Feeling Depressed? Look Here...

[Quail]

I've noticed that a lot of people have been posting about feeling really down lately, so I just thought I would post something general about it. Feel free to add anything I've missed, or some information about helplines that aren't in the UK.



Firstly, if you think you're suffering from depression, know that you're not alone. People don't talk about it often, but it's fairly common and you shouldn't be afraid of talking to a doctor about it. You might also feel as though it isn't serious enough to warrant help, but if it's causing a disruption to your life then it is a problem, and does need attention.

If you do talk to a doctor, they may offer you anti-depressants. If you decide to take them, make sure you are also referred to a therapist or counsellor. Anti-depressants should ideally be used to help with the symptoms while you learn to cope with how you feel. Sometimes you may have to try several anti-depressants before you find one that works for you.

If you don't see a doctor, there are other things you can do to improve things in the meantime:
-Exercising.
-Eating a well-balanced diet.
-Writing a journal.
-Doing something creative (drawing, writing, etc).
-Trying to keep yourself busy/distracted.

A few things to avoid:
-Alcohol. It is a depressant and will make things worse.
-Harming yourself in any way.

If you feel like harming yourself, you should either talk to a friend, call a helpline, or even go down to A&E and ask to chat with someone.

List of UK helplines. (http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/mentalhealth/Pages/Helplines.aspx)

Finally, I hope I speak for everyone on revleft when I say that if you need personal support, your comrades will be here for you.

[Meridian]

A good post.

It's interesting what you said about alcohol because it mirrors my own experiences. Whenever I've felt really really bad I've wanted to drink. But when I drink, and then stop for whatever reason (not wanting more, not more available, etc.), there's a big negative emotional effect connected with that. It's like your body is addicted to alcohol intake, and when you stop there's a wave of negativity hitting over you. It is kind of subtle, but now I definitely notice it. It may not feel like that for everyone though.

Anyway, I think that subtle feeling may cause people to just keep drinking whenever they feel pretty bad. So it's like the downwards spiral we hear about with most drugs. Of course, drinking oneself to oblivion doesn't make things much better for obvious reasons.

When you are initially feeling depressed I don't think it's a good idea to start drinking a lot at all. However I think it's important that people who are affected by this "down" caused by alcohol are aware of the effect. Knowing a part of the feeling is basically caused by alcohol in your body can keep people from doing some stupid shit I'd guess.

[Ele'ill]

A good observation that a lot of people are feeling down lately and good advice to follow.
I would avoid drugs and alcohol. I would also avoid lesser drugs such as caffeine. I've noticed that caffeine and alcohol make things worse for me. The caffeine (as in a medium coffee) makes me feel euphoric and extremely optimistic but towards the end of the day or about five hours later I get extremely anxious and paranoid.

One of the things that's helped me in times of hopelessness, anxiety and depression is to engage in a new activity- painting- writing- going for a walk- meeting someone new and doing things with them. Reading sci-fi fantasy books really helps me as well- it takes my mind off of things for a while and I always know I can have an hour of peace amidst the negative feelings.

Perhaps something more lengthy like a trip to the shore or to the forest to just walk around.

Go a step further and enroll in a class for something you want to do- welding for example. Volunteer and share your experiences on here.

What I like about this forum is that it's not exactly a waste of time to post because of the content that's being posted. It's a valid exchange of ideas and beats the hell out of video games.

Video games will also take your mind off of things but I would use this sparingly .

[ellipsis]

LOL this is alot like a thread (http://www.revleft.com/vb/mental-health-and-t65777/index.html) which we de-stickied.:lol: oh well, the OP was the old mutual aid mod and it listed a lot of mental health and drug treatment related links.

[Muzk]

Why is everyone bawwing?!?!?!? WE NEED SOME MOTIVATIONALS!

Introducing... LEFTIST MOTIVATIONALS!

(If you're pissed at me for posting lots of pics, just remove them, mods...)

BEST ONES LAST

http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=791&pictureid=6809
http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=791&pictureid=6812
http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=791&pictureid=6810
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AND THE GRANDE FINALE

http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=791&pictureid=6813
http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=791&pictureid=6808
http://www.revleft.com/vb/picture.php?albumid=791&pictureid=6811

[Ele'ill]

Muzk- those made me feel better.

I don't necessarily need to be in a good place materially- I just need there to be hope- and a heavy dose of fearsome fight and resistance.

