985 replies to this topic

[HitNhope]

Unitl you define in yourself what is important to you and face the dog head on, rather than letting what has caused your anxiety to fester and eat at you from within, you don't stand much of a chance.  As Maxxx and Dave_1 have mentioned, realising you have a problem and admitting too it is the first step.  2nd step is to confront it and talk about it to people who you know will listen and care.  3rd is to get the assistance you need from professionals. 

 

Believing you can deal with it is simple.  The fact you are not does not even enter your mind.  You do believe things are under control.  What you do not see is the pain and anguish that it can cause to your loved ones because of your actions that you believe are quite normal.  Their not!!! And you are not dealing with the problems even though you think you are.  I caused my family all sorts of heartache for those very reasons.  That was until I snapped and realised that I had not beaten the black dog, it in fact had me well and truly by the throat. 

 

Sort help, reconnected with the family, got away from that which was a big factor in my problem and couldn't be happier.  Still dealing with things, but find it a lot easier now.  Oh,, and the happy face is now one that is fair dinkum, not the forced one that is there to mask everything else.  Although if you were to ask my wife, she would insist that a permanent frown is not necessarily a happy face.    But it certainly appears way more often than it used to.

 

 

Depression is not the easiest thing to indentify because it comes in so many forms.  It is not just the person who had withdrawn from the world, or has taken to the liquor cabinet a bit more than they used too, or have found a new friend in fast food, or has started taking meds that they were not usually on and any number of other symptomatic signs.  Could be singular, a combination of a couple, or the whole bluddy lot. 

 

I don't believe you ever really recover from depression, unless what caused it has been totally eradicated from your memory.  If the memory is still there, then so is the depressive trigger.  But being happy in your life and believing/understanding that you have dealt with the problem is a huge step in keeping the dog at bay for a long long time.  Hopefully forever. 

 

RIP Charlotte and the 1,000's who circum to depression every year.

[dave_1_]

I'm designing a program similar called adventure therapy that uses the environment and adventuring for overcoming depression and addictions (they are closely linked)

I saw a similar program run in Nsw ...I have changed it a fair bit to suit my clients though ....

The premise is to learn to work with depression and overcome it by using our spirit of adventure and getting outside more ....bush walking, swimming, camping, mountain biking and kayaking will be in the project and sailing on small crafts ...and art/music/film making included.

It's something I'm very passionate about ....i see depressed people all day ...a counsellor/therapists can only do so much in one to one counselling

Get people into groups though and you really start seeing changes. Group power.

Also getting people moving and interacting with the real world has longer lasting impacts too than just therapy in a white room with a therapist nodding away (lol we call them nodding dogs in our game)

It's why I'm spending less time playing golf also as I have to do a lot of it outside my normal work hours

That doesn't mean also there isn't a place for medication for depression/anxiety and phobias and other metal illnesses ......it's just needs a complete assessment and a program designed to suit the individual

Don't just go to a GP AND get a quick fox.......

But we have to realise that depression will cause so many social problems going forward and there is more than one solution to the problem.

[WasabiPea_Shooter]

Really sad story, a woman who called it as she saw it with courage. RIP Charlotte

[pegasus2357]

Max and co well said. ....
Might add a couple more. ...
The black dog is something that you will not recover from quickly. ...
You need to talk with or to a person who is down talking AT that person can throw them over the edge......

[Fill the Dill]

Max and co well said. ....
Might add a couple more. ...
The black dog is something that you will not recover from quickly. ...
You need to talk with or to a person who is down talking AT that person can throw them over the edge......

Very true Peg people can be quite defensive when depressed and feel like they are being attack, even if you are just trying to help.

[HitNhope]

I'm designing a program similar called adventure therapy that uses the environment and adventuring for overcoming depression and addictions (they are closely linked)

I saw a similar program run in Nsw ...I have changed it a fair bit to suit my clients though ....

The premise is to learn to work with depression and overcome it by using our spirit of adventure and getting outside more ....bush walking, swimming, camping, mountain biking and kayaking will be in the project and sailing on small crafts ...and art/music/film making included.

It's something I'm very passionate about ....i see depressed people all day ...a counsellor/therapists can only do so much in one to one counselling

Get people into groups though and you really start seeing changes. Group power.

Also getting people moving and interacting with the real world has longer lasting impacts too than just therapy in a white room with a therapist nodding away (lol we call them nodding dogs in our game)

It's why I'm spending less time playing golf also as I have to do a lot of it outside my normal work hours

That doesn't mean also there isn't a place for medication for depression/anxiety and phobias and other metal illnesses ......it's just needs a complete assessment and a program designed to suit the individual

Don't just go to a GP AND get a quick fox.......

