INTRO

Introductions:
My Name is Matthew, and I am a soldier. I have an interesting view that I share from time to time with the folks I encounter as I walk the road. Some of those people have encouraged me to seek out ways to help others or simply share my views or ideas with more people. I will blog on many subjects, from things that piss me off on a daily basis to more important issues such as dealing with chronic depression and the struggles that ensue as a result. I will be taking bits and pieces from emails and rants that I have verbalized as well, so if you see something we have talked about please, smile and nod...Thanks for reading.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Sad ? or Depressed

    
        Yes, another hard topic. Everyone gets down, everyone feels sad and everyone has days where they don't want to get up out of bed. Where the act of getting up and getting ready for work is a chore. We all have days where, we get home from work and want to fall into bed and sleep... for the next week. Some people cope, do whatever they need to in order to get up and move forward again. For some of us it isn't so simple.

       If you ask what the average person thinks the word "Depressed" means you may hear some of the following. When you are down and you don't feel like doing much for a day or two. Or, when you feel like crap and the whole world sucks and nothing is going right and you don't want to go anywhere. For someone who is truly depressed however, it means something a little different. Being depressed for us means that we don't have the energy, or desire, to feed ourselves. We don't have the energy or desire to fold and put away the laundry or bathe. We don't have the energy or desire to do the things that we would normally do to feel better. We withdrawal into ourselves and isolate, cutting the rest of the world off. Sometimes we give away our favorite things to people we care about. Sometimes we have only one thought in our head and that is the desire to shut out the rest of the world and bury ourselves under a pile of covers.

        For people who suffer with depression, it becomes a physical thing. Acid reflux disease, heart attacks or high blood pressure. Heart arrhythmia and other such problems can occur as well. Eating disorders can happen. Sometimes we can have sudden issues with obsessive compulsive disorder. People who are depressed feel that their current predicament is going to last forever because there is no way to fix things. We shut out the world and we pull ourselves into ourselves. We "tune out" everything we used to enjoy because it doesn't make us feel better anymore. We cry, for sometimes no reason that we can understand. We get angry for sometimes no reason that we can understand. We have moments of extreme fear, for sometimes no reason we can understand. Depression is real, and it sucks for those of us who have it.

        Okay, ready for the good news? People suffer from depression all the time, and if you admit you have a problem and you go get help, the odds are highly in your favor that you will make it through. Studies show the vast majority of people who treat their depression recover and get on with their lives. HOW COOL IS THAT?! Yes, if you say "I've got a problem" and you go get help, you can move on with your life and not feel lousy anymore. It is a ton of work, and it's hard to listen to people tell you coping skill after coping skill. It's not fun sometimes to sit in a group therapy session and hear everyone talk about the things that are wrong with their lives. Sometimes, a person in that group will have some of the same issues you are going through and they are at a different point in the healing process. Sometimes, by being in therapy you can help someone who is worse off than you.

         Bottom line? Now you know a little bit more about depression, and you now know that if you suffer, there is hope. It's not a sham, it's not a gimmick, and it’s real. So, PLEASE, if you are feeling down and it's making your life harder to live, GET HELP. You don't have to live hating that food on the plate, the dishes, the laundry, the bathroom that won't clean itself. You can get help and get back on your feet. If someone wants to judge you for getting help, they aren't worth having around you anymore. Besides, you got help, you feel better, who cares what anyone else thinks of you? You certainly won't if you are back on your feet.

GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS, THANKS FOR READING!

10 comments:

  1. Again good advice and so true how you described depression. It is good to get the word out to let people know the way they feel doesn't have to last if they are willing to admit they need help and go for it. I also think being on medicine for depression is not a bad thing either . People may argue against it, but I know a few years back during a rough period of time in my life I got depressed and anxious. Took meds for a few years and when things settled down, I got weaned off the medicine and didn't need it any more, but was glad I had it during that particularly hard time.

    betty

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    1. Thank you for the comment, I totally agree. Medicine has great benefit when used for acute cases. I think that taking something too strong will leave you like a zombie though. It's best to work with your doctor and slowly adjust as needed using your doctor for the control. Many people try to self medicate. A doctor is there because they have the training and the know how to diagnose and treat. Let them do their job. Thanks again for the comment

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  2. I suffer from depression as well. I have taken anti-depressants and hated how they all made me feel. Right now mine is a situational depression due to my husband's illness. I have days when I don't want to crawl out of bed but because I have to take care of him I can't lay under the covers. I don't know if that helps or hurts. But right now I just put one foot in front of the other. And Pray!

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    1. You and your husband have my prayers and good energy today. Thank you for the comment. Please let someone know if it gets too rough. We all need help sometimes. Even the strongest warrior falls down, it's returning to his feet that makes him strong. Sometimes we need a hand getting back up.

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  3. Depression is real. It's a hard thing to deal with. Thanks for sharing this post, Matt.

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    1. Thanks for the Comment. We all have our days, sometimes it's a week or two long.

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  4. Thanks for speaking out! I'm another depression sufferer who is finally learning to manage it after a good 6+ years of meds that didn't work, counseling that did help, and lifestyle changes that made a huge difference. This winter has been my best one in recent years, so I think all the previous work has helped.

    I agree- help is out there! Looking forward to reading more of what you have to share.

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  5. I just shared this post with my friends. Great Post!

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  6. I was I suppose a functioning depressed person. I did all that you said, except at the end of the day when my kids came in from school, I'd jump up and do a load of laundry, cook a meal, help with homework, etc. I suppose I didn't want them to "suffer" along with me. And I certainly didn't want or need my husband coming home and "seeing" that I had not done anything. I hid it. Like some alcholics hide their drinking. I tried to hide my depression. I still don't really know how I got out of it. After almost two years, things just began to get a tiny bit better day by day. Then my family really needed me to work, and I rose to the occasion. Two years after that, I was loving life again. I'm still on the lazy side, compared to how I used to be before the depression, but I'm loving and enjoying life.

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  7. Dropping in from the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Your post is right on the money! I've suffered bouts of depression most of my adult life due to seasonal affective disorder. I grew up in Alaska and didn't leave until age 42. I had a light box, meds and was armed with information that helped me survive. I moved to Arizona and didn't need any of those things. Lived there 7 years without a day of depression. Then moved to Washington state and fell into a deep whole the first winter. I took meds the next winter season and bought a light box. Off the meds now and use the light box religiously. I've started a new regimen of Deplin (which is a medical food, not medication) and had a pretty good winter season. Depression hurts. For those who have never suffered "it", I'm happy for you but don't try to give advice about something you don't know anything about. Depression kills. Bad advice can be deadly. You are right on with your suggestion to seek professional help. If your down days last more than two weeks, it is time to seek help, for sure!

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