depressed

[Cassie]

Depression IS NOT ALWAYS caused by a chemical inbalance. How do I know? One, I've taken MANY college courses on psychology. Another thing is I've been of and on antidepressants for years. 2 months ago I stopped taking Paxil after being on it for over 4 years. Yes SOME depression is a chemical inbalance in the brain. These are sometimes the people who's life doesn't really seem to be all that bad, yet they still can't handle it. Other people have more of what is called situational depression. Depression that is caused by trauma or specific life events. And yes more than one doctor has told me that very same thing.
How was I able to stop taking them? Yes, I did alot of spells for stress and depression and they've seemed to work for me. I won't say that I still don't have horrible days, but I think the work I did on myself helped. You can also do spells to rid yourself of negativity and that works along w/ the other spells.

This is right on.

I was on Paxil for a while during a really bad time in my life... I stopped taking them when I felt like I was ready (my, uh, doc didn't, but I'm stubborn).

Anyway the deppression came back last year, and I got really paranoid (I also have Anxiety disorders, the depression just kinda... made them worse). It got to the point where I thought my boyfriend was going to kill me while I was sleepin g (VERY VERY paranoid, he's such a gentle guy I don't know what I was thinking).

Well one day, like a week before Iwas gonna go back to the DR and get put back on Paxil I was like - You know what? I can live my life as a slave to medicine and negativity and in FEAR all the time, or I can take control. I am stronger than any negative thoughts I have, than any bad days or bad energy -- and I just decided I would MAKE myself get better. I meditated and prayed a lot, listened to alot of music.... and I got better. Without meds.

And I'm telling you, there is NOTHING like the feeling you get when you wake up in the morning unafraid to face the day, and knowing it's YOU and not the pills making you feel that way.

I will send healing "vibes" to you tonight dear <3

ALSO-- don't feel ashamed or weak if you do decide to see a doc. There is nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it. Just don't fool yourself into thinking that you aren't/can't be strong enough to do it yourself

[Starwitch]

Abren,

I'm sorry I didn't notice this thread earlier and respond. It doesn't even look you're hanging around the board anymore (and I don't blame you after what I read on this topic directed towards you) but I will respond anyway and maybe you'll see it.

Depression is not caused by sitting around feeling sorry for yourself or anything like that. That was obviously written by someone who has never experienced depression or taken a class in it or even read a pamphlet on it, and I'm still seriously considering deleting that post because it is so uninformed and hurtful towards anyone suffering (and I DO mean suffering) from depression.

Depression is really one of the worst states of mind a person can be in. It seems to last forever, and when you're in it, there seems to be no way out. Doctors want to put you on drugs that turn you into a zombie. You may not be "depressed" on those drugs, but you may not be happy either. The drugs can zap your emotion - you don't cry or feel sad, but you don't laugh or feel happy either. That's how it affected me, anyway, and I've heard other people say similar things. Some people REALLY feel better on anti-depressants though. And they are not physically addictive, by the way. I suppose you could feel dependant on the drugs, but there are so physical side-effects if you quit taking them. (Following is some bad advice from an adult to a teenager - be warned): And for Snow Falcon, if you want to quit taking them and you are tired of being drugged, I don't see why you can't just quit. Does your mom watch you take the pill every day? If no one is watching, just quit taking them and throw one pill in the trash each day and keep getting your refills. I know you are supposed to be under a doctor's supervision when you quit and all that shit, but doctors think they know everything. These stupid commercials that come on TV and say "Only your doctor can diagnose depression" - well, if you've ever suffered from depression, then you KNOW when you have it again and you don't need a doctor to tell you. If you're unsure, you can ask a doctor or read the symptoms online and figure it out, but I just don't think we are given enough credit as intelligent human beings who can figure out whether we are depressed or not. Or maybe I am just smarter than most other people and they actually DO need a doctor to tell them if they're depressed. That could be the case.

