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 Elite Veteran
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| I have also suffered from depression and have found one of the biggest factors is to STAY AWAY FROM NEGATIVE PEOPLE!!!! Yes, if this means your mom, your best friend, your husband...DO IT! It is so hard to focus on what you need to to pull yourself up out of the downward spiral with someone else's negative weight on you. I can't believe for almost my entire childhood I was on a bunch of different drugs, legal and otherwise, cutting myself, or riding known dangerous horses half hoping they would kill me...and a lot of my issue was the way my family thought about everything.
Find the TINIEST thing that makes your day brighter, the weather, the sound of the wind in the trees, the way your new horse smells or likes to be brushed. And RIDE your horse. You will have to force yourself to, and force yourself to think of the good things, but eventually you can re-train yourself to be positive. Of course this doesn't mean you are "cured," something may happen that might pull you down again, but it will be easier to recognize and get assistance or roll with it. For me it was having a baby and some extremely painful complications following, along with the financial stress of having to move from the place where we had lived for 6 years in 2 months, find a place to board 3 horses that we could afford, keep our jobs, and care for the baby. There were days I wanted to kill myself from pain and stress...but I knew that it was temporary. Good luck, it can be a hard road.  | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| I've thought about you all day, I just wanted to check and see how you were doing? I will offer you my sympathy (as a person who suffers from depression, I know that is of little solice to you at this time). Just hoping you get to feeling better. | |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
 
Location: Arkansas | I just wondered how you were feeling tonight, and to let you know someone is thinking of you. Got those "new guy" pics yet?! | |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385
Location: TN | Thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement. I've been kinda late getting in the house the last several nights so sorry I haven't gotten back on. I don't have a current picture of my new horse yet but I'll try to get one. Some days are better than others at this point. Some days I'm fine, and the next I'm right back where I started. I'm just trying my best to take things day by day and deal with what's in front of me. I really appreciate your thoughts and concern | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
| Calangelo - 2015-06-24 8:31 AM
CrossCreek - 2015-06-23 10:23 PM angelica - 2015-06-23 3:47 PM I grew up in a home where both parents suffered from depression. My mom did not get up in the morning, my sister would tell me to get dressed. I caught the bus at 6:15 am from Kindergarten to 9th grade and not once did my mother ever get up. In the summer when I was home she wouldn't get up until 11:00 and would go back to bed at 1:30 until 4:00 then would get up tp cook and it was back to bed for the night. My dad was always depressed or drunk or both. I married a man that suffers depression and both his parents did too. Believe me now that I am 40 I can feel the years and years of being around depressed people starting to pull me down. Medication did nothing for the family members I have and I will NEVER take anything like that to me it is poison to the mind! I am sorry you feel the way you do but keep up the good work and ride that new horse everyday!! You are, of course, entitled to your opinion..."poison to the mind", huh? You are seriously uneducated about the medical nature of depression. Have you ever taken an aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol or perhaps an antibiotic like penicillin? No difference, hon...the brain can be unwell, too. People like you are what keeps people like me from seeking the help they need. I am sorry you got a poor lot in life...that does not change the FACT that depression is very often a treatable disease. You sound bitter and angry...maybe you need to talk to someone about YOUR situation. Help IS out there...
I totally agree with you. Â I've suffered from despression at varying degrees since I was a child. Â Not a lot of time to post this morning but I just want to say that I think you're right on. Â Depression is a MEDICAL problem, there's no shame in seeking treatment! Â People think nothing of taking meds for blood pressure, diabetes, migraines, etc... but there is such a stigma about mental illness and mood disorders that people are afraid to seek treatment. Â Anyway, preach it sista!