Thanks. :)

[Decolonize The Left]

Some general advice for depression/anxiety.
- Drink more water. Your body can process a liter of water an hour and it needs this water for a whole host of necessary processes. De-hydration leads to headaches, tiredness, and general lack of energy. Drinking more water is an easy step to help yourself feel better.
- Exercise. Physical exertion in the context of a meaningful activity helps you relax and feel better. Being active also contributes to a mentality of productiveness and positive processes. Be sure that the activity you choose is one which you enjoy - it can be as simple as walking in the park, doing parkour, or playing a softball game with friends. Regardless, it will improve your sense of well-being.
- Don't drink alcohol, don't do drugs, don't smoke cigarettes. Yes, they are all fun activities, but they are also stimulants/depressants. They will not make you feel better, although it may seem so at the time.
- Create. Draw, write, paint, make music, whatever stimulates your mind in a creative way.
- Seek out people who are doing the above mentioned things. I don't mean you need to join a straight-edge Christian Bible study group, but the people you surround yourself with condition the way you think and act. Take this into account.
- If you are seriously depressed and are considering hurting yourself, seek professional help immediately. An internet forum is not the place for clinical advice.

I hope this proves useful.

- August

Edit: Here's some links if you don't feel like searching.
A whole host of links (http://suicidal.com/depressionlinks/links.html) from sucidal.com
Suicide Prevention (http://www.spsfv.org/hotlines.htm) hotline number and links
More hotlines (http://addiction.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Depression_Hotlines) from LoveToKnow.com
USA National (http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html) suicide and crisis hotlines
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home) website
Help Guide site (http://helpguide.org/mental/depression_signs_types_diagnosis_treatment.htm) on depression
Medicine.net site (http://www.medicinenet.com/depression/article.htm) on depression
Psychology site (http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/help.html) on depression

[Quail]

If only I could take my own advice.

[Fawkes]

If only I could take my own advice.

Story of my life.

Unfortunately I don't really have any good advice to offer here, other than don't hesitate or be too proud to seek out help. I went to a shrink cause I could never concentrate on things, only to come to the realization that my manic mood shifts aren't something I should just be content to live with, but that it's bipolar. Before being able to successfully deal with these issues, you have to be able to identify them and figure out a means by which to confront them. And by identify I don't mean trying to fit yourself into some bullshit textbook definition of a disorder, as if there is any order to anyone's mind, but by observing patterns and seemingly unrelated things that after further examination, you realize are connected. Your mind works in unusual ways, and you have to self-analyze if you hope to deal with your problems. And don't think just poppin some anti-depressants or something will work, your emotions are caused by more than just chemical reactions in your brain.

This was kind of a rant, and I don't really know what my point exactly was, but I guess that's for you to figure out.

[thriller]

The suicide hotlines are great resources (at least in the US).
They are made up of volunteers, who truly care about the well being of others, and keep everything confidential.
As others have said, drinking/drugs don't help. They can often make the problem worse by leading to addictions on top of the current depression.

[scarletghoul]

Honestly I find that alcohol does help sometimes. I get serious anxiety attacks and get really 'shy' (sometimes I can't talk to people or even move much). Usually I find it very hard to talk to someone unless I know them and I can't cope in places with a lot of people. Having some drink can really help with this. I know it's not a long-term solution, but while I try and sort everything else out it does help and I'm pretty sure I would not have been able to cope up to now if I had not drank anything.

But this is NOT a recommendation to others. I am lucky as I don't get addicted to things, but some others should try to avoid drink if they might get addicted.

Also music can help with depression.

[Decolonize The Left]

Honestly I find that alcohol does help sometimes. I get serious anxiety attacks and get really 'shy' (sometimes I can't talk to people or even move much). Usually I find it very hard to talk to someone unless I know them and I can't cope in places with a lot of people. Having some drink can really help with this. I know it's not a long-term solution, but while I try and sort everything else out it does help and I'm pretty sure I would not have been able to cope up to now if I had not drank anything.

But this is NOT a recommendation to others. I am lucky as I don't get addicted to things, but some others should try to avoid drink if they might get addicted.

Also music can help with depression.

I think there's a big difference between using alcohol to relieve minor social anxiety and 'loosen up' in a social situation (such as you described), and using alcohol to cope and/or drown out serious depression. The former is very common and while it may not be the most healthy approach to social anxiety, it is not an extremely dangerous one. On the other hand, using alcohol to cope with serious depression is terribly dangerous. Given that alcohol is a depressant in itself, it will only compound the problem over time.

- August

[La Comédie Noire]

The best thing for depression/ anxiety is finding people who have it too. it sucks thinking your alone, there was a whole period of my life from 16 to 18 where I thought I was the only one to ever experience things like depersonalization, bizarre physical symptoms, feelings of hopelessness, and overwhelming panic. I seriously wept tears of joy when an old friend, who I hadn't talked to in years, told me "I know exactly what you mean!"