Most professionals believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, and they also believe that it's hereditary, so that if your mother suffered from depression, then you probably have that same imbalance and you could suffer from it as well. There is also situational depression, of course. If someone close to you dies, then you may get depressed and that is not a chemical problem obviously. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) happens when people don't get enough sunlight (usually in the winter months) and that kind of depression is a chemical imbalance.

At any rate, Ambren, I don't want you to feel guilty or bad about being depressed. Those kinds of feelings cause a vicious cycle. You get depressed - you feel guilty about being depressed because you think you should be happy - so you get even more depressed because you feel guilty. Depression is not something you can just "snap out of" because someone tells you to. Of course, you can put on a fake smile and tolerate their ignorance until they go away and leave you alone, but you'll still be depressed and they will still be ignorant. Here is a good web site with info on depression and this link takes you to the "Self-help" part of the site that gives many different tips on ways to help lift the depression: http://www.belljar.co.uk/selfhelp.htm

Depression is NOT about feeling sorry for yourself or thinking only about bad things. I really don't know of any good explanation for it since it can strike at any time, even when your life is going great and there seems to be nothing to worry about. It doesn't help any that depression can effect your sleep and when you don't get enough sleep you feel more anxious and depressed. That is another vicious cycle that depression causes.

Well, I know I have written a book here. I just didn't want you to believe that post that said all that silly stuff and that probably only made you feel worse and more depressed because instead of good advice and understanding, you were scolded for feeling a way that you can't help feeling. No one WANTS to be depressed. It's a lousy feeling and it zaps all your energy and motivation and drive to do or be anything. It's just plain, stinking miserable and no one would choose it on purpose.

You might want to try medications, but if you do, please be aware that there are several different kinds (4 or 5 popular kinds) and they can each effect you differently. Prozac may work great for some people, but it could turn YOU into a zombie. If there are bad effects like that, tell your doctor that you want to try one of the other brands. DON'T let him just increase the dosage more and more, which is what many doctors try to do when they feel the drug isn't having the desired effect. Such dumb-asses. I can hardly stand it. Doctors don't usually give a shit about you, so never trust them completely. ALWAYS do your own research and remember, YOU ARE PAYING YOUR DOCTOR, so don't let him boss you around. He may have more education than you, but he works for YOU.

[_Snow_Falcon_]

I wish it were that easy . My mother's a nurse and she has seen what happens when people get off the medication that I'm taking, they go into convulsions, vomit, and have hemorages. That's not something that I want to happen. Plus, the medication is also for anxiety so even though I'm not depressed now, I will still have to deal with the anxiety.

[Starwitch]

Oh my GOD! Are you actually on an anti-anxiety medication, like Xanax, Valium or Klonopin? I thought you said you were on anti-depressants? Yeah, if you are on something that is physically dependant, don't just stop cold-turkey. I've heard that coming off of anti-anxiety meds is worse than quitting narcotics, and I can tell you with certaintly that quitting narcotics is PURE HELL for WEEKS. Please only quit under your doctor's supervision if you are on a physically addictive drug. What are you taking??

[_Snow_Falcon_]

Well that's the thing. I'm taking Paxil for Anxiety and depression. Plus I'm taking Risperdal, Synthroid, and I just got off of Ritalin. The dumbass doctor I used to have had me on an overdose of Ritalin for 8 months!

[Starwitch]

How old are you? That certainly does sound like a lot of drugs for one person to be taking. I can see why'd you want to stop taking them. I really think parents should do their own research instead of taking the doctor's word as the gospel truth. Doctors put kids on way too many drugs these days, and I don't think they personally care enough about their patients' well-being. I hope you can talk them into letting you quit some of those. Maybe you can find some research on the web to show your parents to convince them to get you a new doctor who isn't over-prescribing drugs instead of treating the underlying problems. Do they have you in counseling?

