Understanding Depression (Important Info Everyone Should Know)

reply to post by mrwupy


You saying all doctors are JUST out to make a buck off of you is a bit over the top. I went to the doctor before, and have been told just to eat more of this, less of that, whatever...no meds though. Anyways...

Depressions, anxiety's, disorders, are all real. But, that does not make them an "illness" in my eyes. I never got medication, but I would more than guess (never had a prognoses) I was depressed and had anxiety a few years ago.

The best way to deal with it is not medicine though. It is fighting through it. While medicine may help, I do not think it is for everyone, or close to the majority. Only a few I feel should actually be taking meds for half the stuff people "have" these days. It is because these same people get dependent and think that they no longer have to deal with their problems, when that is the root of it to start with.

When 80% of people take these crazy medications over stupid things, I see it no differently than the alcoholic, trying to escape their pain and fear.

The real cure is love and support...and in regards to children, tossing random medications at them is not the love and support you should be giving, or want to be.

Now, I will use an example from myself. In my early teen years, I never wanted to go to school and would literally "freak" out. Missed many days...cops came, all that fun stuff.

Never took medication though. After a couple years, it was all past me. Make school all the time, perfect grades, job. Doing fine (I say so myself).

My sister is in the same situation. But, my parents have now put her on medications. What I see as a phase of ones life, it is now drugged up with unknown consequences. Guess what? She still has the problems - yet still takes the bullcrap medicine. Now that she has gotten an official label for "anxiety" - she thinks it is okay not to participate in school (at all).

It is people hiding from their fears. Most of the time, medicine will not cure it.

reply to post by FritosBBQTwist


I agree. I'm glad I got off the meds and started therapy. The truth is, eventually most people who are comfortable taking a medication will become tolerant to it and it will stop working and they have to switch, and the cycle repeats.

It's a very hard situation though and I do think that medication can be necessary in very rough patches and as a beginning supplement to therapy.

EDIT- St. Johns Wort and other herbs and plants can have just as risky side effects as medication. I've heard St. Johns can cause cataracts and other nasty stuff. I've never tried it because if you take it with birth control pills, it makes the pills stop working.

[edit on 4/16/2009 by ravenshadow13]

Originally posted by Alchemst7
Im not sure if this has already been mentioned. I work as a nutritional consultant and have helped many people with depression. I find using high dose of fish oil, (and not the cheap stuff, its rancid and could be toxic)
with 5-HTP, some vitamins and diet change. most of the people I work with don't notice any change for a few weeks, but afterwards there a whole new person. There are alot of studies you can find on the internet how fish oil (omega 3 EPA/DHA) helps! Also I find, turning off your TV and other depressing media sources and getting back to outdoors, exercising is very helpful.

Can you give me more information if possible about the kind of fish oil that works please, including brand/how long it probably takes to work/anything else you should take with it? I took Seven Seas Extra High Strength Omega-3 Cod Liver Oil for a couple of weeks around a year ago, but didn't notice anything different (I mainly took it to help with joints, even though I have no joint problems and am only 27 years old). The one I took specifically is located here:

www.codliveroil.co.uk... (I took the brown one on the left in the picture)

I found these guys are recommended by some who are taking their capsules. Apparently, it should have no DHA, and only EPA, which this does, so just wondering what you think:

www.mind1st.co.uk...

Thanks in advance.

[edit on 16-4-2009 by JasonT]

[edit on 16-4-2009 by JasonT]

reply to post by Tentickles


have you considered Fluoride to be a culprit of depression??

check out some info on water fluoridation here on ATS (even in my sig), and visit www.fluoridealert.org...

it might sound crazy, but if we're already crazy, what can it hurt to learn about it?!

either way, if Fluoride isn't causing depression, it certainly isn't helping it at all...



actually, i just remembered that Prozac is 98% Fluoride, and Paxil contains Fluoride as well...
www.fluoridealert.org...
www.poisonfluoride.com...|

so, maybe it is helping in some sick and twisted way, in that it just makes you go completely numb socially in order to accept things the way that they are, and to not do a thing about what really matters in life, because hey, all that matters is that you're happy!

please, please, please, ween off all medication, and let your body build back up its own natural, perfectly good immune system! ...learn to love life, and appreciate things in the Now, because that's what really matters!!

[edit on 16-4-2009 by adrenochrome]

reply to post by Tentickles


Ever wondered why economic depression and emotional depression are the same depression? Money has indeed imprisoned our souls.

reply to post by adrenochrome


Oh boy, I appreciate your warnings, and you manage to fit them in to almost any thread.......that being your thoughts about flouride, where appropiate or not.

While I'm not saying the stuff is not harmful, there are ways around it. You can drink bottled water, you can use flouride free toothpast.

