:D

Yeah, I've heard the trying too hard thing before, but what else can I do? As I've mentioned before, I only work with a few older people and in an office on my own on a floor on my own, my best mate is mostly doing shift-work and when he's not he either doesn't want to go out to the type of places where you might meet someone or doesn't want to do what I want to do. Most other mates are in couples and live in different areas, so it's really hard for me to meet girls. If I was younger, then, it wouldn't bother me so much, but the older I get, the harder it is getting to meet someone and I'm already over-the-hill for most women, especially ones in this country.

I always least expect it and it still never happens.:NoNo: Even if anything starts and looks promising, I never get too excited as it's always gone wrong before and I'm trying to prevent myself from getting hurt even more if I get a bit too carried away with it. Just seems that the big man up there has it in for me with relationships! :rolleyes:

[Arthur Little]

I 'break down' with monotonous regularity - and STILL feel greatly embarrassed because, unlike a broken arm or leg, it is an illness of the mind and people (some) do not understand that the mind can be 'broken.'

Al.

Believe me, Al ... I can sooo empathise with what you're saying. I'VE always BEEN a worrier. :ARsurrender: I really CARE about people [particularly my nearest and dearest]; equally, about others' feelings ... and somehow - although you and I have never met - it's long been my impression that YOU are that kind of bloke, also! Frequently, I'm left wondering WHY? ... why it invariably seems to be the most sensitive, caring folk that end up suffering untold mental anguish? :cwm24:

I'm very aware of the trials and tribulations you and Hanna have had to undergo since the beginning of this year, my friend ... and I fervently hope and pray that you will soon be in a position to bring your beloved wife and kids to the UK. :xxgrinning--00xx3:

On a lighter note: Thankfully, both of us are blessed with a hale & hearty sense of humour - which is truly a Godsend!

[Arthur Little]

Yeah, I've heard the trying too hard thing before, but what else can I do? As I've mentioned before, I only work with a few older people and in an office on my own on a floor on my own, my best mate is mostly doing shift-work and when he's not he either doesn't want to go out to the type of places where you might meet someone or doesn't want to do what I want to do. Most other mates are in couples and live in different areas, so it's really hard for me to meet girls. If I was younger, then, it wouldn't bother me so much, but the older I get, the harder it is getting to meet someone and I'm already over-the-hill for most women, especially ones in this country.

I always least expect it and it still never happens.:NoNo: Even if anything starts and looks promising, I never get too excited as it's always gone wrong before and I'm trying to prevent myself from getting hurt even more if I get a bit too carried away with it. Just seems that the big man up there has it in for me with relationships! :rolleyes:

I also have a great deal of empathy for YOU too, Tim. Many's the time, I've found MYSELF uttering the words, "Why ME, God? ... WHY me?" - not always in affairs of the :heartshape1:, I have to say, but in innumerable other situations besides. Trouble is, you see, all too often I simply cannot fathom what makes things go awry :rolleyes: ... when I know I have done my best to guard against such misfortunes. I really DON'T know what to suggest to someone in your position, my friend. All I CAN say is, I wish you all the luck in the world ... it's long overdue! :xxgrinning--00xx3:

[South-east boy]

I keep money lying around and stuck to my walls and stuff :)

Think I might pay Nigel's place a little visit shortly if he's :REGamblMoney01HL1: !



Depression ends when you learn to gain control of your thoughts, then you've gained control of your life! It's tricky at first maybe, the bad thoughts seem to find there way back, our minds seem somewhat cycletic..? You would do well to stop listening to news on Tv/Radio/newspapers frankly those bad stories are microscopic compared to the endless goodness in life. Figure out what your loves and desires are..and think about the ABUNDANCE of them, and only them! Why on earth would you want to think about anything else?:rolleyes:

Sounds like I could do with some coaching from you! :icon_lol:

[South-east boy]

My mum had post-natal depression for quite a while after my younger brother was born and she had some not suite so nice treatments then got stuck on valium for years. It took her many years to gradually come off them. I hope the current drugs are not quite so hard to come off when you are feeling better.

Like said before, most people get depression from events in their life that have caused it, but others get it for no particular reason such as Alan and Fred. Obviously the first type is easier to treat as you know what has caused it, but does anyone know what causes the 'chemical imbalance' type?

[fred]

does anyone know what causes the 'chemical imbalance' type?

I have no idea but never had a return bout,certainly not here in the P.I..
Many people believe that a lack of light is the problem in winter months..They swear by these light boxes..
http://gfx.adzooks.co.uk/upl/9/8E41ECC3A26F0D937E391FC66B2A3967.jpg

[Doc Alan]

... does anyone know what causes the 'chemical imbalance' type?
I'm not going to give "too much information", but just to say that the neurotransmitter serotonin can be involved. There are antidepressants called SSRI's (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) which stop re-uptake of this chemical in certain brain cells.

[Sim11UK]

Certainly this good weather we've been having for a couple of weeks, In the UK, has lifted most peoples spirits. We definately need the light & it's good to feel the sun on our faces & backs.

I'm starting to find the winters here really hard, became quite demotivated for a while. Though parts of it, I do enjoy, taking a long walk, is good for clearing your mind, can help to put things in perspective.

It's also easier for me to earn an income during the summer, infact I'm dreading the thought of next winter. :NoNo:

Keep smiling everyone, we're all in this together. :)

...I don't think anyones mentioned alcohol yet, which is a known depressant?

[Doc Alan]

Certainly this good weather we've been having for a couple of weeks, In the UK, has lifted most peoples spirits. We definately need the light & it's good to feel the sun on our faces & backs.



Keep smiling everyone, we're all in this together. :)

...I don't think anyones mentioned alcohol yet, which is a known depressant?
Yes Simon, you're right, hence the expression "lighten up" which has been suggested for me !:)
So just for once, here's the good news :
Moderate amounts of sunlight ARE good for us :xxgrinning--00xx3:
Stay within the recommended limits and the same applies for alcohol:xxgrinning--00xx3:
( I think we all know about skin cancer ...and alcohol abuse ...so I'm keeping that in small print for this post!)

[scott&ligaya]

I am not sure if this would help with someoine who is depressed but I know if I get a bit out of sorts or down then I make sure i put myself amongst happy and positive people ( a bunch of nattering and giggling Filipnas often has the right effect). I guess if are you depressed it have the opposite effect but for me being around good vibes as it were is enriching/uplifting. Conversely have a look at people living (if you can call it that) on Smokey mountain and you will soon buck up your ideas and realise you have a lot more than some.

[joebloggs]

and realise you have a lot more than some.

and there is always someone worse off than yourself ....

[Arthur Little]

I am not sure if this would help with someoine who is depressed but I know if I get a bit out of sorts or down then I make sure i put myself amongst happy and positive people ( a bunch of nattering and giggling Filipnas often has the right effect). I guess if are you depressed it have the opposite effect but for me being around good vibes as it were is enriching/uplifting. Conversely have a look at people living (if you can call it that) on Smokey mountain and you will soon buck up your ideas and realise you have a lot more than some.

:gp: ... and :iagree: in principle; however, by the same token, it could have the opposite effect - whereby, being "jollied along" by others' high spirits might just as easily prove irritating to the sufferer ... whose mood at the time triggers off thoughts like: "How can these people laugh and :joke:, when I'm feeling so miserable?" - and cause the afflicted person to feel even more "isolated". Similarly, being reminded of the plight of people "living" lives that are consumed by hardship, is unlikely to lift the veil of gloom for someone who is profoundly depressed.