Since then I have been trying to actively seek people out who I think are suffering from anxiety/depression. I've become quite good at spotting people in the midst of panic attacks.

[Fawkes]

This is based largely off of personal experience, but I'm pretty sure there are studies that back this up, but if you're suicidal, it is generally really detrimental to read about or watch or look at images/videos of other people committing suicide. It serves largely to further depress you and instill the notion of suicide as being an easily accessible option. So resist the urge to read about Beachy Head or watch The Bridge if you're suicidal, it won't help.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I think that a lot of depression is caused by how depressing reality is at the moment. "Antidepressants" may, at best, numb you to the bad feelings caused by living in this society, but they certainly won't eliminate the root cause.

[Technocrat]

Shit, I've been depressed for a while now. It seems I'm always either broke, working, or studying and as a result I haven't had a social life for what seems like years now. I'm in the process of publishing my first paper, but honestly, who gives a fuck? It all seems pretty pointless. Still have a year to go on my BA and then 4-5 more years at Grad School, at which point I will have racked up around six figure's worth of debt and with no guarantee of employment in this shitty economy. Anyone else in a similar position?

[Political_Chucky]

Shit, I've been depressed for a while now. It seems I'm always either broke, working, or studying and as a result I haven't had a social life for what seems like years now. I'm in the process of publishing my first paper, but honestly, who gives a fuck? It all seems pretty pointless. Still have a year to go on my BA and then 4-5 more years at Grad School, at which point I will have racked up around six figure's worth of debt and with no guarantee of employment in this shitty economy. Anyone else in a similar position?

I know many people that are in that same position. A few of them got out of it, but definitely its not easy task. I use to hire people for a financial business I use to work for looking for salesman and our main selling point to college students was that if you did well in the business, that could eventually end up paying for student loans and whatnot. Most of them didn't succeed :|

Back to the topic, I had an enourmous xtasy-related depression for a good 6 months so if I could come back happy as a clown, anyone can. One big thing that elevated my mood again was working out. I would walk an hour to the gym, work out my upper body and only ate fruits 5-8 times a day for a good month. I lost 20 pounds, my confidence rose up AND I was drug free,(besides them lil bastard cigarettes).

I also did a lot of self-reflecting, which I did by going to my local borders and plasturing myself there to read as many psychology books I wanted(for free mind you ;)). Think of your mind & body as a piece of art, and its up to you to sculpt it to perfection.

I think one thing that comes from depression is the lack of ambition and motivation. Try and find something that gives you a cause to go on. Whether its music culture, starting a business, workingout, getting friends together for special events, SOMETHING that keeps you looking forward to the next week.

[Summerspeaker]

Shit, I've been depressed for a while now. It seems I'm always either broke, working, or studying and as a result I haven't had a social life for what seems like years now. I'm in the process of publishing my first paper, but honestly, who gives a fuck? It all seems pretty pointless. Still have a year to go on my BA and then 4-5 more years at Grad School, at which point I will have racked up around six figure's worth of debt and with no guarantee of employment in this shitty economy. Anyone else in a similar position?

Indeed, though with a lower debt total and perhaps less (paid) work. The shadow of a social life that I have does me significantly more harm than good. Almost everyone I know has equivalent or worse problems, yet I still can't even manage to effect comforting connections based on mutual suffering. If only because of circumstances, political comrades aren't necessarily nice people. :lol:

[Technocrat]

Indeed, though with a lower debt total and perhaps less (paid) work. The shadow of a social life that I have does me significantly more harm than good. Almost everyone I know has equivalent or worse problems, yet I still can't even manage to effect comforting connections based on mutual suffering. If only because of circumstances, political comrades aren't necessarily nice people. :lol:

I'm beginning to think that my education is making the problem worse, alienating me from the experiences of regular people and thus making it harder to connect to people. A maintenance guy came by my apartment the other day to fix my stove, and I literally had no idea what to say to this person or how to engage him. It was weird. Does anyone else feel that their educational background makes it difficult for them to relate to average people?

[Summerspeaker]

A maintenance guy came by my apartment the other day to fix my stove, and I literally had no idea what to say to this person or how to engage him.

Clearly you should have explained to him the stupidity of the price system and the advantages of a rational economic arrangement.


It was weird. Does anyone else feel that their educational background makes it difficult for them to relate to average people?

Personally, I have at least as much trouble relating to my fellow graduate students as to folks outside of academia. I don't fit in anywhere.

