What does Depression mean to you?

[crush25]

What can you say about depression? What it means to you?. Have you ever depressed or are you depressed right now? Depression is an open expression of grief, internalized anger, hopelessness, the desire to die. It rarely involves suicidal threats, complete withdrawal, or giving up long before the illness seems terminal. The patient is usually silent.

[Dyeva]

This has always been something very real to me for as long as I can remember. I'd have to say that most of the people in my family are or have been depressed sometime in their lives. It's so hard to see your loved ones go through something as hard as this, but it's a truly amazing feeling when you see them through it. I know that I have suffered from this as well and I struggle with it now and then from time to time but for the most part I'm an extremely happy and outgoing person. I guess that's what makes it so hard for my family then because it's such a serious and direct change for me when I sink in to another small episode of just feeling miserable all the time.

I'll probably wind up writing more later on this, I know I have a lot that I can say about it.

[freud]

I understand that people can become sad and that often times they do not want to move on and forth. However too me, depression is one refusing to be happy, it is people choosing to live in the past and refuse to stop being sad. I am not saying that they do this because they enjoy being sad, but because they simply do not know what to do to become happy again.

[cindylawson123]

For me, depression is a state of mind, where nothing is positive and everything is negative...there might be innumerable things, where one could have got a thing or two to learn. A depressed individual will always say 'Oh God! Why me', where he could have said 'Oh God! Thank you for choosing me'........

[Honesty]

There is no single cause for depression. Many factors play a role including genetics, environment, life events, medical conditions, and the way people react to things that happen in their lives. But what depression mean to me is Sad, immobilized, potentially suicidal, passive, loss of energy, crying.I think of darkness, only becoz ive been depressed myself, and i felt like i was in a black hole with no way out,.... altho i also think that people use depression as an excuse to get state benifits and not work, but if its real depression i think of darkness, loneliness, emptiness.... a sense of failure, the inability to do normal day to day things.

[Vicenzo]

I wonder if the genetics are considered as one of the factors for someone to be depressed. Little did i know, Depression is something related to both the mind and emotions.

[Ricardo]

I think an aspect of depression can be a sense of hopelessness, or of no prospect of happiness for the future.

[watson]

I do not believe in depression as a disorder. It is an emotion and it is up to one's behaviors on how long that emotion lasts. I like to call it sadness that a person does not want to leave behind. The reinforce the sad feelings in their head and choose to keep living in it to escape facing reality.

[tac2bz]

I do not believe in depression as a disorder. It is an emotion and it is up to one's behaviors on how long that emotion lasts. I like to call it sadness that a person does not want to leave behind. The reinforce the sad feelings in their head and choose to keep living in it to escape facing reality.

But what would you do to convince a person that the sad feelings that they (the sufferers of depression) feel are completely in their head?  These people really feel that the pain is their reality.  Some sufferers KNOW what they need to do in order to "snap out of it", however, find it extremely difficult.

[writedaily22]

The general public's lack of awareness regarding mental illnesses such as depression concerns me.  It's very easy to believe that you are, or have been, depressed based on reading the symptoms.  

A few years ago I was an undergraduate contemplating switching universities.  I left a girlfriend with whom I was infatuated to go back to school and was having a very hard time being away from her--largely because she made it difficult.  As a result, I convinced myself that I was at fault; I belittled myself for abandoning her--lost weight, didn't eat, didn't go out, lost friends, sunk into a hole and believed that the only way out was to return home.  

I started going to community college and living at home with my parents.  I was very unhappy.  I would sit in bed and stare at the ceiling, concentrating on time passing, looking at the clock, thinking about the breaths entering and leaving my lungs.  I watched the light creep across the ceiling until the sun went down and there was none left.  I listened intently to the silence of my room and I saw no way out.  

I got through it though, because I wanted to get through it.  But the truth is that my feelings were not prolonged and certainly not perennial.  I believed that I was depressed and it didn't help to know that my father suffered from it because that just fueled my belief that I was bound to suffer from it as well (I don't know on what knowledge I based my conclusions).

Then, I took a psychology class and learned about depression.  Knowledge helped quell any concerns I had about my being susceptible to repeat-occurences and it fostered my ability to recognize and deal with early signs of depression and/or anxiety.  

Although it is difficult--nearly impossible--to see a solution when one is experiencing depression, my hope is that people will seek out others, read blogs, research, and learn about it.  These methods of coping are extremely effective in abolishing victims and creating sound-minded individuals better prepared for life's tribulations.

