Depression

[AHardDaysNight]

But see Spider,that's where you (and many others) just don't get it. It has nothing to do with how great or shitty your life is. It has to do with chemical imbalances in the brain. Some of it can be treated with meds. For some people meds don't work. Schizophrenia is the same way. No one has to find someone or something to blame for that yet no one tells the schizophrenic to suck it up.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Schitzophrenia
http://www.depression.com/causes_of_depression.html

[Untamed Gorilla]

Do life experiences change chemical imbalances or do chemical imbalances change life experiences?  It really is all just a crock.

[Princess Bubblegum]

That test said that I was somewhat Depressed.  I think its because of my sleeping patterns, so I don't think it's an accurate assessment.

[doglady]

Do life experiences change chemical imbalances or do chemical imbalances change life experiences?  It really is all just a crock.

It varies from person to person.

Some people confuse unhappiness or sadness with depression, when really they are very different things.

There are two main types of depression (not including bipolar disorder and other illnesses that include depression as a symptom).

Reactive depression occurs when a person is effected by some life altering event like the death of a close friend or family member, losing ones job or witnessing a major disaster.

Reactive depression is usually short lived, lasting from a few days to a few months.  It may go away on  its own, or may require medical intervention.

Major or clinical depression occurs when there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters, natural substances that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. Two transmitters implicated in depression are serotonin and norepinephrine. Scientists think a deficiency in serotonin may cause the sleep problems, irritability, and anxiety associated with depression. Likewise, a decreased amount of norepinephrine, which regulates alertness and arousal, may contribute to the fatigue and depressed mood of the illness.

Other body chemicals also may be altered in depressed people. Among them is cortisol, a hormone that the body produces in response to stress, anger, or fear. In normal people the level of cortisol in the bloodstream peaks in the morning, then decreases as the day progresses. In depressed people, however, cortisol peaks earlier in the morning and does not level off or decrease in the afternoon or evening.

Researchers don't know if these imbalances cause the disease or if the illness gives rise to the imbalances. They do know that cortisol levels will increase in anyone who must live with long-term stress.

It becomes a catch 22 situation.

IMO a person doesn't become depressed because bad things happen in their life, bad things happen because they are depressed.

When a person is depressed they cannot think clearly and have difficulty making rational decisions.  This in turn may lead to a less than perfect outcome to a situation.

Some examples:

A depressed person may make the decision to:

marry someone they do not love.
not be faithful to their partner, or fail to take reproductive precautions.
get pregnant when they are not in a position to care for a child.
abort a fetus.
buy something they cannot afford.
give away money and possessions.
commit acts of physical or verbal violence towards people they love.
any one of a 1,000 other bad decisions.


It's not just a crock RDO it is a very real, debilitating illness, requiring medication and counselling, and it can happen to anyone.

Here are some good websites.

http://depression.about.com/cs/brainchem101/a/brainchemistry.htm
http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/index.asp
http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/Depression_Information/index.htm

 

[Untamed Gorilla]

Do life experiences change chemical imbalances or do chemical imbalances change life experiences?  It really is all just a crock.

It varies from person to person.

Some people confuse unhappiness or sadness with depression, when really they are very different things.

There are two main types of depression (not including bipolar disorder and other illnesses that include depression as a symptom).

Reactive depression occurs when a person is effected by some life altering event like the death of a close friend or family member, losing ones job or witnessing a major disaster.

Reactive depression is usually short lived, lasting from a few days to a few months.  It may go away on  its own, or may require medical intervention.

Major or clinical depression occurs when there is an imbalance of neurotransmitters, natural substances that allow brain cells to communicate with one another. Two transmitters implicated in depression are serotonin and norepinephrine. Scientists think a deficiency in serotonin may cause the sleep problems, irritability, and anxiety associated with depression. Likewise, a decreased amount of norepinephrine, which regulates alertness and arousal, may contribute to the fatigue and depressed mood of the illness.

Other body chemicals also may be altered in depressed people. Among them is cortisol, a hormone that the body produces in response to stress, anger, or fear. In normal people the level of cortisol in the bloodstream peaks in the morning, then decreases as the day progresses. In depressed people, however, cortisol peaks earlier in the morning and does not level off or decrease in the afternoon or evening.

Researchers don't know if these imbalances cause the disease or if the illness gives rise to the imbalances. They do know that cortisol levels will increase in anyone who must live with long-term stress.

It becomes a catch 22 situation.

IMO a person doesn't become depressed because bad things happen in their life, bad things happen because they are depressed.

When a person is depressed they cannot think clearly and have difficulty making rational decisions.  This in turn may lead to a less than perfect outcome to a situation.

Some examples:

A depressed person may make the decision to:

marry someone they do not love.
not be faithful to their partner, or fail to take reproductive precautions.
get pregnant when they are not in a position to care for a child.
abort a fetus.
buy something they cannot afford.
give away money and possessions.
commit acts of physical or verbal violence towards people they love.
any one of a 1,000 other bad decisions.