[Ele'ill]

I'm beginning to think that my education is making the problem worse, alienating me from the experiences of regular people and thus making it harder to connect to people. A maintenance guy came by my apartment the other day to fix my stove, and I literally had no idea what to say to this person or how to engage him. It was weird. Does anyone else feel that their educational background makes it difficult for them to relate to average people?

There are a lot of 'average people' as well as 'educated people' who can do things that I cannot because I don't know how. I can do things that a lot of 'average people' and 'educated people' can't for the same reason.

[Decolonize The Left]

I'm beginning to think that my education is making the problem worse, alienating me from the experiences of regular people and thus making it harder to connect to people. A maintenance guy came by my apartment the other day to fix my stove, and I literally had no idea what to say to this person or how to engage him. It was weird. Does anyone else feel that their educational background makes it difficult for them to relate to average people?

Your education alienates you from no one, it only appears as though it does. And furthermore, it only appears this way to you.

It seems like you're talking about how you perceive yourself in relation to others - you have a heightened sense of class consciousness. But this doesn't alienate you from anyone - it only forms your perspective on your reality. You probably need to get out and interact with people more. Remember that we are conditioned animals and the more time we spend alone, the less comfortable we feel around others. The more social we are, the more comfortable we feel in such settings.

I suggest that you seek out meeting new people in constructive ways. So pick something you like to do a lot, and look up how to do it with people you don't know. Then do it.

I hope this helps.

- August

[Black Sheep]

This puts a smile on my face.Sit back and watch.
ji5_MqicxSo

[Amphictyonis]

Knowing what we know about the nature of the economic and political systems is depressing. Like when MLK said it was OK to be maladjusted to certian things.

zXEIYpnlxbw

About a decade ago I was drinking a lot and ended up in AA meetings from a DUI. One of their main points is to "accept the world as it is" and you'll learn to be happier, you wont have to drink to cope and you can float through life giving up your will to some god.. Things such as that and the whole god thing made it impossible for me to take AA seriously. I still drink but am aware of the biological causes of depression. The thing is many of us experience depression from external causes. Some of us are prone to it because our brains don't produce enough serotonin. I was depressed when I lost my job from the DUI. Depressed when I was working 7 days a week at a lesser paying job just to pay rent....it came from external forces.


There's some interesting info that came out of this movement-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-psychiatry

The trick is figuring out if you're depressed from external societal forces or internal chemical forces. I think all too often in today's society the external societal forces are ignored, especially when dealing with modern bourgeois psychiatry.

-ouvTpEvt_U

Having that said Scientologists are nuts :)

[Os Cangaceiros]

I've been having some pretty negative thoughts about myself lately, thoughts that kind of scare me honestly. I don't know. Sometimes I just think I'm a waste of flesh and my existence is a mistake. Probably not the most rational line of thinking but there you have it. Add to that the fact that I was raised in a manner where the notion that you're a man, and you handle your own damn problems and don't burden others with them was a principle that I was kind of raised with...I don't agree with that, I think that you should talk about things when they're bothering you, but it still effects my handling of situations, I've found.

I don't know. I think I've been drinking more just to block out the nagging doubts and insecurities I have. They say that alcohol is a depressant, but it doesn't make me depressed...it just stops me from thinking, which unfortunately I think is a good thing. Although it does absolutely fuck all to solve my problems.

[¿Que?]

Are there any American crisis lines available?

[Decolonize The Left]

Are there any American crisis lines available?

Suicidehotlines.com (http://suicidehotlines.com/) - Scroll down and get the national suicide hotline for the USA. Scroll down further to get a breakdown by state.

- August

[Summerspeaker]

The whole notion of suicide hotlines bothers me. I want emotional support from my community, not random strangers with scripted responses.

[¿Que?]

The whole notion of suicide hotlines bothers me. I want emotional support from my community, not random strangers with scripted responses.
Actually I call them quite frequently, and tbh it's hit or miss.

[Summerspeaker]

Actually I call them quite frequently, and tbh it's hit or miss.

I think it's a sign of the devastated state of our human relationships that we farm out emotional support to call centers. The primitivist critique of civilization resonates here, though I should note that primitivists themselves tend to be as soulless as anybody else despite their rhetorical nods toward wildness and uninhibited affection.

[Dr Mindbender]

One of the causes of my depression used to be sexual. If anyone else is experiencing this, my advice from personal experience is put the internet to good use and go on a dating site. Seriously. This used to be self destructive to me because i was wallowing in lonlieness and now i am able to move on.

[Summerspeaker]

One of the causes of my depression used to be sexual. If anyone else is experiencing this, my advice from personal experience is put the internet to good use and go on a dating site. Seriously. This used to be self destructive to me because i was wallowing in lonlieness and now i am able to move on.

