Discussion & help on depression & mental health related issues

[thebluenosebolt]

Not at all.

What works for me, may not work for you.

It`s not an exact science, which is why the regular involvement / monitoring by health care professionals is an absolute must.

Do you find the prozac helps then Coyb ??
I will mention to the lads what you said, maybe they can get a visit with the nurse instead of the GP. People in 2019 shouldnt have to go around in a nightmare state. Cheers for the advise.

 

[COYBL25]

Do you find the prozac helps then Coyb ??
I will mention to the lads what you said, maybe they can get a visit with the nurse instead of the GP. People in 2019 shouldnt have to go around in a nightmare state. Cheers for the advise.

It did help me, but due to what was going on at the time, I eventually needed something with anti anxiety properties, which it doesn`t have, so I was switched to another type.

The CPN or the GP is the best person(s) to give proper medical advice on this mate

 

[Deleted member 38674]

You ever find if you overthink it all and like you wonder what is “happy” as in like whats your set point... if that makes sense?

Like are you supposed to wake up happy and be happy all day as normal? Or are you ment to be sorta nuetral and then have moments of both happy sad etc?bit of a ramble just wondering anyone can make sense of it

I feel as though my set point is just like nothing.. im not ded sad but im wondering should i be happy which in turn can make me think abit sad..

Proper ramble forgive me just thinking out loud!

Great point.

Generally speaking, nobody that I know wakes up “happy”, just as nobody I know wakes up feeling particularly sad. It’s a myth that these people exist I think, you have to MAKE yourself happy. Just like anything else (work, relationships etc)

You’ll find everybody has “happy” days and “sad” days and other days that seem to pass us by.

As @thebluenosebolt alluded to, if you can find a way to put on a “happy” face, almost forcing yourself to he happy, you’ll find (annoyingly) that you and others around you will have a much more positive experience.

Life, to me, in the most simple and pragmatic way of looking at it, is about trying new things to understand what things make you happy. Then finding ways to do those things more often.

Having a sense of purpose in life is important too, and often if you focus on making someone else smile or laugh, even if only for a bit, your own problems can become less difficult to manage.

 

[YoboCopter]

My wife always tells me to wake up and say today's going to be ace...smile at everyone and be supportive of others....it generally works, if your nice...it reflects.. so if you try and be positive...people generally respond the same way.
It's easy really IF you can manage it. Some days I dont and I guarantee a shitty day generally follows it. My wife is an impossibly positive person, frankly it's a bloody miracle We found each other....and even more that she stayed with me through some frankly miserable times. Find one of them and life really ain't so bad x

Great point.

Generally speaking, nobody that I know wakes up “happy”, just as nobody I know wakes up feeling particularly sad. It’s a myth that these people exist I think, you have to MAKE yourself happy. Just like anything else (work, relationships etc)

You’ll find everybody has “happy” days and “sad” days and other days that seem to pass us by.

As @thebluenosebolt alluded to, if you can find a way to put on a “happy” face, almost forcing yourself to he happy, you’ll find (annoyingly) that you and others around you will have a much more positive experience.

Life, to me, in the most simple and pragmatic way of looking at it, is about trying new things to understand what things make you happy. Then finding ways to do those things more often.

Having a sense of purpose in life is important too, and often if you focus on making someone else smile or laugh, even if only for a bit, your own problems can become less difficult to manage.

Yep these are the type of things i was getting at, good work for unscrambling my post.. im gunna try that sort of force happyness thing tomorrow and see how it goes! Will report back

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

You ever find if you overthink it all and like you wonder what is “happy” as in like whats your set point... if that makes sense?

Like are you supposed to wake up happy and be happy all day as normal? Or are you ment to be sorta nuetral and then have moments of both happy sad etc?bit of a ramble just wondering anyone can make sense of it

I feel as though my set point is just like nothing.. im not ded sad but im wondering should i be happy which in turn can make me think abit sad..

Proper ramble forgive me just thinking out loud!

I think this is a bi-product of the social media generation: The idea that you should be extremely happy and “living life to the full” all the time.

I think your explanation is spot on - The default setting is neutral and your experiences day to day will determine which side of that your moods fall.

