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In reply to the discussion: I no longer use antidepressants. [View all]sibelian
(7,804 posts)103. Hi chisolmtraildem
Well, I had a think.
Several things can contribute to prolonged situational depression. Stressful jobs, stressful personal circumstances, all sorts of things.
Very often prolonged situation depression can manifest by stealth. If one's life contains few opportunities for happiness then the difficulties life throws at you aren't "balanced out", so to speak. A long time of unpleasant, grinding, psychologically challenging circumstances can be just as damaging as the short, sharp shock of the loss of someone close to you. One of the worst things about it is that everything seems normal, or at least one tends to pay attention to those close to you that would like you t think it's normal for their own reasons. If there's nothing concrete and material to lift your mood, like seeing friends or having something that you want to do that rewards you emotionally, well, it's as if you run out of something. There's a level of emotional resilience required to deal with ordinary events that seems to become... thin. And if it goes on and on and on.... well, your thoughts can end up becoming quite distorted.
We are told to have our own opinions about the world around us - we don't often do this. Actually we allow the world to mould us without knowing it. If we end up in personal circumstances that are detrimental to our emotional well-being without realising it, I'd say depression is very likely, perhaps inevitable. It's the not really knowing that you're cooperating with emotional structures that are slowly damaging you that causes the problem. If you lack faith in your own judgement of relationships with people, you could be in big trouble quickly.
We are told to face our challenges in life and the result of this is that we tend to treat bad feelings as though they are hurdles to overcome. One of the things that freed me from the impossibility of this was realising that I didn't need to overcome challenges I needed to *feel good*. That took a while to sink in...
It's particularly awkward trying to find your way through the labyrinth of other people's ideas about you (which can become a VERY important factor in depression) if you have screwy ideas about yourself in the first place. Looking back on my own life I have to say I have been told an absolutely enormous number of things by other people, with great earnestness, about what kind of guy I am. I'm a slightly unusual person, so I've attracted a lot of attention. Many of the observations directly contradict each other!
These are just some observations...
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You did the right thing. A youthful outlook comes from the ignorance and inexperience of
Squinch
Dec 2012
#4
Thank you pecwae... and it may interest you to know that this whole process started with yoga...
sibelian
Dec 2012
#59
"a dedication to difficult but worthwhile things for very little reward" = indeed. the scars are
HiPointDem
Dec 2012
#68
As I have gotten older and reflected more, I came to the understanding of who I am vs. what I want
Dustlawyer
Dec 2012
#89
Well I'm doing okay... I'm not necessarily advocating my experience as a panacea...
sibelian
Dec 2012
#65
"Do not encourage mentally ill people to stop appropriate treatment." The poster didn't. Quite
HiPointDem
Dec 2012
#70
you might find this video of a former pharmaceutical representative interesting
green for victory
Dec 2012
#38
interesting that you were prescribed ssri's as a sleep aid. what was the medical rationale for
HiPointDem
Jan 2013
#93
Ha! Of course not, sibelian. Please have a fun and safe trip =) ! Oh, and happy new year! eom
ChisolmTrailDem
Dec 2012
#87
Addendum: the gene sapolsky talks about at the end is 5-htt. after more research it turns
HiPointDem
Jan 2013
#96