There's an example of employing digital communications to connect people and foster happiness. I recently blogged (http://queersingularity.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/the-question-of-happiness/) on this subject. In this case, however, I'm skeptical about the costs involved. Dating sites have a reputation for being super heterocentric and generally supportive the gender status quo. Any commerical networking site squishes folks into boxes in order to generate marketable statistics. I haven't looked, but I doubt there's any service out there even capable of comprehending the sort of relationships I'd be interested in.

[Dr Mindbender]

I doubt there's any service out there even capable of comprehending the sort of relationships I'd be interested in.
I am sure from the ones ive visited you can search by any relationship type combination you desire.

[Summerspeaker]

The ones I've seen immediately ask for a binary gender identification. That's a deal breaker right there. OkCupid, for instance, gives you a grand total of six gender and sexuality options: female/straight, female/gay, female/bisexual, male/straight, male/gay, and male/bisexual. It's actually even worse than I anticipated.

[Dr Mindbender]

The ones I've seen immediately ask for a binary gender identification. That's a deal breaker right there. OkCupid, for instance, gives you a grand total of six gender and sexuality options: female/straight, female/gay, female/bisexual, male/straight, male/gay, and male/bisexual. It's actually even worse than I anticipated.

Id say in general its probably difficult to find people without binary gender expectations. I agree there should probably be a Transgenderal gender option but if for example youre a transwoman looking for a guy given the transphobic climate you should probably ask for a bisexual guy. Unless animals is your thing i cant see this system being that much of a problem.

[Summerspeaker]

Id say in general its probably difficult to find people without binary gender expectations. I agree there should probably be a Transgenderal gender option but if for example youre a transwoman looking for a guy given the transphobic climate you should probably ask for a bisexual guy. Unless animals is your thing i cant see this system being that much of a problem.

:confused::cursing::(

The prevalence of exclusion against gender radicals/non-conformers in no way makes it acceptable. Your references to animals at the end is just rude given the context. We're not going to shut up or disappear because of our present marginal status. That such dating services feel unproblematic for you doesn't make them inclusive or remove the oppressive elements involved.

[Agent Ducky]

:confused::cursing::(

The prevalence of exclusion against gender radicals/non-conformers in no way makes it acceptable. Your references to animals at the end is just rude given the context. We're not going to shut up or disappear because of our present marginal status. That such dating services feel unproblematic for you doesn't make them inclusive or remove the oppressive elements involved.

Aren't there dating sites that are especially for people like that? There's a ton of sites out there that are probably more specialized. I've heard of some really random specific dating sites, so there has to be one out there for gender non-conformers.

[Dr Mindbender]

:confused::cursing::(

The prevalence of exclusion against gender radicals/non-conformers in no way makes it acceptable. Your references to animals at the end is just rude given the context. We're not going to shut up or disappear because of our present marginal status. That such dating services feel unproblematic for you doesn't make them inclusive or remove the oppressive elements involved.

I didn't the mean 'the system' as in the status quo, i meant the male/female gay/straight/bisexual system that is often used by dating websites.

For the most part people have specific biological preferences and family planning agendas when it comes to sex and sexuality. Really what that boils down to as you would put it, binary gender identification. I'm sorry if i came across as rude or blazé however I dont see how it is possible to run an effective matchmaking facility that caters for the majority while still tactful towards gender radicals(?). Frankly the latter is a concept to which i am new to and as yet, i have not knowingly met a member of this community.

[Ned Kelly]

I've been smoking buds fairly heavily since I was 14, now 17, about half a year ago or so my...relationship with reality began to change..anyway, to the point, I've been diagnosed with schizophrenia, after which i was informed there WAS in fact family history..if I had've been told that earlier not sure if I'd have indulged in the green quite as much..in the quandary of struggling to function without out it now too..

i sound so gloomy :blushing:

[black magick hustla]

i feel like crying like a babby

[¿Que?]

I think, considering that it comes up often in chitchat and probably now in non-political, that some of us have friends in abusive relationships, or are being abused themselves, that this number should be available and people should know about it.

http://www.thehotline.org/

[Dr Mindbender]

I think, considering that it comes up often in chitchat and probably now in non-political, that some of us have friends in abusive relationships, or are being abused themselves, that this number should be available and people should know about it.

http://www.thehotline.org/

My advice to anyone in an abusive relationship is just leg it. I have been there and it is not worth staying around.