Angelica please read up on this. Depression is caused from a chemical imbalance in your brain. Can you physically tell your body to balance those chemicals to help you feel "normal"? No! I too suffer from depression and anxiety and didn't realize it until a few years ago and I can tell you one of the reasons for my anxiety and not wanting to get help is because of people with stigmas about depression and anxiety like you have. Do not put us/these people down. I can guarantee you don't go around saying things like this about people with diabetes because their body isn't balancing their sugars on their own. This is the same. Do not put people down when they are looking for ways to lift themselves up. | |
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Regular
Posts: 69
| I don't have any helpful advice i guess, but just wanted to share and let everyone know I appreciated reading their responses. I believe I have depression, and probably have had it for a long time. My parents both suffer from undiagnosed, but obvious, mental conditions. As a young child I was borderline 'tourettes' with nervous ticks that consisted of a snorting noise through my nose constantly, and always wiping at and touching my lips. That has mostly subsided unless in high stress situations or right before im about to barrel race. I still have other bad habits like biting my finger nails and picking the skin off my lips and fingers and feet. Which is hugely embarrassing but at this point, whatever. It is what it is. I have always had really high up days and really low low days but my depression and low days really have taken over with the break up of a long time boyfriend. The first several months I found myself bawling hysterically constantly and not eating for days. After the initial pain, i just could not seem to get myself up and going. Suddenly riding, which was always my passion, became a chore. I have to drag myself out of bed and find myself sleeping huge amounts of time. I know its not me and its very debilitating. I recently got medical insurance, finally, so hopefully I will be able to seek professional advice now. But in the meantime If anyone else has any other thoughts, love to hear. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316
| Dellas Speedy Devil - 2015-06-26 11:58 AM
Thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement. I've been kinda late getting in the house the last several nights so sorry I haven't gotten back on. I don't have a current picture of my new horse yet but I'll try to get one. Some days are better than others at this point. Some days I'm fine, and the next I'm right back where I started. I'm just trying my best to take things day by day and deal with what's in front of me. I really appreciate your thoughts and concern
Something that has helped my is to literally write in one sentence something that happened to me each day that is positive or a step in the right direction towards not depressed. I then stuff them in an envelope or a box and some days when it is the worst I grab a few random ones out and read it and it brings back the good memory. Can be as simple as getting some ice cream that day | |
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 Love Me Some Robert Redford
Posts: 2335
Location: WV | Bigfoot - 2015-06-23 5:59 PM
I'm a guy BTW. on serious subjects, I always feel the need to point that out. I don't know why. I'm 44, been depressed since I was 18. Never sought help, never will seek help. Definatly not going to take meds for it. I "self" diagnosed myself with OCD, about a year ago. Come to find out, it has many forms. I don't turn light switches on and off 40 times, but I do have what is known as ruminating thoughts. You might Google it. Somebody pushed me in that direction, and I'm convenced that what I have. I will get to thinking an event in my life. It might be an event, that seems quit ordinary to most people, but it will really get my attention. I will then dwell on it over and over again. For example------My mother had some harsh words for me other day about having my children work out in the heat. It upset me, because I thought she should mind her own business. I started thinking about it over and over again. I have to think about it, until it makes sense. After a while, I came to the logical conus ion she was just worried about them. Once it made sense, I could get off the wheel. Now-------If something happens that I just can't make sense of, we got trouble. I will dwell on it, until it has ran its course. It makes absolutely no sense at all to my wife (the only person I've ever told), but it makes perfect sense to me. She will say why think about something you can't change? That is great advice, I just can't ever get there. I have found some tips online, that help me move on. It may not be what's going on with you, but it helped me just knowing that's what I have. I would like to give you some examples of things that set me off, but it's a little embarrising.
I started having issues about 19 and I was under a lot of stress. It settled down and I went off meds then a year or two later I was under a good bit of stress also and it came back. Mine was more anxiety/panic but would go into depression after awhile. I was on one med for 7 years and it worked and one day it was like it stopped. Went threw a couple of meds and found one that works well for me now. Its been about 6yrs and I have been good but I am seeing some changes. I know myself pretty well and can tell what's going on. Some good therapy helped me along also. I get OCD with my anxiety. I also focus on things over and over and that might be all I think about. I try to keep myself busy, my mind moving and it helps. I'll have a flare up when I get under stress also. Recently my stepmom and dad moved away and my uncle that pretty much raised me was killed in a car wreck. All this happened close together and I know that's why I am having flare ups. I try to control it before we make medication changes but that may be coming soon. I understand what you are talking about and what everyone else is saying also. Sometimes it nice to hear we are not alone with our problems. Hugs to all of you!
