Thank you Cybear for the beautiful kind words, I feel the same about
you. Your friendship means a lot to me. The advice I put on here I
have learned from many years of personal experience both from myself and
my daughter's experience, and working around it in my job, I am really
happy that what I have learned can help someone.

My friends (family) on here have been the greatest help to me in the
last months and for that I am truly grateful and appreciate you all more
than you can know. Thank you all for being my friend. Take care.

I have seasonal depression,growing up in Massachusetts for 43 yrs has
had it's grip on me..I use to wonder why I felt tired alot or heavy..and
then at 40 went into therapy and was diagnosed W/dyshtimia..I'm seeing a
therapist now and he recommends the same type of routine of
exercise,artwork and working..It's hard to get out of my own way..I'm
also in 12 step program al-anon..and have been since 1981..I read alot
and seek alot and search, explore and un-do things to find answers..I'm
a maverick when it comes to deepening my sense of self..

this is kind of random, but have you read any camus, krow?

hey people somethings work for some people, others have different way
that work for them

That's true Bright, some medications work for some people and not
others, counseling helps some, others don't like it, support groups help
others. I think it is important to pick out whatever it is that helps
you feel better and do it. If you have tried counseling with one
counselor and it didn't work, I would suggest trying another before
giving it up, sometimes it just isn't a good fit, but when you find the
right one, can be a huge help. I have been in excellent groups too, and
there are groups that address all types of issues.

Take care.

my counselor was a sweetheart. when my shrink first talked to me about
meds, she told me "they might work, they might not. you can take them if
you want, but you don't have to." and that bothered me; i felt like the
reason i was seeing her and going to counseling was because i had lost
the ability to help myself, and she was leaving it up to me whether i
took my meds or not. i cried at my counseling session later that day,
and my counselor told me i had to take them. that made me feel better. i
was lucky in a lot of ways; i found a counselor i got along with right
away, and i found a medication that worked for me without any trouble. i
would encourage anybody who hasn't found that yet to keep looking. it
may be hard, but the relief you feel when you finally find what you need
will be worth it. much love.

I agree Bass, if you don't find the right counselor or Dr. the first
time don't give up, one counselor I went to, I swear I could have talked
about the weather and he wouldn't have cared, but went to another and
another and found a good fit. I tried several different meds, had side
effects from some but finally found one that made me feel a lot better,
helped me sleep through the night and feel better through the day
(obviously because I was getting some sleep finally) so if the first med
doesn't work, keep trying until you find another, I firmly believe in
that also. It can take time and be frustrating for people but is worth
it in the long run when you find the right mix.

Take care.

most meds that a doctor will put you on are cnd(central nervous
depressants) which are no good. I've been battling with depression and
bipolar disorder my whole life, as well as grief trauma for about six
years(since i lost my father to cancer) and i've tried a boatload of
different medications, which worked and didn't work at the same time.
too many side effects. last july i decided to get off of them, and i'm
doing great. my point is, do the research behind your medications, and
find the right fit. there are some meds that have lethal interactions,
including regular antibiotics. don't just take anything b/c your doctor
says so. doctors can and do make mistakes. also, make sure that you can
talk to your doctor and let him/her know how you are feeling and how
your meds are treating you. it's important. also, find a therapist that
actually helps you. you have to be able to talk to this person not only
as a confidante, but also as a friend.

hey, just want to say i suffer from depression and i dont know how to
deal with it. i feal like i am a complate falure and not good enouf for
any one. my little girl keeps me going. i have been dealing with this
problem or sickness sence i was 13 and i am now 21. i cant say its
better but i hope some one can help me understand

thank you all on jsh for being good friends

Have you talked to you doctor about this Hottie? They can run medical
tests to rule out endocrine problems and others, and they can try you on
antidepressants, sometimes takes a couple of different tries to find one
that helps. Also I firmly believe in counseling to help get to the
bottom of the issues and resolve them. It is a hard road but well worth
the work. Your doctor can recommend some counselors or you can call
your local mental health agency and set up an appointment there. There
are lots of support groups out there for all kinds of issues. I find
that getting involved with other people helps me the most. I tend to be
a hermit if I don't force myself to get out in the public and talk to
people, and when I am around people I feel so much better. I don't know
if you have medical insurance or not, but most hospitals also have
social workers who can help you work out the issues and get you involved
in counseling. They know what is out there as they deal with it every
day. When I was putting my dad in the nursing home, the social worker
at work was very helpful.