[Decolonize The Left]

I've been smoking buds fairly heavily since I was 14, now 17, about half a year ago or so my...relationship with reality began to change..anyway, to the point, I've been diagnosed with schizophrenia, after which i was informed there WAS in fact family history..if I had've been told that earlier not sure if I'd have indulged in the green quite as much..in the quandary of struggling to function without out it now too..

i sound so gloomy :blushing:

A very close friend of mine has schizophrenia and she found weed to be very helpful, so I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand as something which is bad unless you have found it to negatively impact your hallucinations, etc...

Just saying it's not the end - you can still smoke weed with schizophrenia.

- August

[Decolonize The Left]

:confused::cursing::(

The prevalence of exclusion against gender radicals/non-conformers in no way makes it acceptable. Your references to animals at the end is just rude given the context. We're not going to shut up or disappear because of our present marginal status. That such dating services feel unproblematic for you doesn't make them inclusive or remove the oppressive elements involved.

I dunno where you're located, but craigslist (http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites) has a whole 'relationship' section and you can find all sorts there. Good luck.

- August

[Summerspeaker]

I'd almost certainly be better of if I did drugs. My lack of substance abuse simply makes me substitute other self-destructive behaviors.

[Game Girl]

I used to be severely depressed. So much so, I was put on a suicide watch. I used to hate the world and everyone in it. When I was 16, I started studying witchcraft. Not surprising, I took to it instantly. I started practising spells. Then I moved onto tarot reading and crystal healing. I even focused on the good humanity had to offer, instead of the bad. Which made realise that as long as there are people who are still in touch with their humanity, then this world and it's citizens may have a chance.

I guess I'm considered a new age hippy, or even a witch. But I found it really helped me. I felt happier and at peace. I felt all that negative energy stating to disappear.

If you want my advice; If you ever feel down or depressed, I suggest meditation. There are plenty of new age shops that will sell CD's to help with it.

[Summerspeaker]

Meditation - zazen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazen), at least - has never done much for me. I'm skeptical of the whole internal focus. I'll stop being depressed when my position in the world changes.

[Decolonize The Left]

Meditation is very useful for calming down, and creating a space to think. Just lie down flat on your back with your hands at your sides (palms down) and get comfortable. Then focus on your breathing until you relax a bit. Then slowly imagine your toes falling asleep, then your ankles, then your shins, etc... until you reach your head. Continue to focus on your breathing.

Easy, no DVD required, you can do it right before bed and it requires no yoga pants. A good way to wind down at the end of the day.

- August

[Ele'ill]

I would have hurt my roommate badly a month ago if I hadn't thought they'd be doing worse to themselves over the long run without any interference from me. They're incapable of living with others because they don't do any portion of the work and when there is a slight effort it's half-assed and makes things worse. i.e. gathering (throwing) trash onto the floor, opening the trash bag and then going to use the computer leaving the trash and bag on the floor until someone else cleans it up (there was a test, the trash and bag stayed on the floor for one week and two days). This person is also unable to live by their self because they know just how incompetent they are but they mask this by claiming to be interested in 'community' and 'tribalism'. This person would be cut off from community support- period- they simply wouldn't last. They're also misogynistic.
This person has and will jump from person/friend/coworker using them as they go and from what I've seen they've pissed off every person they've lived with from the top of WA to OR.

They're a fraud. How do you all deal with the depression/anger resulting from knowing someone such as this? It's nearly a situation dealing with a misogynist wannabe cult leader claiming to have interest in genuine social change. They're not a leftist. I have three days left of this nonsense and they're supposed to be helping me move today (I'll do it myself or with the help of friends but my phone broke so I'll have to physically go get the friends and then go from there)

[Summerspeaker]

How do you all deal with the depression/anger resulting from knowing someone such as this?

It's sad story I've heard too many times. I can't recall any happy endings. :( Calling the person out and telling them to fuck off should work in theory. Good luck. Plenty of folks use leftist circles for a simple free ride, which I'd support wholeheartedly without the duplicity and if we weren't so weak. The personal aggrandizement schemes sting a little more, especially when coupled with oppressive views such as misogyny. I've never been in an organization - radical or otherwise - that didn't revolve around somebody's ego. I consistently get used in order to exalt various individuals or cliques who lead supposedly revolutionary groups.