[SWM]

@writedaily22
you have a lot of insight into your depression, and you are able to express that really well. alot of people would benefit from your knowledge and experience.

it is interesting to see how your thoughts about your circumstance and behaviour were the precursors for your depression and that your beliefs about your illness maintained your illness. it would be interesting to know how you changed these thought patterns, was it just the psychology class or was there changes before this?

i would also like to see people learn about mental illness and psychology. thinking about it, what i really want is to help people to understand themselves and each other, and of course to understand myself and other people.

[Shell]

i would also like to see people learn about mental illness and psychology. thinking about it, what i really want is to help people to understand themselves and each other, and of course to understand myself and other people.

Stan, I know this thread is really old but thought I'd comment anyway. I like what you said here and agree wholeheartedly.  I cannot stand ignorance, or the unwillingness to research before making a decision as to what people believe.  For people to say, "I don't believe it's a disorder" and "it's all in their head."  Schizophrenia, depression, and other disorders that are actually treated by psychologists/psychiatrists are usually one of those topics.  Oh Post Partum depression is another.  People suffer from these and these disorders are very real to them.

I do wish people would be interested enough in actually spending time researching, maybe even talking to sufferers by joining forums just like this.  As for the sufferers, I have been diagnosed with depression and have gone through therapy.  It definitely helps for sufferers to know more about their disorder and to understand what it takes to get through it.  I was on meds for a bit, but the best long term "medicines" I found were coping techniques.  Cognitive therapy. 

Domestic violence is another - not a disorder, but another topic which draws the "She can leave if she really wants to" mentality.  People who don't take the time to discover what it is about the abuse and how hard it is to leave, they just make a complete ass of themselves by being ignorant.

[SWM]

thanks cecile.

I cannot stand ignorance, or the unwillingness to research before making a decision as to what people believe.  For people to say, "I don't believe it's a disorder" and "it's all in their head."  Schizophrenia, depression, and other disorders that are actually treated by psychologists/psychiatrists are usually one of those topics. Oh Post Partum depression is another.  People suffer from these and these disorders are very real to them.

this is a sad but true fact, and their is a wealth of misinformation about mental health and psychiatric disorders. i even go so far as to believe that much of psychiatry is based on this misinformation and perpetuates its own psychiatric delusion. this comment is merely a hint at my feelings about biopsychiatry or psychopharmacology.

I do wish people would be interested enough in actually spending time researching, maybe even talking to sufferers by joining forums just like this.  As for the sufferers, I have been diagnosed with depression and have gone through therapy.  It definitely helps for sufferers to know more about their disorder and to understand what it takes to get through it.  I was on meds for a bit, but the best long term "medicines" I found were coping techniques.  Cognitive therapy. 

this is an amazing field to work in particularly at this time. we have many tools for research. we have great means of communicating. the old myths about mental illness are gradually being debunked.

while the drug companies continue to research and provide evidence fro the effectiveness of their drugs the government is realising that psychological interevntions is much more cost effective. resources are being focused on providing psychological services and psychosocial interventions.

for me this is what i wanted and what i have been working and studying for. although i have made little changes to the greater scheme and i have not played apart in the changes of attitude towards psychological services, i am very pleased with the progress that is being made and i will continue to make changes in my own life and the lifes of the people i come into contact with. one day maybe i will be able to make changes to the greater scheme.

Domestic violence is another - not a disorder, but another topic which draws the "She can leave if she really wants to" mentality.  People who don't take the time to discover what it is about the abuse and how hard it is to leave, they just make a complete ass of themselves by being ignorant.

but there are people like yourself that do understand, and you are able to shed somelight on the situation for those ignorant people and you can work to ease the suffering of those abused.

when i started out as a counsellor, my first placement was with rape and sexual abuse support centre i had to do a training course to prepare me for the work. each week of that course was an awakening, i had no idea until then how many children are sexually abused, how many wifes are beaten and killed, how common is male rape. this knowledge made me more passionate about the work i was doing. until this course i had no idea, i was one of those blissfully ignorant, i had my own troubles my own problems and my own worries, i knew that other people had there worries, i knew that people beat there wives and abuse children, but i was shocked at how common these things were. this made me question more than ever my role in society, my values and priorities.

how messed up is our culture and yet it is still a beautiful world. both are worth fighting for.

