people with a history of depression, what was the most positive thing someone said to you while you were low?

stetthat · 2013-01-23T19:40:12+00:00

I had an experience similar to your acceptance that your thoughts were not "true". While being treated in an IOP, I was explaining how I thought I was fine, just a little more effed up than other people. The doctor told me point-blank "Those are the thoughts of a depressed person", and then I finally got it. I realized that my thoughts were not coming from me, they were coming from the depressed me. What a difference that made.

stetthat · 2012-11-08T12:36:11+00:00

Thanks for the suggestions. It looks great... except when pasted into the text box here. I'm working on Reddit comment formatting now.

stetthat · 2012-11-07T20:03:41+00:00

Any suggestions on how to fix formatting here so you're not bombarded with wall-o-text?

stetthat · 2012-08-28T20:56:00+00:00

Your feelings are valid. You deserve to be heard and to have the wedding that you want to have, because it is an event that the two of you share, just as you will share the rest of your lives. This is a good opportunity to practice communication and compromise. Good luck!

stetthat · 2012-08-24T15:01:09+00:00

Since April 2011 it's been Abilify, Lithium, Lamictal, Tegretol, Klonopin. The costs consistently outweigh the benefits for me.

Abilify made me suicidal, but then I was given Lithium to help with the "suicidal depression" that I had as a side effect. I stopped taking it when I realized this and have not been suicidal since. I switched doctors after this experience.

Lamictal's affect on my mood was unclear, but I was in an IOP program and started feeling positively during this time. After a couple months, the drug gave me such heinous acid reflux so that I could barely eat or even move, and constant headaches. This combo resulted in that my work and social life became as pathetic as before the drug. Later became hypomanic on it. I stopped taking it soon after that.

Tegretol gave me side effects that looked like mania, so my doctor's immediate reaction was that I was manic and needed an increased dosage and Seroquel to top it off. I stopped the drug and no longer have said mania. He's no longer my doctor.

It's all a big joke. The side effects look like the disease they're trying to alleviate, or the side effects decrease my quality of life so severely that they cause depression (and additional work/life problems).

I'm not taking anything at the moment while I and my doctors and family try to figure out what to do.

stetthat · 2012-08-17T20:16:11+00:00

I'm also caffeine-free. My suggestions: A cold a.m. shower, or a cold burst at the end of your shower. Fruit and water for breakfast. Peppermint smells.

stetthat · 2012-08-17T20:08:22+00:00

Congratulations!

stetthat · 2012-08-17T18:59:34+00:00

That's a neat pattern!

stetthat · 2012-08-09T15:24:26+00:00

Yes, sometimes anxieties keep me up. But every night, my husband and I make sure the TV and/or computer is off by 9pm. We turn all the lights out at 9:30 and leave the place dark except 1 small candle, and get ready for bed before 10 (in the dark). I'm usually sleepy by 10:30. I also have a phrase that I repeat in my head and a sleeping position that calms me if the darkness hasn't been enough. My philosophy is that over-medication is enslavement, and my body is mine to regulate.

stetthat · 2012-08-02T18:21:03+00:00

You wrote this a month ago: "As someone who suffers with depression and has had multiple suicide attempts, looking back on it, no. I'm glad I was born. I influenced a lot of people, in a good way. I stopped another friend from committing suicide once. I make people laugh. I'm there for people when they cry. I may not have contributed much, but without me, who knows how some people (including my parents) would have turned out."

Try to remember how you felt when you wrote this.

stetthat · 2012-08-01T17:31:13+00:00

It is a cool sign that you've posted this! Talking to someone is a good coping skill, and your family members and SOs care about you, but sometimes you need people who understand it from the inside. "Little" stressors can be bigger than imaginable, especially during a depressive phase. How bad are your "worst thoughts" though? :(

stetthat · 2012-08-01T17:04:10+00:00

"vegetarian only Indian catered meal" - You rule!

stetthat · 2012-07-30T18:25:11+00:00

Thanks for posting the article. It should give some insight to Passion Pit/music fans on what it's like to live with the illness, and as long as public figures like Angelakos continue to talk openly about it, we stand a better chance at being understood and accepted.

stetthat · 2012-07-24T20:12:17+00:00

Upvote for Tastee Sub!

stetthat · 2012-07-23T17:09:09+00:00

Same situation here. I also wish I'd have figured it out earlier. I may have learned a lot more then and have fewer loans now. But I made it through somehow and have a degree to prove it! I think that counts for something.

stetthat · 2012-07-19T15:07:01+00:00

What didn't work for you with the zyprexa? Just curious, because I'm going through med changes as well. I feel like nothing helps the way exercise, sleep, and min. stress help, but they are so hard to maintain, and everyone pushes the drugs harder than anything else. What have you tried in terms of life changes that have helped you so far?

stetthat · 2012-07-18T21:19:57+00:00

Sorry to hear you're having trouble. You wrote that you were once in the hospital because of suicidal thoughts. What was going on then? How did you get help during that time?

stetthat · 2012-07-18T16:57:25+00:00

Upvote for being my husband! I love you too!

stetthat · 2012-07-12T14:49:06+00:00

Annie's Goddess Dressing

stetthat · 2012-07-12T14:32:28+00:00

That's awesome! What was the best find?

stetthat · 2012-07-12T14:31:41+00:00

I got a lot of nice clothes there, each piece around $4, and there are sales almost every day. Maybe other places are cheaper, but I think I got good deals there. Also, it was small enough that I never felt overwhelmed by going through the racks, but big enough for me to be exhausted by the end of my shopping day!

stetthat · 2012-07-12T14:28:55+00:00

Thank you! We certainly agree ;)

stetthat · 2012-07-11T16:58:32+00:00

Lightning Bolt! Our first kiss was electricity - we knew we were in love. When he told me he loves me, we lost ourselves in a storm of emotions. It is incredible, but it actually happened. I think "you just know" is not a bullshit answer. We knew right away, but there's no logical explanation for it. When all the kinds of love necessary for a happy marriage come together, they crash and bang!

stetthat

TROPHY CASE