[please_help_me]

I've suffered from depression for 4years and its getting to the stage of not coping! There are many causes of this and seeing a counselor didn't seem to help. Anti-depressants just seem to mask the symptoms, any suggestions? Please help can't cope anymore?

[valinors_sorrow]

If you are getting a prescription from a doctor, tell him or her this isn't working. If you are seeing a therapist, tell him or her this isn't working. They have a right to know and as a patient you have an obligation to tell. It can mean you need to "shop around" for the right drug (that is a very common experience) or that you aren't getting to the bottom of it in therapy. Depression can literally be a fight for your life, I know firsthand. If you aren't in anyone's care, make immediate arrangements to go back and this time be very candid. There is no magic fix out here in the world. But there is lots of help. Don't be one of the people who dies of "terminal uniqueness" - I have seen a bunch of that and its always very sad. This is no joke. Please let the help help you, okay?

[TxGreaseMonkey]

This will help you:

http://www.cathedraluniversity.com/d...Depression.pdf

[Depressed in MO]

If you are getting a prescription from a doctor, tell him or her this isn't working. If you are seeing a therapist, tell him or her this isn't working. They have a right to know and as a patient you have an obligation to tell. It can mean you need to "shop around" for the right drug (that is a very common experience) or that you aren't getting to the bottom of it in therapy. Depression can literally be a fight for your life, I know firsthand. If you aren't in anyone's care, make immediate arrangements to go back and this time be very candid. There is no magic fix out here in the world. But there is lots of help. Don't be one of the people who dies of "terminal uniqueness" - I have seen a bunch of that and its always very sad. This is no joke. Please let the help help you, okay?

Don't be one of the people who dies of "terminal uniqueness"-Val, what is this? You got me kind of worried...

[valinors_sorrow]

Don't be one of the people who dies of "terminal uniqueness"-Val, what is this? You got me kinda worried...

What I mean by that is this:

Depression kills by way of suicide. I have had something like a front row seat to more than a few suicides (including two attempts of my own). One of the most deadly ideas is "I am beyond help... I am so unique that no solution exists out there for me". I am hoping I don't hear subtle tones of it in the original post but if I am, I am gently, lovingly calling it out with that remark about terminal uniqueness. This thinking often exists in someone close to suicide and it needs to be gently challenged and reframed, if possible.

Does that make it clearer for you?

[Depressed in MO]

What I mean by that is this:

Depression kills by way of suicide. I have had a front row seat to more than a few suicides (including two attempts of my own). One of the most deadly ideas is "I am beyond help... I am so unique that no solution exists out there for me". I am hoping I don't hear subtle tones of it in the original post but if i am, I am gently, lovingly calling it out with that remark about terminal uniqueness. That is thinking that often exists in someone close to suicide and it needs to be gently challenged and reframed, if possible.

Does that make it clearer for you?

Do you believe people can suffer illnesses or even die from a broken heart?

[valinors_sorrow]

Of course! I believe the human is a very complicated, interconnected physical, emotional and spiritual being. I like the holistic approach best. I am a big fan (and consumer) of psychological and spiritual help too. I tend to "collect" medical people who have great spiritual hearts and see themselves as healers. I also think that our current culture in the US places far too much importance on the physical at the expense of the psychological and spiritual side of humans. And we are all paying a price for that too. As a result of that, some ailments (depression is one) sometimes don't get treated consistently. So it bears looking around, getting second opinions, etc.

If Please Help Me doesn't get help one way, they can try another. But it has to start with letting the current ones know its not helping, to be fair about it.

Okay, steps down from the soapbox now LOL :o

[nasra]

I once went to a counselor who said a way of getting rid of your worries and depression is to write yourself a letter about every thing that is worrying you. Write down absolutely everything. Get everything right out of your system. Then get a match and burn the letter.Imagine in your mind that Every puff of smoke that comes from the letter you are burning is the problem dispearing in the air. Another trick is to write a letter again rap it up around a medium sized stone go to a lake or pond and throw the letter rapped in the stone in the pond the ripples you make in the water are your problems evaporating. Another good thing is to look in the mirror each morning and tell yourself you love yourself, that you are beautiful cleaver, kind,honest. You keep doing that you will start to believe in yourself. The depression will lift and nobody can ever make you feel low. Because if you don't love yourself who will.;)

[please_help_me]

Thank you all for your help and advice, it really is appreciated. The counselling was advised by my 6th Form College tutor, however now I have finished college and the sessions have ended.

[Cassie]

You said you have suffered from depression for 4 years. Did you ever have depression before that? What triggered it 4 years ago? I felt I needed counseling several years ago and I went to 3 different ones that I felt "flat" with and then I found one that I connected with.

Val is so right, different medication, different therapists. Stay on top of it. Go to the book store, there are so many books there on depression, thumb through them and find a good one for you. There are many tools out there, but if you feel you cannot do it alone, get help.