It's not just a crock RDO it is a very real, debilitating illness, requiring medication and counselling, and it can happen to anyone.

Here are some good websites.

http://depression.about.com/cs/brainchem101/a/brainchemistry.htm
http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/index.asp
http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/Depression_Information/index.htm

 

Depression is a crutch for the weak.

[doglady]

RDO we've been through all this before. 

Depression has nothing to do with weakness. 

In fact many depressives, especially those who are mothers' or other caregivers are actually very strong because in spite of how they feel, inspite of wanting to cut off their own heads to eliminate the turmoil going on inside, inspite of wanting to lay on the floor and scream, they smile and get on with life for the sake of those around them.

[Untamed Gorilla]

LOL, they want to kill themselves but they don't.  What strong individuals.  People go through shit 5 times as tough and the tought never even enters their mind.  They are pussies.

[ellie mae]

whether or not the thought enters isnt really what makes one "weak" it's acting on and carrying the act out.

i'm glad neither you realdeal or you motley, (i think thats motley doglady) has depression, or you spiderhall, i really am. i personally havent ever really had the urge to do myself in either, i've had some pretty wrong urges that would likely get me a nice long hard to spell word as a label and some even harder words to spell as the non generic names to some lovely medication to make me feel "ok", but killing myself just doesnt appeal to me, i'd be bored.

however, untill you've seen the person who is actually saying to you from their soul, that they dont know why they feel like this, they know everything is ok, they're ok, they know they're ok, they know everything will be ok but they just CANNOT shake it off.  and you KNOW this person, this person is NOT a drama queen, this person is not one of those "oh poor me" people...  untill you've had this experience or something similar i cannot possibly expect you to really understand.  it wont hit close enough to home for you to understand.  thats ok.

the absoloutely best way to learn to do something is by doing it, however i would never wish that method of learning for this on anyone since so many people do get too caught up in their depression and off themselves.

  thats entirely too bad.  if i gotta be depressed i'd like to depress others with me and share the "joy", if they kill themselves cause i shared thats bullshit, i shared they should share too.  my depression is fucking special damnit!

[noone]

You want to know what living hell is? Try living with someone that has BPD
(Borderline Personality Disorder) http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/borderline-personality-disorder.shtml

I have done it for 15 years. Now she is on this great little pill, and things are great. It's like we are dating again.

[Untamed Gorilla]

Fuck chemical imbalances.  People need counseling and therapy if they have issues.  People who take pills to feel happy are the most fake people I know.

[ellie mae]

and you got your degree in chemistry exactly when?

for fucking real motley, exactly what do you KNOW about how the brain actually works?

would you like to tell me the name of the chemical in the brain responsible for sleep?  how about hallucinations when they're not caused by an outside substance? 

get back to me with your all mighty knowledge about what people ought to be doing for whats off kilter in their brains when you dig up that degree would you there bunky?  i'd love to see the crackerjack box you think you found that prize in.

counseling and therapy can only help part of the problem, if the problem is a missing chemical, all the talking about your feelings in the world wont fucking help.  if you cut open a finger bitching that it hurts wont help, getting it stitched up will.

  if you break your fucking leg whining about it wont help, going to the hospital and letting the doctor set it will help a lil, like just therapy might help a chemically imbalanced person, but you're fucked all over again if you dont let the doctor put a cast on it before you leave.  the cast is like the meds an imbalanced person ought to take when they're prescribed.

[doglady]

Fuck chemical imbalances.  People need counseling and therapy if they have issues.  People who take pills to feel happy are the most fake people I know. 

Will you get it in your tiny little brain that we are not talking about happiness.

We are talking about depression.

They're two very different things.

If a person goes to the doctor and asks for pills to make them happy the doctor is likely to send them away with a flea in their ear.

Antidepressants don't make people happy you moron, they help control the chemical imbalances that are going on in the brain.

And yes, the seriously depressed person who is taking antidepressant medication should also recieve councelling.

[Untamed Gorilla]

How come everyone on here has depression?  How come people get raped get depression then need pills to deal with it?  Did that life experience suddenly alter their genetics, thus altering the chemicals produced in their brain?  Its all bunch of bologna. 

[ellie mae]

who the hell mentioned anything about rape?  i never said anything about rape, i' talking about when for some unknown reaso your fucking brain decides it doesnt want to make enough of the chemicals that keep you from flipping your fucking wig, or keep you from being absoloutely sure the fucking sky is falling, even though your thinking mind KNOWS everything is "normal" and that you're not going through anything that everyone else in the world is going through.

you KNOW you SHOULD be able to cope you just simply cant without falling apart.  the pills dont make you "happy"  they let you feel happy or sad or stressed out without feeling like the world is going to end.

you twit

[Untamed Gorilla]

meh, I've stopped readying your posts, but I still think its all pussy shit.  Whatever.