[Sputnik_1]

I used to live a life of constant anxiety and was always scared to disappoint others expectations towards me. All the problems my parents had weren't much helpful (my dad has been through a deep depression, ended up in a hospital and been on anti-depressants, actually still is). I've been always trying to work hard so they would be proud of me, was best at school and all that shit. Eventually ended up with serious eating disorder problems and deep depression, meanwhile also moved to another country and had to deal with a new language. Now we're all kinda better I'd say, my dad is still on anti-depressants but seems ok and I grew up, got more confident and thanks to art and books made it through the hard times. Of course, I'm not proud of what I've done to myself. But the point I want to make is that blaming myself or my family would be a very naive way of thinking. If i look backwards I can see exactly what happened and what made us all been through hard times. My dad was working in the marketing sector for scholler company. We were pretty well-off (for a polish family). Scholler got boughten by Nestle and they started firing people, completely careless about their situation. It was just after my sister was born, so my dad basically got totally bankrupt and with lots of responsibilities.
I think that everyone's story is pretty much similar- anxiety caused by the work insecurity, relationship (in such a system) problems, money issues, or just general alienation.
That experience gave me an evident proof of how this system keeps failing us and the most ironic thing is the most of people will blame themselves anyway. "I could have tried harder" "Should have worked harder" "I didn't get a job i wanted, I'm so useless". I keep hearing it all the time.
That's why i think that only in a communist society people could finally be people, maybe it's naive to believe that such psychological problems like depression would disappear, but I'm sure that they would considerably decrease.

[The Jay]

I'm taking two meds for major depressive disorder and was even partially hospitalized for it. There was no good reason for my depression, so it's purely chemical. Group therapy is fun btw :).

[Smyg]

I should so start getting medication, man.

[NewLeft]

I am battling depression and anxiety right now... It sucks when you don't have anyone you can talk to about it.

[Veovis]

I have no will and no strength to do anything useful with my life or to simply work towards lifting myself up out of my current shitty situation. I think back to my childhood and what I thought back then about what I'd be doing at this point in my life: digging up dinosaurs in Argentina or looking for planets at NASA, or something awesome like that. Now that I've already graduated university and am going nowhere I'm wondering what the hell has gone wrong with me...

[Property Is Robbery]

Meditation, exercise and eating raw fruits and veggies really make a difference when I'm depressed, but sticking with those positive habits is a different challenge..

[ellipsis]

I have no will and no strength to do anything useful with my life or to simply work towards lifting myself up out of my current shitty situation. I think back to my childhood and what I thought back then about what I'd be doing at this point in my life: digging up dinosaurs in Argentina or looking for planets at NASA, or something awesome like that. Now that I've already graduated university and am going nowhere I'm wondering what the hell has gone wrong with me...

I am currently feeling very similar, I have very little energy or motivation to better myself or find meaningful, or really ANY employment. My sleep schedule is all messed up, I am waking up at 6am or earlier everyday and then I lay semi-awake trying to fall back asleep for 1-2 hours or until I have to go to the bathroom. I'm gonna stop there because that is what PYHO, etc. are for.

What I have found useful: eating properly, if not in terms of nutrition at least in terms of amount, switching to green tea from coffee, taking care of chores at home, and talking with different people about what's going on.

What hasn't worked: using my girlfriend as a therapist.

[human strike]

The best thing for depression/ anxiety is finding people who have it too. it sucks thinking your alone, there was a whole period of my life from 16 to 18 where I thought I was the only one to ever experience things like depersonalization, bizarre physical symptoms, feelings of hopelessness, and overwhelming panic. I seriously wept tears of joy when an old friend, who I hadn't talked to in years, told me "I know exactly what you mean!"

Since then I have been trying to actively seek people out who I think are suffering from anxiety/depression. I've become quite good at spotting people in the midst of panic attacks.

Whilst this is true, it is also important to surround yourself with people who aren't depressed. I know from personal experience that it is dangerous to spend all your time with people who are low, especially if you have the kind of personality that absorbs other people's moods.

[Comrades Unite!]

I have discovered this thread just now.

Unfortunately I doubt that much is of use, The end nears for me anyhow, Maybe not now or next year but certainly soon.

I know that one day I will be just too down in the dumpsters to carry on and I will have to snuff myself, Right now my life is going absolutely NOWHERE!

I'm terrified to kill myself but I recognize that its likely to happen.
if anyone needs clarification then look at my last posts in the pour ur heart tthread

[#FF0000]

I have discovered this thread just now.

Unfortunately I doubt that much is of use, The end nears for me anyhow, Maybe not now or next year but certainly soon.

I know that one day I will be just too down in the dumpsters to carry on and I will have to snuff myself, Right now my life is going absolutely NOWHERE!

I'm terrified to kill myself but I recognize that its likely to happen.
if anyone needs clarification then look at my last posts in the pour ur heart tthread

Yeah, I remember being your age (and a little older) and feeling exactly the same way. The thing is, though, life tends to change fast, and at 14 there's plenty of time for it to.

I remember feeling, at one time, that everything interesting was happening somewhere else. I still get this feeling sometimes, when I start to feel lonely, when I feel shut-in, and all that. But with growing up a little bit and with the world becoming a little more accessible to me, I realized that the world of interesting people and things and experiences is a lot bigger and a lot closer and easier to reach than one sometimes thinks.

