Mental Illness

[danzvtil]

I feel that as a nation we at a tipping point in awareness of mental illness and the ability to openly talk about it in the workplace, at the pub or where ever.
My moment of realization was years ago when Jeff Kennett became the spokes person for Beyond Blue. This pig headed, face only a mother could love ex politician, blokes bloke was on the teev and radio talking about mental health!
Now we are talking about it here without judgement, sharing experiences letting our friends know who are at the end of their wits that there IS light at the end of the tunnel and it is achievable.
We are all part of the much needed culture change!

[BHDOGS]

Having been through all this business myself i take the get over it you big girl approach with it and it works excellently for me my partner telling me to man up and get up move over snap out of it being a mean ***** really gets me reved up and back on track doesnt work for everyone but thats what gets me moving.

[sr71]

Well done to the OP for getting this going. And A BIG THANK YOU to all Posters ( in a short period). This topic needs to be talked about.
Many people get the 'Blues', but when it all turns BLACK, it's a different existence .
Many triggers to feeling down are from '1st World problems'. Sometimes this equation needs to be applied:
HAPPINESS =SATISFACTION/DESIRE
But other support is really needed:
Good eating , vitamins ( iron, Multi etc )
Get of the substances ( alcohol, drugs )
Support person/s ( partner, family, friend, Doctor)

Good luck to you, if you are in a Dark place right now. YOU CAN MAKE IT BETTER!

[Crazy Dazz]

It needs to be understood that Depression is simply a symptom, and often nobody knows what the underlying cause is. The Brain is obviously a wonderfully complicated organ, so no surprise that mental illness is hard to pin down. The drugs of choice are Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors. Basically these are a stable way of boosting Serotonin levels. They make the depression easier to live with, and perhaps help me think a bit more clearly, but they are far from a cure.

I love my kids, they are the only thing that keeps me alive.
But life itself is just pain. I KNOW that things are not that bad, but nevertheless that is how I experience life.

I have Bipolar type 2, and the roller-coaster is exhausting. I don't want to hurt my kids, otherwise I would have ended it long ago.

[zilo]

My advice is if you have any tendency towards depression then stay off the internet.

Facebook, forums blah blah all the same.

It's full of nasty antagonistic anonymous types who bully others and seek to elevate themselves at the expense of others.

[Lotte]

Originally Posted by zilo

My advice is if you have any tendency towards depression then stay off the internet.

Facebook, forums blah blah all the same.

It's full of nasty antagonistic anonymous types who bully others and seek to elevate themselves at the expense of others.

It's also full of people who've been there and support forums for people in your situation.

[Lotte]

This is also worth a read. Far more eloquently put than I can manage with a fogged out brain.

http://popchassid.com/robin-williams-didnt-kill/

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by Spudz27

One of the biggest probs in my relationship is my mrs lack of understanding.... If I am down or moping etc, she just tells me to get over it or see someone.

This. I do have a mild case of depression and when Im down (which seems to be daily at the moment) and she says whats wrong and I can't tell her whats wrong cause I don't know she says well bloody get over it and cut it out. This reaction usually makes it worse and I feel like lashing out.

Originally Posted by DASH GT

It usually starts with feeling low about something, whether its the loss of a loved one, or inner problems with ones self (feeling of under achievement, failure etc which can be caused by a number of things).

This is the trigger for me bolded everytime guaranteed. The other trigger is when my son to me doesn't listen to what I'm saying to him.

The only thing that would make me happy right now is if I didnt have any responsibilities or things to do, that I can just sit at home at play a video game for an extended amount of time so I can relax.

EDIT - See semi-rage post below, another trigger for me, people who just don't get it.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by mr smith

Post deleted

You are ONE person who would not understand what depressed people think.

The full fact is they don't. Whatever happens, happens.

I suggest you go and look up depression on Google and find out for yourself what happens.

[Nova 8]

Using any reasoning to warrent destroying someone else's life is ridiculous, defending someone who did or tried to do the same is terrible. If he can drive a car into a truck he can drive a car to the doctors. This is why I keep saying people who are suffering or suffered from depression have to change their tone from "it's hard" to "seeking help makes it easier". NO ONE has the right to destroy someone else's life, their family, their kids... Mental illness or not!

All people suffering in silence from what ever issue need to hear that help helps, not told constantly that it's hard and kept down trodden.

[ridzilla]

everyone should have a read of this
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katie-...b_5672519.html

[Nova 8]

Rapid_axe maybe you should at least discuss it with your misses, it's obviously eating at you that you can't. Maybe try it in the company of a trained professional, again seeking help is what's important, from doctors and from loved ones.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Nova 8

Using any reasoning to warrent destroying someone else's life is ridiculous, defending someone who did or tried to do the same is terrible. If he can drive a car into a truck he can drive a car to the doctors. This is why I keep saying people who are suffering or suffered from depression have to change their tone from "it's hard" to "seeking help makes it easier". NO ONE has the right to destroy someone else's life, their family, their kids... Mental illness or not!