[corwin137]

Want to put an alternative shout out.  I prefer simply to look at the idea of depression as a diagnosis.  Unfortunately, I think the term has been the means people have supplanted the idea of "sadness".  Words matter because of meaning, and oft pros and non-pros alike perpetuate a meme that I think is detrimental in referring to someone's "depression" in that context.

In groups, we often do a "round of feelings".  Have many times come to someone who identifies by name, then cites "I feel depressed".  I always ask them to switch that term with "sad".  Not as a way to minimize the intensity of what they're feeling, but to put them more wholly in touch with it.  Oftentimes, that's enough for the person to begin crying.

Am oversimplifying my example, but hopefully it conveys a basic idea.  The reason for any client to tell me they're "depressed" or any variation on that theme is to let go of being sad.  It's not important for me to get that information from 'em- it's easy to figure out if someone has this from a diagnostic standpoint.  As such, it seems to me much wiser to have them speak in a language that allows them to have it in a way that they can "give it away".

[SWM]

my feelings about depression are similar to my feelings of schizophrenia. the diagnosis is nothing more than a label given to a certain cluster of symptoms those symtoms are present in much of the "normal" mentally healthy population. the diagnosis does NOT help anybody AT ALL to understand the individual suffering with this disorder. there is no understanding of the individual and the evolution of their illness and no pathway of recovery for the individual. there are drugs which fit well with the diagnosis and these drugs help to prevent people from experiencing their pain. which is sometimes useful.

being able to get in touch with the source of depression by becoming aware of what is causing sadness.

is it part of our culture to move toward depersonalisation when we confront difficult internal conditions. when a person feels sad and has to give voice to their emotional state amongst other people, depersonalisation takes the focus away from their pain. 

i also notice when people talk about their experiences in terms of "you" or "we" this is also evidence of a cultural tendency to depersonalise experiences or distance themselves from their pain. i cant think of a way to illustrate this point.

[corwin137]

my feelings about depression are similar to my feelings of schizophrenia. the diagnosis is nothing more than a label given to a certain cluster of symptoms those symtoms are present in much of the "normal" mentally healthy population. the diagnosis does NOT help anybody AT ALL to understand the individual suffering with this disorder. there is no understanding of the individual and the evolution of their illness and no pathway of recovery for the individual. there are drugs which fit well with the diagnosis and these drugs help to prevent people from experiencing their pain. which is sometimes useful.

being able to get in touch with the source of depression by becoming aware of what is causing sadness.

is it part of our culture to move toward depersonalisation when we confront difficult internal conditions. when a person feels sad and has to give voice to their emotional state amongst other people, depersonalisation takes the focus away from their pain. 

i also notice when people talk about their experiences in terms of "you" or "we" this is also evidence of a cultural tendency to depersonalise experiences or distance themselves from their pain. i cant think of a way to illustrate this point.

+Juan.  Nicely said, as per usual.

[S_R_S5]

  I use to be depressed. I felt like I never wanted to be out of bed. Life was useless to me,
and I saw no end of it.  It was like a long train ride where you are trapped inside doors moving 60 MPH.
there is always an end to it though.
  I always told myself to keep going. I never got to the point where I was considering suicide though.
For every train ride there is a station for a bathroom break. Once you hit the bathroom its over.
  It is amazing how many people in America are effected by depression. Most of which have no idea they are depressed.
I don't know the exact stat but I heard 80% of the United States will be depressed at least once in their life.
Depression also causes other disorder such as eating. When I was depressed I gained weight. Do you ever wonder why kids gain weight at young ages? Some of them are made fun of and eating is how they deal with the stress.
  I agree with you on a lot. Most people are probably silent about being depressed. It is holding in anger and grief.

                       I hope this is what you wanted
                                  S_R_S5

[Dom]

For me, depression is a state of mind, where nothing is positive and everything is negative...there might be innumerable things, where one could have got a thing or two to learn. A depressed individual will always say 'Oh God! Why me', where he could have said 'Oh God! Thank you for choosing me'........

I agree with cindylawson123. Depression is about perception sometimes we feel trapped but one thing that I've found personally is that we all have the capability to move forward, no matter how deep a hole we are in. One philosophy that I've adopted is that no matter happens throughout the day I let it go and get ready to start my new day.

I also agree that there is a genetic factor to depression but either way as long as you realize that there is nothing to blame for being depressed  and that it's a part of life then you can help yourself.