Feel free to e-mail me if you want to talk, I am on here every night and
enjoy talking to people. Also, drug companies have free med programs
for people who need them, again, don't know what your situation is. You
are a good person and you deserve to be happy. Please make an
appointment with your doctor and tell them how you are feeling and get
the process going. Take care.

thank you and i have only tryed one med and i stoped taking it when i
found out i was haveing a baby but a couple weaks ago my doctor gave me
a prescion for something different and i just never went to fill it and
now i wish i would have

but thank you and i well talk to him again and see about something more

Please do follow-up with your doctor. If the first med doesn't work,
try another and another if that one doesn't work. It can be the
difference between night and day. Good luck girl.

I have been really depressed for about a week thinking my life is a
total waste as I need to create my own income without working for otehrs
making them rich. It was not until yesterday I decided that getting a
job in the outside world while I work on my own at home would only be a
bad thing if I thought I was being taken advantage of by my employer or
had to be in the public eye.

Getting a nowhere job that is known from the start it is just until I
get my own business going is not a bad thing so that is what I am going
to do.

I was so upset over all this that it must have done something inside me
because last saturday I aquired a lump on my arm that I am going to
have looked at by a doctor on tuesday as I think it may be skin cancer
of all things.

Follow-up with your doctor Kevin, stress can do all kinds of things to
you, can just be a cyst too, but you do need to have it checked. I
understand the stress you feel about money and I know how hard you are
working at getting your business going, you are doing great, and it has
been a long haul but you are getting there. Good work. I am supporting
my dad and my daughter keeps leeching money from me, wish I could enjoy
some of my own money one of these days, damn, gets old.

But follow-up with your doc, is likely a cyst or something really
benign, but check it out, puts your mind at ease and if it is something
catches it early. Take care, your business is coming along well, I saw
your web pages, and they do look great.

Marie is right, Kevin. Clearly we have no idea exactly what this lump
looks like, and I'm certainly not a doctor, but earlier in this thread I
mentioned cognitive therapy. When you are depressed, your thinking
patterns are a contributing factor. often something completely harmless
can get to you, because you have established a pattern of thinking the
worst. go see your doctor, and try not to worry about things until they
are certain. it's easier said than done, we all know from experience.

thanks to every one how has put so of there advice on here its nice that
we can shair because depression is a hard thing to deal with and not
something that you can do alone i have learnt that in the last fue days
so thank you all.

Hottie - another thing I thought about, you said you had a baby but not
how long ago. You might be dealing with postpartum depression which is
fairly common too, and your doctor can help with that. There are lots
of baby and mom classes out there and getting out and being with other
mothers is a big help too.

Take care. Have a good afternoon.

I think depression is highly over rated.

I go by the rule:

You can be depressed and pay your bills
or
you can *not* be depressed and pay your bills
either way, you still have to pay your bills.

Depression is not suppose to be a parking spot, it's suppose to
be a red light. You sit on it for a short time and then step on
the gas pedal.

Poppin' pills just turns one into Elvis and we all know what happened to
Elvis.

But there are different forms and levels of depression and sometimes
people need help climbing out. Pills can be a temporary fix, doesn't
mean it is a lifetime fix. I do believe in counseling to help resolve
the issues though. Maybe you have never felt the type of depression
that makes you want to end your life, there are many levels, and yes,
some people do come out of it easier than others, and some people have
good support systems when others don't. There is situational depression
and depression that is caused by a true chemical imbalance in the brain
that needs medical help to become better. I am glad these people feel
like they can come on here and talk about it, I have been in and out of
treatment for years, and don't take it lightly.

well thank you all. oh and my dauther well be 2 in october but i never
thought about my depression being postpardem because i have been dealing
with it sence i was 13.