But we have to realise that depression will cause so many social problems going forward and there is more than one solution to the problem.

 

Not a bad thought Dave_1, but getting a group of depressants together is not going to be all that easy.  How will this help them deal with what is causing the depressive issues?  It may make them feel a bit better (if you can convince them to be in a group environment of people they do not know in the first place) in the short term, but then they return to the normal environment and nothing has changed.  This would be great post the depression being identified and treatment commenced.

[pegasus2357]

Very true Peg people can be quite defensive when depressed and feel like they are being attack, even if you are just trying to help.

More than yoy know mate. ...
Might elaborate sometime. ... Maybe

[Tolmij]

Two years ago my wife had depression, it just came from nowhere. we were happy with our life, no money problems, then she suddenly started getting panic attacks. We would be shopping and she would start to sweat and had to go out of the shop. She loves cooking but cooking also brought on panic attacks.

Unfortunately the only help offered were pills that turned her into a zombie so she stopped taking them and tried cold turkey. Nothing seemed to be working then one night she had a minor stroke, spent 3 days in hospital . when she came out the depression was gone.

The specialist said a TIA or minor stroke has been known before to reset the brain patterns

What we learned from this was there is no systematic help, it depends how good your GP is and how much trouble they want to go to in order to start the correct treatment. Our GP was a pill pusher, when she refused the pills he just shrugged his shoulders and said best of luck it will be difficult.

[Fill the Dill]

Thanks for sharing Tol.

[Weetbix]

It's a timely reminder that if you aren't getting good help you need to shop around. Some doctors are useless. The missus had a dislocating thumb and the Big she went to just said "Can you just use the other one?" Like it wasn't painful whether she used it or not.

Went to a good doc who got her into the right specialist and she's sorted. Needed surgery to tighten and shorten all the ligaments to stop it spontaneously dislocating.

Don't stop searching if you aren't getting the help you need.

[Tolmij]

Thanks for sharing Tol.

excellent OP Maxx.

[dave_1_]

Not a bad thought Dave_1, but getting a group of depressants together is not going to be all that easy. How will this help them deal with what is causing the depressive issues? It may make them feel a bit better (if you can convince them to be in a group environment of people they do not know in the first place) in the short term, but then they return to the normal environment and nothing has changed. This would be great post the depression being identified and treatment commenced.

There would be lead in meet n greet sessions

Most people,suffering from something find strength in groups

It's not easy though and your right it's not a total answer

My thinking is this.....

The thing people who are depressed are often not depressed 24 hours a day

My adventure therapy session might last 2-3 hours...for 2 or 3 hours they are going to feel good (hopefully great)

That might just make them feel geez I can get out there and take on the world maybe a bit more than I could before .....it's no cure or magic potion by any means

I have been researching and speaking with many mental health experts and they all liked the idea ...my clients tend to feel down and use substances to mask how they are feeling

Exercise gives natural release of serotonin that few other things do bar sex and chocolate :-)

And drugs of course ...music too

I'm designing a program that will naturally release serotonin into people's minds ....and trust me that can't be bad thing

Edited by dave_1_, 23 February 2014 - 09:32 PM.

[reprise]

Very difficult topic to address. Have a close family member struggling with it, and we as a family, often feel helpless. Different doctors say contrasting things. The more we talk about it, highlight it, hopefully the easier it will be for those suffering to seeks assistance.

The most difficult thing is the feeling of helplessness. You can help a friend who's got a broken leg, a bad arm or any other injury. So hard to know what to do with mental illness.

[Tolmij]

Very difficult topic to address. Have a close family member struggling with it, and we as a family, often feel helpless. Different doctors say contrasting things. The more we talk about it, highlight it, hopefully the easier it will be for those suffering to seeks assistance.
The most difficult thing is the feeling of helplessness. You can help a friend who's got a broken leg, a bad arm or any other injury. So hard to know what to do with mental illness.

That's what we found, everyone had a different solution usually pills, no one really wanted to talk about it in depth.

[Kannis]

The old depression, a tough nut to crack. It's a shame she went out that way but RIP.

 

I was diagnosed 2 years ago. It's terrible & unless you have gone through it you have no idea how bad it can be. The shrink sessions helped me a bit but it still lingers in the back of my mind & I just don't see how someone can fully recover from it. Even though I have a loving family, wife & 2 kids, it still got me.

 

I feel much better than I did 2 years ago & one thing that helped me the most was being able to play golf and claiming back some freedom in my life, thanks to an understanding wife.