People with depression

[peanut]

I think that is a particularly thoughtless and insensitive remark !

Would you ask the same of a cancer sufferer ? or someone who has kidney failure ?
Maybe all depressed people are making it up to get out of working
Its not real its all in the mind right !

I've noticed on here that a lot of people suffer from the above.

Even on the "your worst feature thread" a lot of people put down things and said it was connected to there depression and also on past threads it has been mentioned by various people.

I'm just wondering if you are suffering from depression or just prone to getting pissed off from time to time.

I genuinely am really surprised at the amount. I have read that physical exerscise is a great way of beating this illness and given the fact most people on here are regular cyclists does this not help?

I'm not taking the piss for once and would be really interested to know if you do suffer has it been properly diagnosed or is it a lazy/not clued up GP just taking the easy option and saying you're depressed?

 

[gbb]

I think it may be a simple representation that an awful lot of people suffer from depression.

Thats a good simple answer, and i think very true.

For me, 10 years of feeling 'pissed off' for various reasons that arent important here, till it got so bad i HAD to go get help, and of course was quickly diagnosed with depression.
Better now, but i sometimes feel i've lost the old me.
A lesson for anyone who puts up with feeling pissed off for so long...get some help. Someone should have kicked my ass long ago.

Back to Noodleys point, perhaps if you join any forum, or talk to any group of like minded people...you'll find a proportion of them suffer.

 

[Cranky]

I seem to remember it affects about 10% of the population to some extent, but it seems higher than that here

A quick check of the membership of this forum tells me that there are 3,803 members. If 10% suffer from depression we've probably only heard from a small proportion of them.

 

[yello]

It's a fair question Greedo. We all know people that complain of migraines when they mean headache.

Noodley's answer is worth thinking about. Sadly, depression just happens to be common illness; but because there is no visible injury than it's not one that's easy for the non-sufferer to validate. And there are many routes to depression, possibly even a genetic cause or predisposition. One person's depression may not be the same as anothers.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

I've noticed on here that a lot of people suffer from the above.

Even on the "your worst feature thread" a lot of people put down things and said it was connected to there depression and also on past threads it has been mentioned by various people.

I'm just wondering if you are suffering from depression or just prone to getting pissed off from time to time.

I genuinely am really surprised at the amount. I have read that physical exerscise is a great way of beating this illness and given the fact most people on here are regular cyclists does this not help?

I'm not taking the piss for once and would be really interested to know if you do suffer has it been properly diagnosed or is it a lazy/not clued up GP just taking the easy option and saying you're depressed?

Got to agree with Peanut on that front. This post comes across as insensitive, particularly the bit in bold.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and put it down to clumsy communication skills rather than a reflection on your own perspective, this time.

I agree with Yello; it's an interesting subject well worthy of discussion. It's difficult to deduct whether there's a higher prevalence of Depression amongst the members here than in the general population because there are a lot of factors to consider; how comfortable you are with divulging such information to relative strangers (can work both ways), how often you log on, what sort of stage you are at in the illness, whether you have been diagnosed, who else posts a response and so on and so forth.

Not so sure about Noodley's point. I have my own theories about the membership here: it's characterised by mainly males, whose age distribution centres around 35-45 year olds, who have a higher disposable income than the national average, and who are physically in better shape than the majority.

This may well be hokum however!

If these any, most or all of these characteristics are common to sufferers of Depression then you might conclude that there's a higher prevalence here than in the gen. pop.

Of course, I don't mean to exclude either members of the forum who don't fit these characteristics or sufferers of the disease who don't fit these characteristics, I'm simply looking at prevalence and age, gender, deprivation etc.

Me, I don't know if it's the case or not

 

[Fnaar]

I guess a lot of people have "down" periods, and some people just get it a lot worse than others. I had one seriously down period in my early 20s (when a lot of bad things happened all around the same time; I'll spare you the details), which lasted a year and a bit; thankfully I haven't been like that since, and I'm generally a cheerful chappy (though a bit moody on occasion)

 

[Arch]

I'd imagine there's a reason for an apparent 'glut' of people saying they are suffering from depression, and that is that once one person 'admits' it (given that the reaction of some will always be to sneer), others feel able to admit it as well. And feel they have something to offer by way of help or advice. I'm sure that whenever anyone comes on here and says "I/someone I know has cancer", there is a surge of people saying "I had/have that, and I found this helped, or these people were good...".

Having seen people go through depression, I'm fairly sure I'm just unhappy some of the time and I wouldn't play that up as 'real' depression, because I know I can 'snap out of it' if I put my mind to it.

 

[Landslide]

I feel that the relative anonymity of an internet forum makes it easier to open up and air such problems.

 

[barq]

Well, how do you define depression?

The textbook answer is in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). It is a dictionary sized book which lists the diagnostic criteria for recognised mental health disorders.

