Do You Ever Get Down In The Dumps?

[Teresa, The One Who LOVES to Cook]

Do you ever get down in the dumps and sad for no reason? Talk about it here.

[Allison]

Everyone does. The best thing I can advise is not to stay down for too long. Take it from someone who has had a long series of depression you can go from dumps to depression easily. If you need to take time to be down then that is okay. But don't allow yourself to be shut off for too long. If you find yourself sleeping all the time. Not going outside or talking with friends (the internet does not count as talking) then get yourself up and out of the house. Go to the store. Go to the park. Do something constructive like clean. Go to school or work if you haven't gone because your down. That may not be easy and it may take effort. Sometimes you might need a helping hand from a friend or family. Communication is key. Let someone know how you are feeling. Being down happens but being completely alone can be avoided. It's not healthy. It is too easy to do nothing and it's the worst thing you can let happen.

[Lura, The One Who Loves to Write]

Teresa wrote: "Do you ever get down in the dumps and sad for no reason? Talk about here."

Yeah, often. But I have clinical depression... :( I can generally keep away from the really bad episodes, but they happen. Reading helps me because it distracts me from my life. Writing helps for the same reason, though I sometimes just write about how I feel and try to figure out why I feel that way. That sometimes helps.

Doing crafts helps too. I also have scheduled activities every Wednesday and Saturday: Wednesday is D&D Encounters night at the local game store and Saturday is Pokemon League, which my husband and I run. I try to make it to both every week and usually succeed.

I also have a monthly appointment with a counselor. Talking to her helps.

Allison wrote: "Everyone does. The best thing I can advise is not to stay down for too long. Take it from someone who has had a long series of depression you can go from dumps to depression easily. If you need to ..."

This advice is pretty good. If you find yourself experiencing this, go to a doctor or counselor. They can help. For one, they can figure out if you're experiencing depression or just a temporary setback. If it is depression, you may or may not need medicine for a while as you recover. (view spoiler)[If I knew then what I know now about depression, I would have been more resistant to the idea of medicine. I've been on that medicine for years now. I keep trying to do other things for it, but I've been on the medicine so long now (almost 13 years) I can barely function without it. If you can avoid taking medicine, I recommend it. I wish someone had said that to me all those years ago. (hide spoiler)]

[Teresa, The One Who LOVES to Cook]

I take Meds for Depression. I'm not as Depressed, but I had HUGE problems. Still do a little, even though I'm getting better. It's more like me worrying, which I do all the time.

[Lura, The One Who Loves to Write]

I hate having to take meds. I don't necessarily hate the meds - they've helped me too much for that - but I hate having to take them. I damn near can't function without them. It's annoying and just plain sucks. And it pisses me off.

[Teresa, The One Who LOVES to Cook]

Why Lura?

[Lura, The One Who Loves to Write]

Without the meds, I am either blowing up at people every few minuites (followed by an apology and lots of crying) or I can't make myself get out of bed. Neither is acceptable to me.

In other words, without them I turn into either a lump or a raging b!tch.

[Teresa, The One Who LOVES to Cook]

That would be me. You see I had a boyfriend for 8 years that pestered me about 1 thing I wanted NOTHING to do with. I told him that I didn't want to and I meant it. He took no for a long time, but then he pestered me ALL THE TIME. His Mom and I had a talk, because she knew he was pestering me, she had a talk with him and he wouldn't let it go.
Well, we started having arguments, I mean yelling.
When we weren't together we would talk on our Cell Phones. It was an hour, then 30 minutes, because it was just too much. He started calling me after I told him that our conversation was over. He wouldn't let that go.
Then I started having Panic and Anxiety Attacks, because I needed to do this, that, be there when he told me to be there at his face, the phone, wherever, whatever I did, wasn't enough for him.
I broke up with him 1 1/2 years ago. Of that time for a year and 1 year and 2 months I have been going to a Psychiatrist and on top of that I'm going to a Psychologist.
Lura, I finally have ME TIME, do things when I WANT TO, I don't have to Cater to him anymore. I FIANLLY have my life back.
I've been on Meds for about 6 Months and it's helping.

[Lura, The One Who Loves to Write]

The meds do help, but I've just been on them for SOO LONG ((view spoiler)[five or six weeks shy of 13 years (hide spoiler)]) that it's frustrating me that I can't get off them. What's worse, I've had to start taking two different ones at the same time now. Have been for over a year. :(

[Teresa, The One Who LOVES to Cook]

1 1/2 years. He's parked his stupid car in my driveway 2 different times. He's CRAZY, Lura.

[Lura, The One Who Loves to Write]

If you lived closer, I'd offer to kick his ass for you. ^_^

Have you gotten a restraining order against him? 'Cause it sounds like you need one...

[Teresa, The One Who LOVES to Cook]

No. I'm going to if he ever comes over here again and parks his car.. My parents weren't home the day he drove up the driveway the second time. We were in a Restaurant the other day and he came right past our table and I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest because I was nervous.

[Lura, The One Who Loves to Write]

*hugs Teresa* I'll be praying for you, hun.

Did he say anything to you in the restaurant? Or look at you?

[Teresa, The One Who LOVES to Cook]

NO, thank goodness. I know it's been 1 1/2 years that I broke up with him, but I was with him for 8 years. He ruined my life, Lura. I wasted ALL that time with him. I have NO IDEA why.

[Lura, The One Who Loves to Write]

8 YEARS?? Dang.

Maybe he's moved on? I hope. *fingers crossed*

[[deleted user]]

I suffer from clinical depression, so I REALLY get down in the dumps sometimes. I was diagnosed when I was 19 and I am now 43. I've been to hell and back but I'm still here, feeling better because I'm now on the right meds and see a wonderful therapist.

Everyone gets the blues. It's part of life. The good thing about the blues is, they make you appreciate the good times even more.

[Lura, The One Who Loves to Write]

That's very true, Aaron. I do appreciate the good times more now. I used to take them for granted, then, well, sh...stuff happened. I lost both of my parents while still in high school: my mother died of heart failure when I was 17 and a junior in high school, my father died a year and five days later - about 6 weeks before I graduated high school. At least I was 18 at the time so I was never a ward of the state...

[[deleted user]]

I do, too. Isn't it wonderful, Lura? I used to take them for granted until I was brought to my knees by severe depression. Oh God, my condolences on the loss of your parents. That's so sad. Yes, good thing you weren't ward of the state.

I think my family, my support system, saved my life. It's so important to have a support system while going through depression, or any illness.

I take loss very hard. Even when my pets die I go to pieces.

[Teresa, The One Who LOVES to Cook]

Lura wrote: "8 YEARS?? Dang.

Maybe he's moved on? I hope. *fingers crossed*"

I don't believe he has. I have no idea what his "PSYCHO" problem is. But I don't want him to act weird and pine over me, because I'm not even wasting my time on him, at all.

[Allison]

As for medication. I have to say that some drugs are necessary but some that are used for anxiety and depression can be addictive.

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse]

I used to have what I call "Blue Days," where everything would just seem so very difficult and pointless. These days were common occurrences in university when I was away from home, but since I have finished school and begun working full-time jobs, I haven't had one.