All people suffering in silence from what ever issue need to hear that help helps, not told constantly that it's hard and kept down trodden.

Man if only it was a simple as driving to the doctor.

Doctors cant fix depression overnight, its not a simple lets stroll down to the doctor, pop some pills and feel better tomorrow scenario.

I think all this talk about the S word is better left away from this forum. As I said in my earlier post if someone needs a chat send me a pm.

[BLUEYBA]

Originally Posted by Nova 8

Using any reasoning to warrent destroying someone else's life is ridiculous, defending someone who did or tried to do the same is terrible. If he can drive a car into a truck he can drive a car to the doctors. This is why I keep saying people who are suffering or suffered from depression have to change their tone from "it's hard" to "seeking help makes it easier". NO ONE has the right to destroy someone else's life, their family, their kids... Mental illness or not!

All people suffering in silence from what ever issue need to hear that help helps, not told constantly that it's hard and kept down trodden.

When you have depression there is no future to you. There is no thinking about whats going to happen because all you want to do is stop the constant unbearable pain that is going through your whole body. Now I'm not saying its right to hurt others but you need to try and understand what is going through their heads. Obviously you are not thinking about others when you try to commit suicide as people wouldn't do it. Why would they want to logically hurt their own families and others. Depression doesn't let you think logically

[Mesa]

I was diagnosed with Major/Severe Depression 4 years ago. I was released by work basically because I was a danger to myself and potentially others. I get angry when trivial things go wrong, I'm indifferent, I spend days on the lounge not wanting to move, I hate people anywhere near me most of time, I want to sleep and when I do I can't stay asleep. and the worst part is loss of memory. I barely keep in contact with family and have driven one daughter away. My wife has been very supportive so I'm lucky to have someone there. At my worst I would spend hours planning suicide. I had two attempts. Sometimes I would drive to work and work on how to flick the wheel far enough to hit the tag wheels of an approaching truck in the 100K zone near work. I tried the wrist route. The last attempt was to neck myself at work, since work has paramedics. The plan was to arrive early, ring and tell them there was a body in the compressor room then go out and hang myself so none of my work mates would find the body. I was in the process of making the call when one of my workmates turned up early and wandered into the office (the one and only time he did). Later that day my boss and him had a closed door meeting with me to try and find out what was going on since my mood had changed markedly over the last few months. I told them I was fine. My boss told my to take a break for an hour. So on my way to the shop I passed the medical centre. Since one of my subordinates managed to scam two weeks off for stress leave, I thought I'd try the same. I was admitted to hospital less than a few hours later.... The strange thing about the mood I was in when planning or carrying it out was a feeling of just that it's my time to leave. I wasn't sad, depressed or angry.
I was finally diagnosed a couple of weeks later and given time off. Treating doctors decided that me returning to work anytime soon might not be a good idea, so I was formally medically released from work.
I have a claim in for compensation which we've been fighting since 2011. Work agrees that what chemicals I used are well known to cause depression, and that the protective systems in place did not work (workshop was shut down by COMCARE after my claim went in for failing to comply to any standard) but it's up to me to prove that those chemicals are responsible for my condition. This alone makes things worse but hopefully, hopefully this will all be over in a fortnight when we go to mediation.
I wish there was a cure for it. I'm on a crap load of medication, none of which seems to make a lick of difference. I'm often in and out of hospital changing medications, a place I can't stand. In fact I'm supposed to have been re-admitted a month ago but can't see the point. If someone knows how to to be rid of this curse, please let me know.

[Nova 8]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Man if only it was a simple as driving to the doctor.

Doctors cant fix depression overnight, its not a simple lets stroll down to the doctor, pop some pills and feel better tomorrow scenario.

I think all this talk about the S word is better left away from this forum. As I said in my earlier post if someone needs a chat send me a pm.

I know too well it's a long drawn out process but every step in the right direction is a good step. Maybe you won't get pills off the doctor but merely discuss your current situation which will help ease some of the problems of the day, helping you get to the next.

As for not discussing suicide, it a real thing and effects people every day. Why not discuss it, it's not some dirty little secret. If people can't discuss it on a forum where they have no real identity how are they ment to have the conversation with families or medical professionals. Making suicide or depression a taboo subject in any way is terrible. Just read that last link, it's written in there.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Nova 8

I know too well it's a long drawn out process but every step in the right direction is a good step. Maybe you won't get pills off the doctor but merely discuss your current situation which will help ease some of the problems of the day, helping you get to the next.