[_Snow_Falcon_]

I'm gonna be 17 in September. And your right, Doctors think that medications are just a magic wand that'll make all the bad things go away. They've had me in counseling for 4 years, and I'd like to stop that too, I just feel like I'm talking to a wall when I'm there.

[Starwitch]

I just looked up those other two drugs that I didn't recognize. Risperdal is an anti-psychotic drug and Synthroid is a thyroid medication. Usually once people are diagnosed with a thyroid problem and it's treated properly, they find that all these other things like depression and anxiety get better. Did they do a thyroid work-up on you? I am really having a hard time understanding why a doctor would put someone on ALL this medicine. It seems ridiculous. You must be a zombie. Or up and down, up and down.. I can't imagine. What was wrong with you that they wanted to put you on so much medicine? Are you diagnosed with a mental disorder? Maybe you should call another doctor's office in town and ask to talk to the nurse (because it's too hard to get a hold of doctors) and tell her what all you are taking and see what she thinks of that. If it's as messed up as it sounds, you'll need someone knowledgable on YOUR side to help convince your parents. Prescription meds are big business and they are making a ton of money off you - even the doctors make money from it (or trips or incentives, they really do.) Here read this article and see what you think:
http://www.citylimits.org/content/artic ... umber=1167

Is only ONE doctor prescribing all this to you, or do you have more than one doctor?

[_Snow_Falcon_]

WHAT THE HELL? Anti-psychotic? Allright, I had my doubts about this doctor but this is too far. I am NOT psychotic. To hell with him, I'm going to campbellton to see a doctor.

Yes I have hypo-thyroidism. 7 out of 7 of my father's siblings have it so I didn't have a chance. New Brunswick actually has the highest number of thyroid problems in Canada (due to all the mercury in our fish). I was diagnosed when i was 12, but since I'm a teen and I keep growing, it's impossible to keep my TSH level regulated for more than a few weeks.

I'm not like a zombie, it's more like up and down. And it WAS one doctor, but because of you there's gonna be some changes made. Thank you so much for clearing this up for me .

[moonlit]

I dont think it would be right for you to delete those posts because it is simply ppl posting there opinions. Just like you think that deppressian is always from a chemical imbalance others like me think that its sometimes not. Personallly I think that ppl should quit getting offended with every little thing they dont agree with... I wont live my life trying to constantly not offend someone.. Its my life.. not theres. People will always have a problem with what someone else thinks.. thats the way it is.

[Dancing_Moon_Child]

Moonlit,
We're not telling you to not have and voice an opinion different than anybody else's. What we're trying to say is that before you voice an opinion to think it thru first and decide if you are voicing it with compassion and respect. You're very young yet and you will learn this with time but sometimes what you want to say and what you should say are two very different things.
Abren...who I think has since left the forum....needed compassion...not someone saying, "oh I'm so tired of people saying they're depressed, people have real problems and yours isn't a real problem". How would you like it if we treated your problems the same way?
Like I said in an earlier post...I'll chalk this up to age.....and I hope life never throws you any curves...but if it does, I hope your problems are met with more compassion than you showed someone else in need. I'm not Wiccan but I still try and practise "Do no harm". Words can hurt just as much as actions.
Peace and Love,
Dancing Moon Child
PS I'm 49 yrs old....I've learned alot of lessons along the way...some easier than others and some with much pain attached. You might not agree with me or Moonlit.....but that's your lesson to learn.

[Comus]

Ok girl. First: Don't rely on a quiz-(as others agreed), only YOU can know if you are depressed. One big word of advice: If it was not for psychiatrists, my Aunt would still be alive today. I'm not giving details-too painful, but you get the point? Don't feel guitly about depression-if there are starving kids in the world and you get happy, that won't necessarily end starvation. But one way to mix the two is to do some charity work-I'm not suggesting you relocate to Burundi, but something as simple as collecting for a charity can make you feel better. Now lots of people like to say "Oh, you're only collecting for charity to make youself feel good' or "Yes but for every one starving person you help there are a million more" and other disheartening things. Just remind these self-righteous dicks that if everyone in the world (in rich countries) did what you are doing, the world would be a better place overnight.
But yes, back to the subject of depression. I went through a nasty breakup and was depressed on and off for about three years. I think it was also partly due to hormone imbalances that teenagers sometimes go through. Anyway..I kind of got my act together..I got to know some really inspiring people who had strong personalities and basically I grew determined to become stronger. Here is a spell that helped me once upon a time. I hope it can help you.