I think you are getting off the subject here, about inherited mental issues, or just mental issues alone, that are passed down by way of just genes, having nothing to do with flouride, I mean going way back in family history.

All the woes of the world, cannot be blamed on flouride, my friend!

reply to post by octaviameister



I'm sorry, there is no simple answer to depression. No magic herbal "cure all" that I know of. Though many will make this claim to get your $$$.

I can give you herbal names, and how they "help" some people. But depending on your own unique physiology. It might help you, but it also might just as well harm you.

This website listed below is a herbal doctor's website that gives answers to some common "herbs" used for depression. (notice:While he seems to me to be mostly honest, he still is out to make a buck.)

www.raysahelian.com...
www.raysahelian.com...





[edit on 16-4-2009 by msnevil]

Kudos to who started this thread!! I think ive been dealing with depression most of my life, as ive had thoughts of ending it all in the past. Even today, for no reason, i feel and get lonely, have awkeward sleeping habbits, poor diet. But ive managed. Jimi hendrix sung it best, manic depressions a frustarting mess...well in my case, its not manic, but it kinda does click.
My sisters fiances sister was living with us last year..she is 24 and bi polar. HE has 2 other brothers, both bi polar, so aprraently it seems inherited. She was a handful! Really nice person, but she had a slightl coc aine problem too. SHe would be sweeter than sweet for a while, then at night, she would get angry, HUGE mood swings. SHe also was bulemic..eating and intentially throwing it all up. A disorder. MEdication seems to keep her on balance 98% of the time.
As for me, i refuse to resort to the FDA and drugs. I belive in god, jesus, and nature...and fight my own battles, trying to fit like everyone else, it aint easy!

reply to post by wylekat


From one ugly person to another ugly person. Even if you find a woman that's blind, you still will not be "happy".

You must know love, express love, and feel love. In order to find happiness. If you base your feelings on others, you will always set yourself up for disappointment. And if you can't please yourself, How can you expect others to please you?

btw: Animals who looked at medusa turned to stone. Animals that look at me spontaneous combust.

I have gone through a horrible depression for the passed few years.
I learned to get over it though because I knew I had control over how I think. I just change my pattern of thought.

Although I must say my girlfriend is the most depressed person I know. I love her to death but it really takes it's toll on our relationship - and there doesn't seem much I can do to convince her to be happy... I don't want her to have to take meds (as I don't trust most of them) but I need to do something to help her. It really scares me sometimes...

P.S.
Star and flag. This is important!

[edit on 16-4-2009 by lozenge]

Originally posted by CherryDuck
Hi tentickles. Always love you posts. I am currently in a battle with Severe Chemical Depression (not enough serotonin). Finding it extremely difficult. Been on and off anti-depressant's, for the last year. Have nearly taken my own life twice. To put it simply, i hate myself, think everyone hates me, and if i am caught with a confrontation, i lose all rational thought and just want to self harm. It is a hard road, and i'm trying. I would never wish it on anyone, but is a breath of fresh air to hear from someone who has battled with it and won.


Cherry

Personal experience/opinion: I have the same issue - sort of diagnosed by a doctor but never documented.. anyway. I have been having to take CoQ10 and ATP for a heart issue and noticed my depression has GONE. NO DEPRESSION. I cannot say enough about CoQ10 and ATP. They are both created within our own bodies but if we are low on them it affects EVERYTHING. Blood pressure, energy, heart palpations, etc.... I would have to consider moving to another country if the CoQ10 and ATP were banned by FDA. This is the first time I wake up feeling good, I have energy through the day, I go to sleep feeling good. I don't think I have had this many days in a row of just feeling GOOD - no highs, no lows, no funk!!! I know I probably sound like I am selling the stuff. Maybe I ought to. I wonder how much it would cost to create a vitamin website... hmmmm....

The thing i hated about being depressed was life was so bloody boring i did something about it and started living!!! Never looked back!

Doctors are idiots, i know someone that went with anxiety and depression, the doctor didn't so any tests or advise any counseling, thi went on for two month, in the end I got pissed of and checked into myself. With some investigation and Internet surfing I've discovered that a steroid cream they've been using for several months has the ability to interfere with the adrenal gland. We've stopped the cream a few days ago but I'm yet to see if this has changed anything, anyways a blood test is booked next week and hopefully something will show up like a thyroid or adrenal issue as these are technical issues and fixable.

Depression and Anxiety are horrible conditions that eat away at the person you know, bravo to the OP for bringing it up.

reply to post by Tentickles


I am so glad the medication worked for you. For me, it made the months and months a lucid dream of hellish disgust.

Weeks at a time of inability to function other than to stare at walls, and when it takes 10 minutes to make a cup of coffee, because youre gnarling your teeth staring at a wall... you think, this just is not right.

