Depression - What is your take?

• ernest_t_bass

  

  In honor of the "autism" thread, what is your take on depression?
  
  I personally don't "believe" in depression, and I feel that it is mis/over-diagnosed. I feel that it is caused by the ongoing codling of our society.
  
  Anyone?
• Glory Days

  

  yeah i sorta agree to a point. i think we are too quick to just prescribe some pills or think pills are the answer instead of treating the problem itself.
• cbus4life

  It is real, and sometimes medicine is the only way to really ge things rolling in the right direction.
  
  I suffer from depression, and a combination of medicine and traditional counseling and dealing with the problems and just doing the whole "man up" thing is the best way to go.
  
  I'm certainly proud of the progress i've made, and believe that the whole "coddling" argument is BS, plain and simple. I've not been coddled in one part of my life, and have worked through and done my best throughout. I wasn't given any "cure alls" in regards to depression and medicine and have always made sure that i do the "traditional" things along with my medicine.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  I agree with the whole "man up" thing, but that is about it.
• dwccrew

  

  ernest_t_bass wrote: In honor of the "autism" thread, what is your take on depression?
  
  I personally don't "believe" in depression, and I feel that it is mis/over-diagnosed. I feel that it is caused by the ongoing codling of our society.
  
  Anyone?

  I don't know, I think your buddy WLS is a clear cut case of depression.
• pmoney25

  

  I believe post partem depression is real. Watching my wife go through it was tough.
  
  As for depression in general. Definately think its real but also mis/over diagnosed
• Con_Alma

  Because it might be mis/over diagnosed doesn't mean it isn't real.
  
  I think clinical depression is very real.
  
  I think there are people who are incorrectly diagnosed with depression.
• Footwedge

  Clinical depression is very real. Clinical depression is far different that one experiencing the common ups and downs of living a life.
  
  There are chemicals in the neurological system that are supposed to regulate mood swings. One of these is serotonin. When the production of these neurotransmitters go out of wack, clinical depression can set in.
  
  Obviously clinical depression can occur through the loss of a loved one, a pet, a broken relationship, loss of job, or contracting a life threatening illness.
• OneBuckeye

  

  Alcohol is the answer.
  
  
• unique_67

  As a person who suffers from severe clinical depression, and who has been dealing with mental health issues since the age of 13, the ignorance of people never ceases to amaze me.
  
  There is a big difference between the types of depression one deals with do to the day to day struggles of life, and having, legitimate, clinical depression which is every bit as much a real illness as any physical illness.
  
  If anybody had or does suffer from clinical depression, or has a loved one that suffers from this illness, then you know all too well what a devastating illness it can be for the person afflicted with clinical depression, and everybody who is close to them.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  I have been through times in my life where I felt depressed. I drank a lot, stayed in doors, stayed away from friends, stayed up late at night, slept on the couch, stayed away from family, etc.
  
  I'm not discounting clinical depression, but the "day to day" depression, that is OVER-diagnosed, is what I hate. All I had to do was look in the mirror, tell myself to snap out of it, and put my faith in God.
  
  I'm fine now, and didn't need medicine.
• unique_67

  You didn't require medicine for your short term depression because it was not clinical depression. And, had you gone to a reputable psychiatrist or psychologist, you would NOT have been diagnosed with depression.
  
  The office where I see both my Psychologist and Psychiatrist has a rule that the Psychiatrist's will NOT prescribe prescription drugs to ANY patient unless that person also see's one of the counselors or Psychologists.
  
  If one merely wants prescription drugs, they can get these from their primary care physician, and there are plenty of non-Psychiatrist who do not think twice about prescribing medication for people that are not suffering from clinical depression. And, there are also Psychiatrist who are quick to push pills, even though medication only rarely works.
  
  You stated in the first thread that you personally do not believe in depression, and if that is based on the personal experience that you had, then I will tell you that you did not have clinical depression. You are free to have your opinion, but that does mean your opinion is correct, and this type of mindset is often what keeps people that truly do have clinical depression from seeking treatment.
• Websurfinbird

  

  Footwedge wrote: Clinical depression is very real. Clinical depression is far different that one experiencing the common ups and downs of living a life.
  
  There are chemicals in the neurological system that are supposed to regulate mood swings. One of these is serotonin. When the production of these neurotransmitters go out of wack, clinical depression can set in.
  
  Obviously clinical depression can occur through the loss of a loved one, a pet, a broken relationship, loss of job, or contracting a life threatening illness.

  Not sure how this relates at all but, I swear before I started taking birth control pills,it would take a lot to make my cry. Now I'm tearing up at the kleenex commercial. I definitely think there's something to the whole chemical thing ...
• Footwedge

  Websurfinbird wrote:

  Footwedge wrote: Clinical depression is very real. Clinical depression is far different that one experiencing the common ups and downs of living a life.
  
  There are chemicals in the neurological system that are supposed to regulate mood swings. One of these is serotonin. When the production of these neurotransmitters go out of wack, clinical depression can set in.
  
  Obviously clinical depression can occur through the loss of a loved one, a pet, a broken relationship, loss of job, or contracting a life threatening illness.

  Not sure how this relates at all but, I swear before I started taking birth control pills,it would take a lot to make my cry. Now I'm tearing up at the kleenex commercial. I definitely think there's something to the whole chemical thing ...

  As a long time prescription drug rep. I can certainly attest that chemicals from prescription drugs can cause unusual side effects. Never studied bc pills...but I would strongly urge you to visit your primary care physician...or your OBGYN....whoever the prescriber was.
  
