DEPRESSION

[Hysteresis]

I have no doubt there are many on this forum who suffer this debilitating condition. I fortunately do not but my son does and it is ruining his life.
I have never really understood depression and what it does to someone who does. I was forwarded this YouTube clip which has made me appreciate the horrors of the condition. It has helped me appreciate the problem although I will never understand it.
I would strongly advice anyone suffering from Depression or know someone close to you who does to watch this clip over and over again. It has helped me enormously in coping with my sons problems and it has also helped my son understand what is happening to him .
This is a serious posting which I have no doubt will help many people facing Depression, so please no silly unhelpful postings, this is a very serious health issue.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiCrniLQGYc

 

[longdogs]

An excellent description of what depression feels like. I'm sure that the majority of people can identify with some, if not all of the points in the video. And, of course the one thing that people with depression are good at is covering it up, so they are hard to spot sometimes.

I hope your son manages to pull out of it soon. I am assuming that he takes some kind of medication for the condition.

 

[Hysteresis]

Thanks Squeaky for your thoughts regarding my son.
He tried Medication 6 months ago but the side effects where horrific, so he came of it and has since tried to cope with it. He did for a few months and now has slipped back into full depression. We are to seek Psychotherapy privately to try and tame 'The Black Dog', but the best we can hope is that it is tamed, as a cure is not an option.
Thanks for you thoughts

 

[LastMagicBean]

People who haven't suffered from it will never understand it.

Horrific is an understatement.
I found that you never really get over it, you just try to learn to cope.

My very best wishes to your son.

 

[Daz66]

My other half suffers terribly with depression, post natal and generally.

When she had our last two kids she suffered a complete breakdown, the first time for nearly 6 weeks the second for only a few days until the medication took over.

However even now 21 months after the birth she feels terrible and nothing she does affects how she feels.

She doesn't sleep well has violent mood swings and can be rather a handful at times but no-one ever sees this side of her, just me and the kids.

I know what your going through, we have been together for nearly 11 yrs, but keep the faith that some days are better than others and when these good days become closer together then there is hope for a recovery.

Best wishes.

 

[conny]

Hysteresis, sorry to hear about your son but pleased you want to try and help/understand him.

The video is an excellent way of trying to get others to understand how you are feeling, especially those of us who have been fortunate not to feel this way.

All you can do is be there for him with love and understanding. It may not be curable but, as the video shows, it can be manageable.

Good luck and keep us up to date occasionally.

 

[Hysteresis]

Thanks everyone, for your thoughts.
I only hope the video helps some unfortunate individuals who suffer the condition or suffers it with a close friend or relative.
It did wonders for my understanding of it, and why the advice from so many are statements like 'Pull yourself together, what is the matter with you?" are counterproductive in the extreme.

 

[tony1851]

no-one ever sees this side of her, just me and the kids.

How come?

 

[masona]

I have no doubt there are many on this forum who suffer this debilitating condition. I fortunately do not but my son does and it is ruining his life.
I have never really understood depression and what it does to someone who does.

I'm sorry to hear this, my father also suffered from deep depression during my childhood so I fully understand, this effected me because of his depression. It is a treatable health condition, sometimes your son may need a lifestyle changes which can help depression from coming back. The problem with men they find it hard to talk about their feelings whereas Women talk more than men do about their feelings. If you can, try and get him to open up and talk about his feelings that had been bothering him

 

[Hysteresis]

no-one ever sees this side of her, just me and the kids.

How come?

Clearly Tony you don't appreciate what depression does to a person suffering from it. They develop tactics for hiding the symptoms and inexplicably verbally snap at those most close to them and loved by them. Watch the Video and it tells you this. I have no doubt Daz's wife covers up her depression and takes it out on her loved ones. This depression is a hideous state of mind and only realy appreciated by the sufferers or close friends non of whom understand it.

 

[masona]

It did wonders for my understanding of it, and why the advice from so many are statements like 'Pull yourself together, what is the matter with you?" are counterproductive in the extreme.

I'm afraid that's life, they're cruel people that have no understanding whatsoever about depression, I always tell them, what goes around comes around

 

[tony1851]

[]

Clearly Tony you don't appreciate what depression does to a person suffering from it.

Please be assured that I do.

 

[Hysteresis]

Thanks Masona. We are doing that, but as you say the Macho image makes it difficult. He is starting to talk about it but the condition has been developing for about 20 years and may be a development of Bacterial Meningitis which he suffered whilst at University 20 years ago. We have been concerned for a long time about some weird reactions he has displayed, but it all came to a head when he suffered a Nervous Breakdown earlier this year.
We are working hard with him to open up and are seeing a Neurologist and then investigating Psychoanalysis. But to be honest we just do not know which is the right direction to follow.

 

[masona]

I have a friend who suffering from post natal depression and yet she's normal to everyone apart from her husband,
it's the same with wife or husband abused which they keep quite about it

 

[Hysteresis]

Sorry Tony, I have misunderstood.
I thought you would have recognised the covering up depressives learn to do and their uncontrolled reactions to their loved ones.