I will say the first time I was given medicine for my depression, it was a few weeks before I looked back and thought "My god, where was I ?" and decieded it was a miracle. That was over 15 years ago.

but time and time again since it has been a journey into utter madness to the point I now don't even bother with these legal psychedelics. For that is all they are. In my opinion. Without the euphoria that elicits a positive 'trip' some have found of other things.

Suffering the trauma of emotional disruption and being alone, is far better than being a complete horror to anyone who wants and tries to help let alone those who used to care.

reply to post by Blanca Rose


Hi Blanca,
I'm sorry to hear about your troubles, that is alot to endure. I'm also really glad that you can testify that diet can help people out. I'm going to be writing more about that later. Salt affects my emotions badly too, too much of even high quality sea salt can put me in a bad mood. I hate the taste of fish oil as well. You know, flax seed oil and hemp oil are great substitutes, and provide a lot of omega 3s. I used to reject animla foods when I was a kid too, I think a lot of people are naturally born vegans.
Great advice alchemist, I'd like to hear more about what you think. Do you think the liver plays a role in depression? I only recently found out I had minor liver problems, and when I take herbs for the liver I feel much much better.

Originally posted by MegaCurious
reply to post by Tentickles

 

Give me a break! How many times do we have to go through this here??

The disease called "Depression" is bogus. It's that simple.

If America provided everything I needed, as in a job, house, car, decent family, girlfriend, video games, etc., then I guess I wouldn't be sad, now would I?

I mean, just listen to yourselves here:

"Hey, you're feeling sad, so you need some depression pills"
"Hey, you missed breakfast, lets go pull out the depression pills"
"Dude, you said you have a headache, so lets go get you some depression pills"
"Yeah, man, that cop tasered you into submission, but you're crying about it, so you need a depression pill"

That's the kind of logic you guys are using here.

Ummm... that is the logic YOU are using. These persons are having what is a medically known issue and you are blowing it off. If you don't have a clue then hush and just read. If you have CONSTRUCTIVE criticism then by all means say something. There may have been soem that have gotten themselves in a bad place. But even they have a right to attempt to do better. Their best may not be what you call YOUR best. Get over it and let them vent.

[edit on 16-4-2009 by mhinsey]

It is pretty awesome to read all the different ways you guys treat your depression, or dont treat it? Whatever!

It's different for every person and rightfully should be.

I want to thank those who have shown concern about the medications I take. Although I wish I could stop taking I know that if I were to stop I would return to being depressed for no reason.

I wish I could respond to all your posts but I dont have the time, so I'll just say thank you!

The good thing about it is the people that do work at battling it will eventually overcome it to some extent. I work at a mental hospital and the ones we really worry about are the ones that exhibit the opposite signs when in fact we know their just trying to play the game to get out not to get better.

We've hap people who battled it for years and then just stop showing up, many times you'll wonder if they got the job done but nope you run into them in public somewhere and their doing great.

Where as the later they get out and we end up seeing them in the obituaries. Problem is the law stipulates that if they are not showing outward signs or speaking about it we are forced to let them go even if we know it's a bad idea.

But the harder and longer you fight it the easier it appears to become to keep a lid on those emotions and thoughts. So kudo's to you and anyone else here fighting it it does get easier it just takes a really long time of dealing with it head on. (I'm talking decades here)

As for mental illness every single person has a mental illness diagnosis if you go by the book. What it all comes down to in the end is are we able to function safely in society in an acceptable manner that society approves of.

reply to post by HiAliens


Hey,

Ya, I had to give up on the fish oil, way to much aftertaste. While I haven't tried flaxseed oil, I use a lot of whole flaxseed. I mix it into trail mix, and use it when I cook, even putting some in salads. It isn't much different from raw sunflower seeds in a lot of recipes.

I've never considered an issue from a liver stand point, but it stands to reason that might be a cause, since a lot of people who are depressed come from a line of alcoholics, and are alcoholics themselves.

I'm looking forward to what else you are going to share with us, especially you thoughts on a liver correlation.

Originally posted by MegaCurious
reply to post by Tentickles

 

Give me a break! How many times do we have to go through this here??

The disease called "Depression" is bogus. It's that simple.

If America provided everything I needed, as in a job, house, car, decent family, girlfriend, video games, etc., then I guess I wouldn't be sad, now would I?

I mean, just listen to yourselves here:

"Hey, you're feeling sad, so you need some depression pills"
"Hey, you missed breakfast, lets go pull out the depression pills"
"Dude, you said you have a headache, so lets go get you some depression pills"
"Yeah, man, that cop tasered you into submission, but you're crying about it, so you need a depression pill"

That's the kind of logic you guys are using here.

Actually it's a malfunction in the brain and the chemicals it produces or doesn't produce normally. That's like telling someone their high blood pressure is BS and they don't need the pills.