All I would say is that we should obviously hang onto the happy stuff and let the bad stuff roll off us ASAP. We learn and adapt like all other creatures - Stick to what makes you happy as best you can. I’ll still have a gob like a robber’s dog when my alarm goes off, though.

 

[YoboCopter]

I think this is a bi-product of the social media generation: The idea that you should be extremely happy and “living life to the full” all the time.

I think your explanation is spot on - The default setting is neutral and your experiences day to day will determine which side of that your moods fall.

All I would say is that we should obviously hang onto the happy stuff and let the bad stuff roll off us ASAP. We learn and adapt like all other creatures - Stick to what makes you happy as best you can. I’ll still have a gob like a robber’s dog when my alarm goes off, though.

Yep true that, and youve raised another good point.. social media.. thats another thing that can hugely effect your mood!

I went without for ages must admitt i was alot happier and carefree, but thinking back dont no what i done instead.. id like to delete it now thinking about it.. but does have some benifits

 

[Deleted member 38674]

Yep these are the type of things i was getting at, good work for unscrambling my post.. im gunna try that sort of force happyness thing tomorrow and see how it goes! Will report back

Good stuff mate, look forward to hearing how you get on. When I say “force” it, I don’t mean stick a coathanger in your mouth all day and be fake either. I’m sure you got that.

It’s more the little things that you wouldn’t think might make that much of a difference. For example, make a point of smiling at the 1st person you interact with, maybe pay them a compliment if the opportunity presents itself, or ask them a question about their plans, anything their struggling with that you can help with?

Loads of ancient cultures talk about karma and “good energies” and you might find that this random, kind, totally selfless communication (especially if continued regularly) will prompt more positive, kind stuff coming back your way too. Obviously you don’t do it for that to begin with, it’s just a natural by-product. It’s nice to be nice and it’s always good to help others and see them genuinely appreciate you going out your way.

Just be as enthusiastic as you can be always, especially at work. I’m naturally a glass half-empty sort of bloke so I find it hard not to be “a blocker” or someone who finds reasons stuff won’t work rather than focuses on the reasons that they will. But I really try not to be. Ultimately, even though incessant optimism can grind on people, there is nothing worse than a neggy nelly who brings everyone down by saying how rubbish everything is and how it’s all destined to fail.

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

Yep true that, and youve raised another good point.. social media.. thats another thing that can hugely effect your mood!

I went without for ages must admitt i was alot happier and carefree, but thinking back dont no what i done instead.. id like to delete it now thinking about it.. but does have some benifits

One night, a few years ago, my missus was asleep so I thought I’d get stuck into a book I was really enjoying at the time - The Stand by Stephen King, if I remember rightly - but first I’d just have a quick scroll through Facebook; 45 mins later my eyes were too tired from FB to read my book and more or less every post I’d seen made me angry in some way or another.

Right then I deleted my FB account and I have never had the slightest regret. Twitter followed a few months later.

Long story short: Do it.

 

[YoboCopter]

One night, a few years ago, my missus was asleep so I thought I’d get stuck into a book I was really enjoying at the time - The Stand by Stephen King, if I remember rightly - but first I’d just have a quick scroll through Facebook; 45 mins later my eyes were too tired from FB to read my book and more or less every post I’d seen made me angry in some way or another.

Right then I deleted my FB account and I have never had the slightest regret. Twitter followed a few months later.

Long story short: Do it.

Done fb about 8 years ago, same with twitter, but do use instagram and snapchat.

I no it makes sense but i also feel like ad be missing out but its stupid even me saying that because when i deleted instagram i felt so much better..

Decisons to be made haha

 

[tommytowne]

Patient health questionnaire

The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) is an easy-to-use patient questionnaire for screening, diagnosing, monitoring and measuring the severity of depression.

patient.info

Just thought I'd share the link to the PHQ-9. As you quite rightly said, It's an interesting test but it's clearly not infallible.

Although i'm fairly stressed with the wedding and the business at the moment, I got a score of 15/27 which would place me in the 'Moderately Severe Depression' category.