As for not discussing suicide, it a real thing and effects people every day. Why not discuss it, it's not some dirty little secret. If people can't discuss it on a forum where they have no real identity how are they ment to have the conversation with families or medical professionals. Making suicide or depression a taboo subject in any way is terrible. Just read that last link, it's written in there.

My concern is that people shouldn't be giving advice when they are not trained or qualified to do so. Not saying that is you in this instance. The other issue is giving people ideas on how to suicide, that is why the media do not report on it because the flow on effect can be not so good.

[Nova 8]

Originally Posted by BLUEYBA

When you have depression there is no future to you. There is no thinking about whats going to happen because all you want to do is stop the constant unbearable pain that is going through your whole body. Now I'm not saying its right to hurt others but you need to try and understand what is going through their heads. Obviously you are not thinking about others when you try to commit suicide as people wouldn't do it. Why would they want to logically hurt their own families and others. Depression doesn't let you think logically

It doesn't matter, making excuses for people to harm others even if they have mental illness is highly inappropriate. People say not to judge cause those without it can't possibly understand, if you crash your car into someone and kill them and happen to survive you will be judged. By your peers in the courts, making excuses is inexcusable. Are the criminally insane allowed to kill cause they have a mental illness, pedophiles allowed to do it if they don't understand their actions. It's no difference, no one should harm someone else and ruin their life.

I'm not some arrogant ******** just saying buck up, I'm saying seek help and it's never ok to even make an arguement for destroying someone else's life while you off yourself.

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Nova 8

It doesn't matter, making excuses for people to harm others even if they have mental illness is highly inappropriate. People say not to judge cause those without it can't possibly understand, if you crash your car into someone and kill them and happen to survive you will be judged. By your peers in the courts, making excuses is inexcusable. Are the criminally insane allowed to kill cause they have a mental illness, pedophiles allowed to do it if they don't understand their actions. It's no difference, no one should harm someone else and ruin their life.

I'm not some arrogant ******** just saying buck up, I'm saying seek help and it's never ok to even make an arguement for destroying someone else's life while you off yourself.

You have said enough.

Your comments have the potential to upset people.

[Nova 8]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

You have said enough.

Your comments have the potential to upset people.

Just like your comments can make people feel alone like they can approach anyone cause it's a taboo subject, two sides to every coin.

[Smoke Pursuit]

No. I have told people to go see a doctor. If thats not possible then join this forum where you can get help from trained professionals, that wont judge you.

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/

[Nova 8]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

No. I have told people to go see a doctor. If thats not possible then join this forum where you can get help from trained professionals, that wont judge you.

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/

I completely agree and forums dedicated to the cause is a great way for those confined to their house to start to venture and and seek help. Like I keep saying the most import thing is to seek help, start the long road. However we live in a society of rules and considering this is a car forum discussing the implications of murder using a car is completely applicable, mental illness or not.

If you are feeling depressed seek help before you reach the point of no return, life can get better.

[Lotte]

Originally Posted by Nova 8

Using any reasoning to warrent destroying someone else's life is ridiculous, defending someone who did or tried to do the same is terrible. If he can drive a car into a truck he can drive a car to the doctors. This is why I keep saying people who are suffering or suffered from depression have to change their tone from "it's hard" to "seeking help makes it easier".

It's really easy to just go get chemo and still live life.
It's really easy to have Parkinson's disease, just get help and it won't interfere in any way.
Multiple sclerosis? Just manage it, and live with the fact you have to change.

It's an illness. When you're at that point, that's your final option. There is nothing else. There is no hope. And if you survive, you can crawl out of that hole. But you'll always remember the time in your life when there was no other option than taking your own life.

Originally Posted by Nova 8

NO ONE has the right to destroy someone else's life, their family, their kids... Mental illness or not!

Nobody is saying that at all. All that's being said is your indignance that people have a choice when they reach that point is appalling.

Originally Posted by Nova 8

All people suffering in silence from what ever issue need to hear that help helps, not told constantly that it's hard and kept down trodden.

Yes, they do - but you're not helping, you're just blaming sufferers. And you don't even realise it.

[BLUEYBA]

Originally Posted by Nova 8

It doesn't matter, making excuses for people to harm others even if they have mental illness is highly inappropriate. People say not to judge cause those without it can't possibly understand, if you crash your car into someone and kill them and happen to survive you will be judged. By your peers in the courts, making excuses is inexcusable. Are the criminally insane allowed to kill cause they have a mental illness, pedophiles allowed to do it if they don't understand their actions. It's no difference, no one should harm someone else and ruin their life.