[bill]

Clearly you should have explained to him the stupidity of the price system and the advantages of a rational economic arrangement.



Personally, I have at least as much trouble relating to my fellow graduate students as to folks outside of academia. I don't fit in anywhere.

Not fitting in with anyone has been the most persistent problem of my life. It is especially bad when you don't fit in with the other people who don't fit in.

Here's to being a misfit!

[keine_zukunft]

i don't know if this has been posted but getting diagnosed can weirdly help not necessarily for getting medecine but so that you know what's wrong and there's action to take! also during my dark periods i find getting out as much as possible and seeing people can work too. other than medecine etc all we really can do is share...

[Ricemilk]

Treatment/diagnosis notes, miscellaneous:



One odd symptom of dehydration is a desire to shrink into nothingness or be voided in some way like that. If you notice that's peaking, you might be dehydrated as well as depressed, and as someone else pointed out, it doesn't help. Drink! (Water, suitable vitamin powders like emergen-c, hydrating juices.) If you're discouraged from drinking the proper amount of water because it makes you pee too much, this too might turn out to be a treatable medical problem. The drugs aren't great but can help a lot.
Depression is among other things a relatively poorly-understood physical problem of the brain. If you don't miraculously improve based on trying to force a better attitude, don't panic. Many people still recover and are able to maintain a high standard of living. Busybodies and hardliners may try to convince you it's your fault or that you always need to push yourself harder to break through. It's possible you'll have to work through mental stresses and anxieties that don't just go away because you want them to. Keep your head up!



If you decide to use medical marijuana/cannabis for depression, be aware that there is much misinformation (i.e. old-line therapists who insist it can't help; enthusiasts who think it can replace all other forms of treatment; etc). The different strains of medical cannabis will have different effects on you, and you'll probably want to know these by checking them out on a site like leaf.ly before you buy/donate. Don't expect 'budtenders' to be able to tell you which strain you need unless they're depressed too- most are trained to identify the three basic types and recommend whatever is the strongest batch of the more relevant-seeming type. DM or email for more detailed info on this process as it relates to patients. For me personally, it is mostly that MMJ helps keep a lot of other problems in check which would have made my depression worse. Some people just kind of sit in their misery and smoke all day, which may not help.



This isn't going to be the case for everyone, thankfully, but it's worth noting that you (the depressed reader) may turn out to have a fatigue disorder; if exercising or staying busy makes you feel worse, see a doctor about that, too. Unfortunately the state of medicine for chronic fatigue is terribly primitive, as is the level of social understanding of our needs. Having this kind of disorder is itself super depressing and I personally have had a very difficult process of mourning my friendships, work/educational opportunities and political activities that I don't have the energy to maintain anymore. But some people report recovering from CFS/ME after a long, patient program of rest and a -very carefully tailored- exercise, PT and diet plan (as well as taking what meds are available).

[RedKobra]

Had been doing a lot better recently but then all of a sudden I started to struggle and didn't know why. Talked it through with my other half and realised that I've got far too much on my plate at the moment. I've had to let something go that I really would rather not but its that or mental illness. The minute I start to recover I start wanting to do everything and I just end up spreading myself too thin and then it all crashes in on itself. Can get very frustrating.
What made me catch it early this time is that I'm going to become a father for the first time early in 2016 and I am absolutely determined that I'm going to patient, generous and calm. I want to enjoy every last second of it.

[Ricemilk]

The minute I start to recover I start wanting to do everything and I just end up spreading myself too thin and then it all crashes in on itself. Can get very frustrating.
Spoonies (chronically ill people) call this 'marathoning' and it is a HUGE problem, especially if you want everyone to work their fair share, which people on revleft presumably do. we're indoctrinated toward the political purposes of maximum immediate capital extraction, to locate the problem within ourselves and deny it as soon as we can convince ourselves to, so please try not to blame yourself. i know i do it!

[Andrew_Zito]

"Firstly, if you think you're suffering from depression, know that you're not alone. People don't talk about it often, but it's fairly common and you shouldn't be afraid of talking to a doctor about it." and how do you determine they are not fascists, incompetents, abusive or simply ignorant? I can not thank you for such posts as they are the most shallow and naive.

[Tankie]

Idk... Alcohol works for me long as I'm watching funny things. Just make sure you do it at night so you go to sleep after, and don't do too much to get a hangover the next day.

[ProleDefensia]

If any Marxists-Leninists need an escape, my party will house you. No strings but ML. UNIFY. ORGANIZE.

URL is pdp.science