Depression?

[Lin]

This topic has been on my mind alot lately. Giving up one or both of the jobs I love in the same week is really getting me down. I am not sure if it is depression or not, but it might be.

I got a relly nice booklet yesterday at the health park where we go to exercise. It was called men and depression. I read the whole thing.

My husband has severe bouts of depression over the years and the booklet gave hints to some of his causes. He is bi-polar. That often has depression as a part of it. He is also 100% disabled due to PTSD. PTSDalso causes deprssion. It said if a breadwinner suddenly cannot do his job, they get depressed. That happened to him when he went on disability. And it also said if a person has alot of medical problems that can lead to depression. So it sounds like 4 parts of his life can all lead to depression. wow. No WONDER he gets depression.

Can anybody here share how they handle deprssion in themselves or in watching it in their loved ones>?

LINDA

[caressa]

Dear Lin,

Depression is a big part of grief. Grief can be a big part of any kind of loss in our lives. A loss of our ability to do what we use to do, a loss of a job, a body part, a change in our routine, our energy, and the list goes on, an on, and on.

This was a topic of the week a few weeks ago. I brought it up because it is something that I face most winters. Mine is not a clinical depression and I am not on medicaiton for it. For me, I just try to work my program a little harder. I go back to basics. Do an inventory, talk to my sponsor and even get counseling if and when needed. Anit-depressants do not work for me. I don't like out they make me feel. I find them to be mood altering. I feel like someone put a giant sized hand on my head and stops me from being me. I also get depressed when I put on weight and they have always made me gain weight which only cause me more grief.

It is important to recognize it, acknowledge it and for me, not beat myself up because I am in it. I know that the only person who can get me out of it is me. One of the best things for it is to get out of self and help someone else. Volunteering was what helped me. Yet on the other hand, not always so busy helping others, that I don't take time for myself and practice self-care. Without me, I have nothing. I have nothing to give if I am operating on empty. I can be addicted to busy, so busy doing and not spending time with me. Mind you, I get depressed some times, when I look at where I am at, especially when it means looking at where I was and where I am at in today. I have never done aging well. Again, it is acceptance of what is, once I find that acceptance, things get a lot better.

[Lin]

Thanks Caressa. I appreciate your share. We had some good thoughts on depression tongiht at the meeting, too.

he does take meds for depression and for mood swings
When he is up he wants to shop
when he is down he wants to isolate and taks abtou suicide and how worthless his life has become. Not much can cheer him up . I try to find funnythings the dogs do and tell him abto them but he rarely even laughs when he's in one of those moods

Right now both of my jobs are pretty uncertain if I wil lahve them next eyar. I am sort of retiring from one...but very much forced into it by a boss who has made this eyar a lving hell for me. SO the fact a 41 year carree will be over in abtou a month has me pretty sad. Not sure it''s depression...but I am definitely not my chipper self these days.

LIN

[majestyjo]

Depression seems to be going around. I talked to a couple of friends today and it seems to be in the air. The winter blues can get you down. I always try to make an effort to turn on my lights when there is no sunshine outside.

A lot is my outlook on the day. I have been in a lot more pain since my falls and my arthritis has come out in spots that haven't been bothering me. They might have been there before, but I never noticed them before. I believe a lot is my attitude towards my day. I can focus on my pain or I can put it aside and do something that I like doing and not let my pain rule my life.

I love the slogan, "Let it begin with me." It has to start with me, no matter what 'it' is.

[majestyjo]

Depression can be brought about by loss and change. It is part of the grieving process