1: Create an altar if you don't already have one. The main feature is it must have a pentagram/pentacle on it. Wood is best. For mine I simply use a wooden box) Place it facing east (where the sun rises from for easy reference)
2: Place an incense cone inside the star. Place a white candle to the right of the pentagram and a quartz crystal to the left. Place a ring with any kind of natural stone set in it, (or if you don't have one a necklace will do as long as it has a natural stone) above the pentagram.
3: Kneel behind the altar (facing East) and light the incense and the candle.
4: Go to the bathroom and smear yourself with anything you like. Traditionally a raw egg is used and you wash it off in the river. But you can use anything (i used moisturiser ) This represents how you have been feeling in the past. Then turn on the taps of the bath or shower and recite before you step in (you can say it in Romani or in my English translation) :"Feri ando payi sisholpe te nauyas" (It was in the water that one learned to swim) and step into the shower, symbolically washing off the past (don't expect a miraculous change-it is really very gradual in reality, but things will change).
5: After you have washed yourself, return to the altar (dressed or undressed, it doesn't matter). Kneel before it once again, reciting:
"Feri ando payi sisholpe te nauyas.
May angle sar te merel kadi yag,
Ankana mukavv tut le Develsa.
Ando gav bi zhuklesko jal o pavor i destesk.
Chailo sim"

(It was in the water that one learned to swim,
before this fire burns out,
may you rest with all the Gods (though you might prefer to say Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, rather than a literal translation)
In the village without dogs,
The farmers walked without sticks,
I am fulfilled.)
Then write on a piece of brown paper your wishes, simplified. e.g: I am strong. I am filled with the joy of the universe. I am in control of my life. (write as though it has already happened -this is important!!.
Burn the paper in the candle flame and take these ashes as well as the ash from the incense. You can do what you like with them. I put them inside a copper elephant. You might like to bury them uner your favourite tree or throw them into a stream. Then put on the ring or hang it on a chain or put on the necklace. Whenever you look at the ring ot\r necklace, remember the spell.

[JBRaven]

Risperdal can be used with other drugs as an anti-depressant.

Then agien I have had doctors say I an a Schizo that I have Depression, Suicidal, Bipolar, Major anxiety, and that I have Multiple personalities. Plus need anger management.

I took all kinds of wacked out pills I said screw it and started to sell them to friends.

You see how pissed off I am in all my post right.

My friends and my boyfriend can vouch that if anything yeah I am depressed when life gets shitty and I do have anxiety everyonce in awhile. SO you can't always trust those damned doctors they are in it for the money. Trust yourself and what you feel.

[Starwitch]

That sucks JB. I hope you feel better without them.

SnowFalcon, let us know how it goes and whether you're able to talk them into taking you off some of that. I'm afraid of what will happen to this generation of kids who are growing up on so many drugs. There really are a LOT of kids being overmedicated (in my opinion.) I hope you get it worked out.

Thanks for your post Dancer. I don't really feel the desire to reply to that.

[Fanny]

Ive had a burn out depression 3 years ago , ive bein on Celexa 30 mg for 3years , Ive stoped taking them for 3 months a time , I dont know why but I would just forget to take them and then just not bother anymore , but now im back on them , it's mosty for anxiety , and depression but with everything thats going on in my life right now it's not a good time to ask me if they are working well cause it 's not about the medication anymore but my way of life and all the negativity that is in it ..


sorry about the spelling

Stephanie