The answer is partly a matter of degree and persistence. Unlike a bad mood depression tends to be quite enduring and isn't something people can easily shake off. In fact the sense of powerlessness to do anything about it is one of the main characteristics. There are often other symptoms like sudden weight gain/loss, problems sleeping, anxiety and cognitive impairment. So I think you could also say it is qualitatively different from just being rather fed up.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The answer is partly a matter of degree and persistence. Unlike a bad mood depression tends to be quite enduring and isn't something people can easily shake off. In fact the sense of powerlessness to do anything about it is one of the main characteristics. There are often other symptoms like sudden weight gain/loss, problems sleeping, anxiety and cognitive impairment. So I think you could also say it is qualitatively different from just being rather fed up.

Exactly. In my most serious period, I had almost a month where the majority of my time was spent curled up in a ball in the corner of my room between the bed and the wall. When you are 'inside', it feels like it is never going to stop.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

..my wife told me that "You got ill, then you went to sleep for 3 years"...I dont really remember it being that long

 

[Greedo]

I'd just like to point out that I was in no way being insensitive, and am actually a bit pissed off that people have said I was.

For the record I have a sister who has suffered from depression for a number of years. I fully understand what anybody suffering from depression is going through as much as I possibly can whilst not suffering myself, as I have talked to her at great length at times about how she feels openly and honestly.

At the time she was diagnosed (and she was sectioned for a while, which was heartbreaking seeing your big sister in such a state) I was the biggest supporter of getting her properly seen to. At the time her and her husband had the best jobs, money, house, cars etc...... out of everyone I knew. Not that any of that material things matter but people used to say. "what's she got to be depressed about, she should give herself a good shake". I was never one of these as I could see something was seriously wrong with her.

On the other hand and the reason for my thread is another sister and a few friends have had major things happen to them in life. Job loss, relationship break ups, divorce, deaths etc. and they have felt very down as a result. These people however were not after consultation suffering from depression but a few of them were instantly prescribed prozac. And I find that horrendous!

And in answer to the person on the thread earlier who commented that it's an illness and if it was cancer I wouldn't be asking the same thing? I would. I would be just as concerned that people were being mis-diagnosed and told they had cancer when they didn't!

The sister in question now lives in Sydney and through decent medical support, medication and love of people around her she has been doing great for a while now. She is on the road to recovery and I'm just so glad that she is not crippled by this terrible illness as much anymore. Just like how my heart goes out to anyone else on here who is suffering or sufferred.

I know at times I talk a lot of shite and post stupid things but I would never post anything as serious as this tread without reason. I was just really surprised by the amount of decent people on here who are or have suffered.

That was all. It was purely out of concern and if anyone has taken that to mean anything else other than heartfelt concern then I apologise.

 

[GaryA]

Skim reading through this (only drivel in P&L today) I realise that I have never by any medical definition been depressed

I have suffered severe trauma ( nasty RTA which left me wheelchair bound for 4 months) and loss of a relationship break up but never depression as such...my memories are of a stubborn resistance not to be beaten and rage rather than depression..now I'm one of those people who are incurably irritable and prone to 'flare ups' over nothing (much to the exasperation of those closest ) but I forget the irritation equally quickly.
I'm wandering if certain personality types are more prone to depression?
..and maybe certain types are immune- but I'm not thinking of insensitive's & dullards either-
Also how does your philosophical attutude- or having one, help or hinder?
I suspect overcoming depression is something no-one can do for you- you have to work it out internally

 

[Sittingduck]

I'd imagine there's a reason for an apparent 'glut' of people saying they are suffering from depression, and that is that once one person 'admits' it (given that the reaction of some will always be to sneer), others feel able to admit it as well. And feel they have something to offer by way of help or advice. I'm sure that whenever anyone comes on here and says "I/someone I know has cancer", there is a surge of people saying "I had/have that, and I found this helped, or these people were good...".

I reakon you're spot on with this Arch.

 

[Twenty Inch]

"In typical mild, moderate, or severe depressive episodes, the patient suffers from lowering of mood, reduction of energy, and decrease in activity. Capacity for enjoyment, interest, and concentration is reduced, and marked tiredness after even minimum effort is common. Sleep is usually disturbed and appetite diminished. Self-esteem and self-confidence are almost always reduced and, even in the mild form, some ideas of guilt or worthlessness are often present. The lowered mood varies little from day to day, is unresponsive to circumstances and may be accompanied by so-called "somatic" symptoms, such as loss of interest and pleasurable feelings, waking in the morning several hours before the usual time, depression worst in the morning, marked psychomotor retardation, agitation, loss of appetite, weight loss, and loss of libido. Depending upon the number and severity of the symptoms, a depressive episode may be specified as mild, moderate or severe. "

From the above link. Absolutely spot on for me in both episodes. As an example - reduction of energy: I went from cycling 80 - 100 miles a week and dancing twice a week to barely able to get out of bed in the morning, in the space of a month or so.