  Prescription drugs are in fact synthetic chemicals ( a few are natural enzymes such as insulin), that alter the physiology of the body. All prescription pills have side effects,. These side effects vary from patient to patient.
  
  Your physician will probably represcribe a different class of bc pills in hopes of alleviating your emotional swings.
  
  Best of luck to you.
• fan_from_texas

  I was hoping this thread was a joke. Of course depression is real.
  
  What's next?
  
  "Cancer--real or simply imagined?"
  "Car Accidents--just a mind trick?"
  "AIDS--time to man up?"
• ernest_t_bass

  

  unique_67 wrote:You stated in the first thread that you personally do not believe in depression, and if that is based on the personal experience that you had, then I will tell you that you did not have clinical depression. You are free to have your opinion, but that does mean your opinion is correct, and this type of mindset is often what keeps people that truly do have clinical depression from seeking treatment.

  If you read my post right above yours, you will see that I say that I do "not discount clinical depression." So, you saying I have a certain type of "mindset" is proven wrong.
• ernest_t_bass

  

  fan_from_texas wrote: I was hoping this thread was a joke. Of course depression is real.

  Yes, depression is real, like stated by many above... clinical depression. What I don't like, is when someone is sad, many in today's society will say... depression.
• fan_from_texas

  ernest_t_bass wrote:

  fan_from_texas wrote: I was hoping this thread was a joke. Of course depression is real.

  Yes, depression is real, like stated by many above... clinical depression. What I don't like, is when someone is sad, many in today's society will say... depression.

  Well, that is "depression." If you're sad, you're depressed--they're essentially synonymous. It's a term that has both a clinical (i.e. DSM-IV-TR, with various tests, GAF scores, whatever) meaning and a colloquial meaning (i.e., sad). It might be more accurate if we only used depression in the clinical sense, but that could get tough--are we really going to say, "No, you're not depressed; you're only upset because your mom died, and that triggering factor, combined with your not meeting 5 of 8 factors over the requisite period of time, indicates that you're only sad, not depressed." Of course, Mrs. FFT (a psychotherapist), would say that someone is "suffering from major depressive disorder," not depression, as "depression" is something that has more of a colloquial meaning.
  
  I guess it depends on how you look at it.
• dwccrew

  

  ernest_t_bass wrote: I have been through times in my life where I felt depressed. I drank a lot, stayed in doors, stayed away from friends, stayed up late at night, slept on the couch, stayed away from family, etc.
  
  I'm not discounting clinical depression, but the "day to day" depression, that is OVER-diagnosed, is what I hate. All I had to do was look in the mirror, tell myself to snap out of it, and put my faith in God.
  
  I'm fine now, and didn't need medicine.

  My prayer go out.
  
  God Bless
  
  Victory in Jesus......and the Buddha
• ernest_t_bass

  

  dwccrew wrote:

  ernest_t_bass wrote: I have been through times in my life where I felt depressed. I drank a lot, stayed in doors, stayed away from friends, stayed up late at night, slept on the couch, stayed away from family, etc.
  
  I'm not discounting clinical depression, but the "day to day" depression, that is OVER-diagnosed, is what I hate. All I had to do was look in the mirror, tell myself to snap out of it, and put my faith in God.
  
  I'm fine now, and didn't need medicine.

  My prayer go out.
  
  God Bless
  
  Victory in Jesus......and the Buddha

  
  LOL... thanks.
• OneBuckeye

  

  I heard a news story recently that some lady was collecting insurance for her clinical depression. They went on her facebook page and found a picture of her smiling on a beach. No more insurance because she obviously wasn't depressed anymore! I will try and find a link. Just sayin...
• OneBuckeye

  

  Faking sick usually means avoiding public places. These days that includes the Internet.
  
  A Quebec woman on long-term sick leave lost her benefits after she posted Facebook photos of herself frolicking on a beach.
  
  CBC reports that a year and a half ago Nathalie Blanchard was diagnosed with depression and granted leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Que.
  
  The Manulife insurance company had been sending her monthly sick-leave benefits, but ceased payment when they found Blanchard’s photos on the social networking site.
  
  Manulife reportedly said the pictures Blanchard posted to her private Facebook account prove she is no longer depressed. One showed her having fun at a Chippendales show, another at her birthday party and a third on a beach holiday.
  
  Blanchard says she had told Manulife about the trip and that the pictures do not prove that her overall mood has improved.
  
  "In the moment I'm happy, but before and after I have the same problems," she explains, adding that her doctors had advised her to have fun in order to forget her worries.
  
  Blanchard's lawyer, Tom Lavin, requested a new psychiatric evaluation of his client, but thinks Manulife's investigation was inappropriate.
  
  "I don't think for judging a mental state that Facebook is a very good tool," he said.
  
  Manulife confirmed to CBC that it uses Facebook to investigate clients, but said they would not withdraw benefits simply based on that site.
  
  "We would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook," they said.
  
  Blanchard estimates that the Facebook debacle has cost her thousands of dollars in benefits.
  

  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2009/11/22/2009-11-22_nathalie_blanchard_loses_benefits_over_facebook_beach_photos.html
  
  
• cbus4life

  OneBuckeye wrote: I heard a news story recently that some lady was collecting insurance for her clinical depression. They went on her facebook page and found a picture of her smiling on a beach. No more insurance because she obviously wasn't depressed anymore! I will try and find a link. Just sayin...

  I suffer from clinical depression and i smile a lot.