No sympathy for depressive moods/anxiety

Depression is no joke, and before Robin Williams suicide, I was in denial about how depressed I was. Before then, I held the same belief as many people, that it was just the blues, or something not as serious as it was. It's way more than just being sad a lot.

I found a lot of empathy on forums, and tips to deal more positively with the depression. I've worked with both my therapist, and my psych to get my meds and mind back "on track."

I'm doing much better now that I understand that the "drill sargent from hell" yelling at me about what a failure I am, and how bad I am, is not the real me.

Keep your faith and hope in yourself. Really seek professional help if you are at the edge, especially if suicide is ever in your thoughts. Find a support group for depression locally. Read about depression on websites. There are things you ought to be doing about it, and you should find friends, and relatives that will help you deal with that issue.

 

I am having the same experience because I have been diagnose of major depression. I started going to a counselor a week ago because it was starting to get bad where thinking I wished I never existed was happening frequently. I hope you feel better soon. Just remember we're all here for you.

 

People who have never or rarely battled depression are often of the "just snap out of it" frame of mind. If I run across someone who I can sense will have that mindset, I make sure that I don't discuss my personal issues with them. They're apt to be as closed minded in other areas of life as well. It's not even worth wasting one's breath.

 

This is very true....although to be (marginally) fair to those people, if you've never gone through the anxiety and misery that depression causes, you can't possibly understand how devastating it is. And I also think that people have a tendency to label as "depression" everything from waking up grumpy one morning, to fighting back suicidal impulses on a regular basis. It's not all depression. While I'm glad that people are becoming more aware of it, I think that it's still important to make it clear that depression isn't just one day of feeling blue, and it's also not a general "bad attitude" toward life. That will help people understand a little better.

There are always going to be those perpetually cheery, clueless types (who seem to be the secret offspring of Buddy the Elf and Rose from The Golden Girls) who just can't grasp that kind of sadness. That's where we have to try to develop enough self-awareness that we can sense ourselves heading for the brink before we pick up too much speed, and also find friends who can recognize that we're in trouble and grab our hand. Sometimes we have the ability to look for them, and sometimes we can only hope that they're there. There's a lot of them here on EC. Don't be afraid to speak up. Ever.

 

Yah means that everyone is different and most mental states and behavior have to be measured on a scale, and subjectively... I know, I've seen something about that somewhere about something else.

/sarcastic tone

It always sounds great in theory.

I know talking to other clinically depressed helped me to come to grips with it. Hearing survivors.

Don't keep it all in your head.

 

Yes, some people just don't get it. Sometimes even people who are sympathetic really have no understanding of what it means to have an anxiety or depressive disorder, of which I have both. I am very open about that here on EC but in real life only a few friends know. Others, I may allude to a low mood or just feeling poorly in general but I've never told them I'm in therapy, on medication, sometimes just can't function, because I know from witnessing them speak about other people with mental illness that they just don't understand it and don't care to. As for family, my parents know I have some problems, but they don't really seem to grasp the depth of it, and I try not to talk about it with them unless I have no other choice. My mother just gets worked up and worried, and my father thinks it's bs "all in my head" and that I should just be able to pick myself up by my bootstraps and continue on.

 

Hi,

You do not want sympathy, you need/want empathy.

Tom

 

I know your feeling! Some ppl just don´t get it at all if you´r e feeling down, and they don´t have a clue what depression is. If they don´t have a clue, they should just keep their mouth shut if they don´t have anything nice to say. Some ppl are besserwissers and think they know everything about everything, depression included. I have met so many ppl out there without sympathy. I just hope "Karma catches up with them" some day, so they don´t get away with their immature behaviour!
Hope you will feel better soon! It´s not a crime feeling a bit low. Life goes up and down...

 

It gets better. I struggled with depression for years. Therapists, psychiatrists, medication, even time in a hospital. I can tell you what didn't help; "Lots of people have it worse than you." "Grow up." "Snap out of it." People don't realize, they're just pouring salt on the wound.

Unfortunately you just have to accept that many people just don't understand and think they are actually helping or inspiring you with their comments. They figure that if they were down, that's what they would need to hear. Unfortunately they don't know how down "down" can get. I learned to just fake it as best I could when I was around them, or steer clear during really bad times.

 

steppenwolf you've got so much going on... sending light and love your way. I too suffer from severe depression. I was wondering are you on any meds depression and/or do you have a counselor? I ask as from what you've explained you're in a pressure cooker that seems overwhelming. Just suggesting this as I've been in similar situations and found that I couldn't do it on my own... and decided that didn't care how it look/sounded to anyone about getting help. Btw what is/are "bagatelles"?