Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Louella Dougans]

antidepressants are p.good tho

doctor gave me a prescription for fluuxetine lik 2 years ago, and I've felt great. Lots more energy, lots less dark thoughts.

Not as interested in writing stories, but lol, lets face it, I'm not very good at it, so :U

[Mizhara]

The problem with the first-line anti-depressants (SSRIs like Escitalopram etc) is that for a lot of people the side-effects are worse than what they treat. The sexual dysfunction can hit hard, and the sleep disturbances too. The versions that are less hard on those side-effects have other dangers, including potentially lethal seizures, like Wellbutrin.

The meds are great, but for a large chunk of people that don't have a nasty enough depression they do the job but make something else even worse. When rubbing one out takes four hours with a lunch break in the middle, or you can't get off to your partner that can hit even harder than depression.

[Korsavius]

Been meaning to make a post to this thread, and what better time than while in a Starbucks while on the clock? xD

Anyway, mental health is important. I'm young but I feel like there has been a good amount of progress within the last several years in elevating the status of mental health from something no one ever talked about to something that is openly discussed and on the radar of a lot of folk. And that is good! Still, as with many things in life, there can be more done. Threads like this certainly help with going in the right direction.

I struggled with anxiety as a kid, but somehow ended up snapping out of it (for lack of a better phrase). But then depression took its place, and stayed there for many years. I lived with depression for a long time without ever talking about it, or ever acknowledging it really. It wasn't until I went to university that I started to understand it better and acknowledge my struggle with it. It took one really bad fallout with a deeply close person to me and staring down six flights of stairs on a lonely Spring night debating whether I should jump or not to convince me I needed to make some changes in my life. Naturally, being the stubborn person I am, my politics (I'm very anti-big pharma), and the fact that I was a biology major of all things...I wanted to tackle the problem head-on myself before seeking professional help.

I was able to overcome my depression because I had the knowledge to make healthy, positive changes. Many anti-depressants work by promoting neurogenesis (brain cell growth) in the hippocampus of the brain (the little area which plays a key role in long-term memory formation and emotional regulation). Exercise does the same thing, and particularly aerobic exercise such as running, hiking, swimming, etc. So I started running a lot. Your body needs various nutrients, minerals, etc to run optimally and produce  the hormones, signal molecules, etc to function in a healthy way. So I started making small changes to my diet which got more and more progressive. Some green, leafy veggies here, some more fiber there, cut sugar more and more - that kind of stuff. Insomnia and depression have a high rate of comorbidity. Well, gosh, I had a hard time sleeping all the time when I had depression. So I tried sticking to a consistent sleep and wake schedule. Hard at first, definitely, but eventually my body adapted and got good quality sleep. Months go by and I successfully conquer my depression. For me, using my knowledge of biology and an inner drive to never have to look down a tall building with the urge to jump ever again helped me overcome one of my longest running struggles. Of course, I still have to work at it. And honestly I think I will always have to work to keep my depression at bay. And that's okay for me.

Different things work for different people. Some people need meds. Some people just need to get better sleep. Others need a combination of things. Whatever mental health struggles you may be going through, know that you got a community to support you. A community of space frands! I'm definitely no mental health professional but I am always happy to talk or listen to anyone who needs some advice or a pair of ears.

[Ché Biko]

...

...
Warning, what follows are some thoughts, which may not be entirely coherent.
...
Confirming mental health care in The Netherlands has degraded quite a bit the last ten years or so, and I don't think it was really good to start with.
...
It's always my best friends and the kindest and most interesting people I know that suffer from depression or borderline or both. Also in EVE, apparently, as the OP of this thread and the first responders are quite a few of my favorite people in EVE. I sometimes wonder if they are drawn to me, or me to them, or both, or if it says something about our society.
...
I'm not depressed, but I only say that because I know quite well what depression is. I do behave like a depressed person sometimes, and I think I may sometimes be skirting along the edges of depression, but I actually feel a lot, short periods of apathy/emptiness excluded. And I've been feeling more and more over the years, good and bad. So much it tires me out sometimes, and it makes me long for a time when I was more stoic, more zen. Like the past month, it's been so eventful, good and bad. This week I spend hours sitting on the couch worrying about my best friend, every now and then unsuccessfully trying to push myself to get up and get some groceries, but I could still cry.
...
Despite having many friends and a (suicidal) sister suffering from depression, not one of their therapists have ever really given me tips on how I can help them when they are down. As such, I welcome your advise.
...
I'll just end with hugs. You need them, I need them, let's do it!