Edited by mam0329 2015-06-26 3:55 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Tatum2 - 2015-06-26 12:59 PM Dellas Speedy Devil - 2015-06-26 11:58 AM Thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement. I've been kinda late getting in the house the last several nights so sorry I haven't gotten back on. I don't have a current picture of my new horse yet but I'll try to get one. Some days are better than others at this point. Some days I'm fine, and the next I'm right back where I started. I'm just trying my best to take things day by day and deal with what's in front of me. I really appreciate your thoughts and concern Something that has helped my is to literally write in one sentence something that happened to me each day that is positive or a step in the right direction towards not depressed. I then stuff them in an envelope or a box and some days when it is the worst I grab a few random ones out and read it and it brings back the good memory. Can be as simple as getting some ice cream that day
I do this as well!! I call it my "Blessing's Book."
My SO knows where I keep it. It has uplifting quotes, scripture, funny short stories that happened to me that day and just overall good things written in it. I have Fun memories my SO and I have shared and funny things all the kids around the farm say.
When I get really quiet and start going in to my shell or staring at a wall my SO will pull out my book from under the bed and ask me to read his favorite parts to him. (He was never taught to read properly and hates to read out loud.) It's his way of getting me to talk and to smile and laugh again. He usually leaves me alone with the book after a while and comes back later to see what I've found. My book so far has over 150 pages. Last year I only had 50 pages total. It's the best thing i've ever done, and telling my SO about it makes it that much more helpful.
Instead of sitting down and writing in it each day, I tape post it notes, napkins, and scribbles in it that i've writtien down during the day. I find it's easier to do that than to commit the time and effort to write most days.
Good luck to you. Hugs. | |
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  Rebel Without a Cause
Posts: 2758
Location: Adopt a homeless pet - www.petfinder.com! | Dellas Speedy Devil - 2015-06-26 11:58 AM Thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement. I've been kinda late getting in the house the last several nights so sorry I haven't gotten back on. I don't have a current picture of my new horse yet but I'll try to get one. Some days are better than others at this point. Some days I'm fine, and the next I'm right back where I started. I'm just trying my best to take things day by day and deal with what's in front of me. I really appreciate your thoughts and concern
This book was recommended to me several years ago by a therapist and I use it as a go-to source whenever I'm feeling out of sorts and having the feelings I get when my depression is worse. It's not meant to be a "cure" by any means, but it has helpful tips and reinforces the management techniques you learn in therapy. I highly recommend it. http://www.amazon.com/Best-Ever-Depression-Management-Techniques-Understanding/dp/039370629X | |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Nicole.Noelle - 2015-06-26 12:55 PM
I don't have any helpful advice i guess, but just wanted to share and let everyone know I appreciated reading their responses. I believe I have depression, and probably have had it for a long time. My parents both suffer from undiagnosed, but obvious, mental conditions. As a young child I was borderline 'tourettes' with nervous ticks that consisted of a snorting noise through my nose constantly, and always wiping at and touching my lips. That has mostly subsided unless in high stress situations or right before im about to barrel race. I still have other bad habits like biting my finger nails and picking the skin off my lips and fingers and feet. Which is hugely embarrassing but at this point, whatever. It is what it is. I have always had really high up days and really low low days but my depression and low days really have taken over with the break up of a long time boyfriend. The first several months I found myself bawling hysterically constantly and not eating for days. After the initial pain, i just could not seem to get myself up and going. Suddenly riding, which was always my passion, became a chore. I have to drag myself out of bed and find myself sleeping huge amounts of time. I know its not me and its very debilitating. I recently got medical insurance, finally, so hopefully I will be able to seek professional advice now. But in the meantime If anyone else has any other thoughts, love to hear.
Know that you've now been added to the prayers on this thread. | |
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