I have my first counselling session on Monday but over the telephone which is standard practice for those like me who are not at crisis level.
I have the aforementioned forms which I am to answer at the session.
After a bit of thought I have begun to take the Sertraline prescribed to me, and a month into the course I think they're doing their job. Thanks to all those who encouraged me to do so.

 

[anjelikaferrett]

You ever find if you overthink it all and like you wonder what is “happy” as in like whats your set point... if that makes sense?

Like are you supposed to wake up happy and be happy all day as normal? Or are you ment to be sorta nuetral and then have moments of both happy sad etc?bit of a ramble just wondering anyone can make sense of it

I feel as though my set point is just like nothing.. im not ded sad but im wondering should i be happy which in turn can make me think abit sad..

Proper ramble forgive me just thinking out loud!

I think people have different "set points" Some people I know are miserable gits - without any associated mental illness. They just have a very negative attitude. If you gave them a Ferrari ( or dream car of choice) they would moan that it was the wrong colour. Other people are more positive. I'm mostly a happy person, and as a previous poster said, people respond to it. However that does not mean that there are not days when I wake up and think "oh **** off, leave me alone, I don't want to talk to anybody today" - for no discernible reason. It's probably one of the things that makes us, as a species,so very complex.

 

[YoboCopter]

I think people have different "set points" Some people I know are miserable gits - without any associated mental illness. They just have a very negative attitude. If you gave them a Ferrari ( or dream car of choice) they would moan that it was the wrong colour. Other people are more positive. I'm mostly a happy person, and as a previous poster said, people respond to it. However that does not mean that there are not days when I wake up and think "oh **** off, leave me alone, I don't want to talk to anybody today" - for no discernible reason. It's probably one of the things that makes us, as a species,so very complex.

But what even makes it stranger.. the type who are “ happy go lucky” and “cheerful” etc etc are the ones who you find kill them selves etc.. at least in my experince

 

[Deleted member 28206]

It's common sense (to me) at least! That stuff like Facebook/Instagram, the sort of 'highlight' reel of someones life often shows the great, happy stuff. The millennials post their new cars, the baby boomers post their new homes, and the miseries like me, simply delete it cos its not for me. I don't like sharing my life with people -- particularly in a way like Facebook has curated. Instagram is soft porn, and adverts -- that's all I see it as, both of which will have a detrimental effect on your view of stuff.

I always tell people to delete these apps, and stay away from them. If you simply can't please do delete them after you use them and redownload them. They are responsible for some much data collection on your devices, including location and habits associated with your device usage which will and is used against you.

I mentioned this before, but if you get time please do watch this when it comes out.

 

[Deleted member 38674]

But what even makes it stranger.. the type who are “ happy go lucky” and “cheerful” etc etc are the ones who you find kill them selves etc.. at least in my experince

You can be (and frequently are) disappointed if you’re happy, positive and enthusiastic. A glass half full person. As a consequence, you take a lot of knocks. You fall harder when things fail to work out because you’ve built them up and prepared for the best day outcome.

If you’re a glass half-empty person, less enthusastic, perhaps a bit of a cynic, you’ll still take knocks but the impact won’t be felt anywhere near as hard because you’re half-expecting things to go wrong and generally prepare for negativity.

I firmly believe that thinking positively breeds positive results and will lead to fewer knocks. Alternatively, some people go through life expecting the worst, because then you’re never disappointed, shielding yourself from pain.

Positive thinking makes the highs higher and the lows lower. Negative thinking smooths the whole ride out, the lows won’t be as bad, but the joy will be stifled too.

 

[dwightschrute]

You ever find if you overthink it all and like you wonder what is “happy” as in like whats your set point... if that makes sense?

Like are you supposed to wake up happy and be happy all day as normal? Or are you ment to be sorta nuetral and then have moments of both happy sad etc?bit of a ramble just wondering anyone can make sense of it

I feel as though my set point is just like nothing.. im not ded sad but im wondering should i be happy which in turn can make me think abit sad..

Proper ramble forgive me just thinking out loud!

Read Albert Camus - The Myth of Sisyphus. Camus/Satre's existentialism and theory of the meaningless of life (the Absurd) is literally life changing