Ultraviolet on 25/7/2006 at 06:57
Treating the symptoms is a valid approach to use to help you take a step back and evaluate the root cause for yourself. However, there are better ways to treat the symptoms than drugs. Pick up a martial art (something complex) and a sport (something cardiovascular). Take a class purely out of personal interest (I've wanted to bite the bullet and do some math and physics, though I don't want to ever really get into working in research in either field) -- do something academic that you've never done before; if you're big into the humanities, do some sciences, and vice versa. Variety is the spice of life, they say, and some have even said that that spice can improve your mental and physical health. Learn to write other-handed and/or backward and/or upside-down and various combinations of the three. Improve yourself and rise above. Yeah, it's hard. Get a friend to join you. It does wonders. Physical benefits can cause psychological benefits, whether through improved health or improved self-image (and there are ways that one can also cause the other reciprocally, even exponentially or infinitely).
Para?noid on 25/7/2006 at 09:56
dude for like the 19th time just get your bone smooched
Briareos H on 25/7/2006 at 09:59
As harsh as it seems, I second that.
Schattentänzer on 25/7/2006 at 10:46
Quote Posted by MrDuck
Yeah. It's called teenagerism.
Actually, I think "growing up" is just getting to terms with the notion that the world is indeed such a craphole as you imagined in your worst puberal angst-delusions. Accepting that shitpile as the norm, then giving it the finger and find some people who do the same is the best you can do.
I also
second third noid's advice.
OrbWeaver on 25/7/2006 at 11:56
Quote Posted by Schattentänzer
Actually, I think "growing up" is just getting to terms with the notion that the world is indeed such a craphole as you imagined in your worst puberal angst-delusions.
That's more or less it. Once you accept that life is shit, it's not going to get any better, but more importantly it won't last forever, things become a lot more tolerable.
Schattentänzer on 25/7/2006 at 12:16
I'm not into that prospect-of-death-to-enhance-your-life Nietzsche shtick, I think life itself is pretty cool.
To pull a nerdy analogy, the engine is rad, there's cool level design, but the AI sucks massive wang for the most part.
Ghostly Apparition on 25/7/2006 at 12:57
You're stuck in the Matrix. FREE YOUR MIND!
..sorry..just always wanted to say that in a situation like this. LOL
quinch on 25/7/2006 at 13:03
A sense of perspective is everything in your situation.
I was in therapy when i was in my mid twenties for similar reasons. After a few weeks of this i decided to go abroad (US lol) on my own for a fortnight without having made any plans what-so-ever and spent quite a lot of the time there shitting myself not knowing what i would end up doing.
Especially scary was deciding to fly to NYC on a whim and arriving at JFK at 11.30pm with nowhere to stay.
Anyways, my point is you need a Pushing Tin moment. Take a risk, throw yourself in the deep end and if you end up splashing about terrified then all the better. You need to wake up! see what's out there and realise how lucky you are! I'm not accusing you of being selfish, it's a very difficult thing to do. One of the problems of this type of depression is that you can feel even more hopeless seeing others worse off than yourself who are happy.
P.S Don't take any seroxat or similar, i became a de-sexualised hermit on those things. Also, don't force Buddhism on yourself, it doesn't work like that.
ilweran on 25/7/2006 at 13:09
Nothing wrong with anti-depressants if you need them, although I think talking things over with someone is better, and looking to see if there are changes you could make in your life to improve things.
In my experience- and this is just my life, not necessarily what everyone should do- I've been on anti-depressants and I didn't like them. I'm not saying they didn't help, they did, but they numbed me so I couldn't feel anything and I did things that hurt people I care about. When I was heading towards needing them again and as the cause of those feelings was blatently obvious I talked to my family and fiance and we all agreed I should quit the job (retail) I was in. I'd already had a lot of time off sick and would probably have been off for months if I'd gone on medication again as well as having that put on my medical records- and my medical history makes it hard enough to get a job anyway.
So I would reccommend talking to someone and if you do need to take any medication make sure you get all the information about what you're being prescibed- doses, side-effects, minimum amount of time you need to stay on them etc
OrbWeaver on 25/7/2006 at 14:08
Anti-depressants are a temporary solution, that might help you gain enough motivation to seek proper, long-term help. They are not a cure, only work effectively in about one third of patients (with a limited, partial effectiveness in a further third), and will not solve the problem permanently.
Consider anti-depressants to be the equivalent of bailing out a leaking boat for long enough to reach a harbour, rather than fixing the leak.