[please_help_me]

Thank you for your advice Cassie, I will definitely go and look in bookshops. 4years ago I was raped by a 'friend', this triggered off memories of when I was sexually abused as a child for 7years (approx). All the old memories and feelings came back as well as the different ones. It's like a video playing over and over in my head, I can't seem to concentrate, as its in my head all the time.

[valinors_sorrow]

What you are describing could easily be PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it takes professional treatment to ease the many symptoms - depression, freight train brain, hyper vigilency, heightened startle response, low ability to trust, poor sleeping etc. Please seek out a professional through a rape hotline or a social service like that. It would do you a world of good to get help.

[Here_To_Help- Jon]

Depression is medical condition. It can be treated with medication. If you had diabetes you wouldn't ask others for help or go to the bookstore to find some relief there- you would take insulin. Period. The same is true here (in my opinion). Find a Dr. who understands the subject, and who will work with you to find the correct med (or meds) to get you functioning at close to 100% again.

[Cassie]

I am so sorry for all that happened to you. My babysitter from years back was raped by her step father for several years. I am so glad you are open to seeking counseling. It is a must. Good Luck.
I certainly, by no means meant for you to replace therapy with books. I have found in life knowledge is a valuable tool. I have found it can be an added plus with therapy.

Depression is medical condition. It can be treated with medication. If you had diabetes you wouldnt ask others for help or go to the bookstore to find some relief there- you would take insulin. Period. The same is true here (in my opinion). Find a Dr. who understands the subject, and who will work with you to find the correct med (or meds) to get you functioning at close to 100% again.

When my mother was diagnosed with diabetes along with medical help, I found all the information I could about diabetes in books and it enabled me to help her. I found information from other diabetics that was very helpful. No it did not replace the medical help she had but knowledge is never wasted.

[31pumpkin]

I agree that you still need professional therapy.

But also I agree with txgreasemonkey's excellent link in addition to the therapy.

Give it to God. You'll be able to see the miracles from prayer in your life. And you will be genuinely happy about the changes.

[nasra]

Everybody has mentioned really good pointers, but I will also like to add that with a good healthy balanced diet, if you are eating well on the inside it shows both mentally and physcially on the outside. Val I agree with you what I mentioned earlier in this thread might be more suited at the latter stages of recovery. But still it is a vital point, strong mental believe in one self strenghthens both body and mind.

[please_help_me]

I agree that you still need professional therapy.

But also I agree with txgreasemonkey's excellent link in addition to the therapy.

Give it to God. You'll be able to see the miracles from prayer in your life. And you will be genuinely happy about the changes.

I'm having trouble understanding what God is trying to say to me, Is it turn the other cheek? Or turn the tables over? Again, thank you for your advice.

[jurplesman]

As Here to help-John has stated depression is a medical condition that needs to be treated medically.

But I disagree that antidepressant medication is necessarily the route to take.

Most people believe that if you treat something "medically" it is necessarily by drugs. However studies have shown that only about 40% of patients get some befit from SSRIs, leaving 60% with treatment resistant depression.

The reason is that not many doctors, psychiatrists or psychologists are aware of how the body produces serotonin, the feel good neurotransmitter that can make us feel happy and content.

Serotonin is produced from amino acids found in food, and hence this would indicate that depression can be a nutritional disorder.

But for the body to produce serotonin it would need far more than just tryptophan from which serotonin is made. It needs a host of other vitamins and minerals to assemble serotonin from the food we eat.

The body requires an inordinate amount of Biological Energy called (ATP) without which the body cannot manufacture the feel good neurotransmitters.

Thus people who have problems converting the sugars in food into biological energy are most likely to suffer from depression.

Viewed from a biochemical point of view, depression is not a disease of the mind, but rather a disease of the body.

Please read:

Depression: a Disease of Energy Production

And discuss this with a Nutritional Doctor or Clinical Nutritionist.

[jurplesman]

What you are describing could easily be PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it takes professional treatment to ease the many symptoms - depression, freight train brain, hyper vigilency, heightened startle response, low ability to trust, poor sleeping etc. Please seek out a professional through a rape hotline or a social service like that. It would do you a world of good to get help.

If this is PTSD it can be treated nutritionally.

[JoeCanada76]

I think what was trying to be said was that if you leave all your troubles, thoughts and worries to God. That you pray daily and read and meditate daily. That each day it will get easier and easier. Leaving all your troubles to God and letting him handle it for you will lift away your burdons from your shoulders. It is up to God to punish others. It is up to God to judge others. Let him be the judge and you will be able to move on and live a happier life. Rape is a very tramatic experience and causes so much emotional and physical damage. It is up to you to let that experience control you or actually get past that experience in a positive way and even helping others through the experiances like yours would be healing to both your mind, spirit and body.

Joe