I know this is a very delicate subject but following the news of Robin Williams who's been found dead due to suspected suicide from depression, do you think people are still afraid to speak out and admit they're depressed for fear of being labelled?
Especially men who are worried they could be labelled as wimps / weak? Do you think there will always be a stigma attached? I do.
I feel the term depression is thrown around far too easily by some, there is a difference to feeling a bit sad to feeling depressed. Also fearing being labelled 'loopy' or that they'll snap out of it. Or to man up.
I have known a guy who committed suicide because money pressures got on top of him and pressures to provide for his family, it was all too much and despite mentioning suicide, no one took him seriously until it was too late. I personally think more should be done but what?
Deep topic I know :uhoh:
In my experience depression, like sexuality, has an infinite scale. It ranges from mild irritability right through to full blown mania. On a couple of occasions I've been to see my GP about stress at work and one of the first questions I always get asked is if I've thought about harming myself. Luckily I've never been that desperate, but sadly I have known people who've taken their own life whilst never giving any outward signs of suffering. Thankfully, I also know a lot of people who've sought help and came through it. I think the problem is one of admission - to others, and to ourselves - that something is wrong. If a limb is broken we admit it, but if our mind is broken we keep it under cover, perhaps for fear of the perceived stigma.
I put up with depression (I won't say I suffer with it, because I give it hell, so I prefer to think that I simply put up with it being around), I have my good days, my bad days, my fabulous days and my dark demonic days.
Some of mine stemmed from when I was bullied at school, always referred to as the ugly friend and after I had kids the issue deepened into PND and alcoholism mixed with a mentally abusive ex husband (not the best years of my life), however now Im sober, divorced, and doing a job I love. I don't take tablets (I simply don't want to!) and keep active as much as I can.
I am unfortunately left with a self doubt issue, I doubt everything I do, expect to be let down a lot and have confidence problems... life sucks at times :sad:
I'm not ashamed to say I've had depression through grief and it was hell but thankfully I have well and truly kicked its arse! I don't think there's any lower than you can go once you've been down, you want to just be you again but you can't. Life changes do not help but I do believe it makes you stronger.
I had no help or support from my gp but he should have offered some form of counselling I feel. So I just got on with it, made me miserable in everything I did - lost interest in most things. I chose not to bother my doctor, I've seen friends in the past become walking zombies when on antidepressants. I didn't want to be labelled which is bad to think like that and I didn't want to be put on drugs which would alter me. Who knows what the long term effects would be.
I did however turn to a different kind of drug - food. So now I've a fat bum and bigger boobs, well have recently lost weight so not as big as before but who can complain with free boobies. :thrilled:
Anyway life is very different now but wouldn't like to go through that again. I do feel once you've been through the shittiest shit, things can't get any shittier. Talking is really important and anyone who tells you to stop moaning, well walk a mile and all that.
It's always easier to judge when you cannot even begin to imagine what it's like.
Not many people will admit they've been through it.
Depression can be a very "selfish" thing.
Unless someone has actually got depression, its very difficult to understand it.
People didnt understand why "happy Dee" was suddenly "unhappy dee"
We all have demons to live with. Some cope better than others.
I had counselling many years ago..still hasdnt got rid of some things.
Ive learnt to deal with it.
Talking about it when im in the right frame of mind is good.
More often than not tho....its kept hidden.
Anyway........im having a good day today xxx
I have suffered from depression following some very traumatic times in my life, the first time i got no help from my GP but eventually i improved, probably because i had a young child to look after. Other times i have had help from my GP (a different GP thou), sometimes just sitting crying in the doctors room helped ease my big black cloud hovering over me ! I am lucky because each time i have got through it and its usually because i have my children to look after, think of and help, if it hadnt been for them then goodness knows how i would have got through !
I find it hard to tell others because there is still a stigma around depression and many people have just told me to "get on with it" oh if only it was that easy, my mum said i was suffering from my "nerves" .... we really do need to talk about it more to others, not about ourselves but about depression in general.
Its not something you can catch but you would think it was by the way some people behave when you admit you have it .... its a chemical imbalance in the brain and it can be helped but it would be a lot easier if the general public didnt place such a stigma on it !
This is one of the reasons it's stigmatised :censored:
Words totally fail me :sad:
Suicide is definitely not a "cowards" way out.
And I dont care how many times this guy apologises....its too late
Its a difficult thing to understand unless you have been through it yourself.
I had a bad spell in my life about a decade ago and it was only when i visited my GP that he diagnosed depression. I would not have known that was why i was feeling so unwell without being diagnosed by him. Fortunately for me a spell on antidepressannts helped me think straight enough to tell him a few months later that i would like some counselling which helped wean me off the pills.
Can totally understand why the illness is called depression when i started taking the tablets as it was like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders that had been pushing me down.
Sometimes airing your feelings anywhere helps even if its too people you don't know.
Its the bottling it up which causes much of the damage so feel free to vent your feelings on here.