I'm not some arrogant ******** just saying buck up, I'm saying seek help and it's never ok to even make an arguement for destroying someone else's life while you off yourself.

i'm not having a go at you, so please don't take it that way. not making excuses for people i'm just trying explain thing through the eyes of a person with depression thats all. Like i said it not right but if we can understand how they are thinking then we can better help them
again I'm in no way having a go at you

[BLUEYBA]

Originally Posted by BluFGXR6

I was diagnosed with Major/Severe Depression 4 years ago. I was released by work basically because I was a danger to myself and potentially others. I get angry when trivial things go wrong, I'm indifferent, I spend days on the lounge not wanting to move, I hate people anywhere near me most of time, I want to sleep and when I do I can't stay asleep. and the worst part is loss of memory. I barely keep in contact with family and have driven one daughter away. My wife has been very supportive so I'm lucky to have someone there. At my worst I would spend hours planning suicide. I had two attempts. Sometimes I would drive to work and work on how to flick the wheel far enough to hit the tag wheels of an approaching truck in the 100K zone near work. I tried the wrist route. The last attempt was to neck myself at work, since work has paramedics. The plan was to arrive early, ring and tell them there was a body in the compressor room then go out and hang myself so none of my work mates would find the body. I was in the process of making the call when one of my workmates turned up early and wandered into the office (the one and only time he did). Later that day my boss and him had a closed door meeting with me to try and find out what was going on since my mood had changed markedly over the last few months. I told them I was fine. My boss told my to take a break for an hour. So on my way to the shop I passed the medical centre. Since one of my subordinates managed to scam two weeks off for stress leave, I thought I'd try the same. I was admitted to hospital less than a few hours later.... The strange thing about the mood I was in when planning or carrying it out was a feeling of just that it's my time to leave. I wasn't sad, depressed or angry.
I was finally diagnosed a couple of weeks later and given time off. Treating doctors decided that me returning to work anytime soon might not be a good idea, so I was formally medically released from work.
I have a claim in for compensation which we've been fighting since 2011. Work agrees that what chemicals I used are well known to cause depression, and that the protective systems in place did not work (workshop was shut down by COMCARE after my claim went in for failing to comply to any standard) but it's up to me to prove that those chemicals are responsible for my condition. This alone makes things worse but hopefully, hopefully this will all be over in a fortnight when we go to mediation.
I wish there was a cure for it. I'm on a crap load of medication, none of which seems to make a lick of difference. I'm often in and out of hospital changing medications, a place I can't stand. In fact I'm supposed to have been re-admitted a month ago but can't see the point. If someone knows how to to be rid of this curse, please let me know.

I wish I could give you the answer. Still trying to find it myself. I'm on medication and it helps me live a normal life. Its taken me a long time to get to where i am with ups and alot more downs. I know its difficult but you need to keep seeing psychiatrist and psychologist and hopefully you will be able to find a way through where you can live normally.

[Lotte]

Originally Posted by BluFGXR6

I was diagnosed with Major/Severe Depression 4 years ago. I was released by work basically because I was a danger to myself and potentially others. I get angry when trivial things go wrong, I'm indifferent, I spend days on the lounge not wanting to move, I hate people anywhere near me most of time, I want to sleep and when I do I can't stay asleep. and the worst part is loss of memory. I barely keep in contact with family and have driven one daughter away. My wife has been very supportive so I'm lucky to have someone there. At my worst I would spend hours planning suicide. I had two attempts. Sometimes I would drive to work and work on how to flick the wheel far enough to hit the tag wheels of an approaching truck in the 100K zone near work. I tried the wrist route. The last attempt was to neck myself at work, since work has paramedics. The plan was to arrive early, ring and tell them there was a body in the compressor room then go out and hang myself so none of my work mates would find the body. I was in the process of making the call when one of my workmates turned up early and wandered into the office (the one and only time he did). Later that day my boss and him had a closed door meeting with me to try and find out what was going on since my mood had changed markedly over the last few months. I told them I was fine. My boss told my to take a break for an hour. So on my way to the shop I passed the medical centre. Since one of my subordinates managed to scam two weeks off for stress leave, I thought I'd try the same. I was admitted to hospital less than a few hours later.... The strange thing about the mood I was in when planning or carrying it out was a feeling of just that it's my time to leave. I wasn't sad, depressed or angry.
I was finally diagnosed a couple of weeks later and given time off. Treating doctors decided that me returning to work anytime soon might not be a good idea, so I was formally medically released from work.
I have a claim in for compensation which we've been fighting since 2011. Work agrees that what chemicals I used are well known to cause depression, and that the protective systems in place did not work (workshop was shut down by COMCARE after my claim went in for failing to comply to any standard) but it's up to me to prove that those chemicals are responsible for my condition. This alone makes things worse but hopefully, hopefully this will all be over in a fortnight when we go to mediation.
I wish there was a cure for it. I'm on a crap load of medication, none of which seems to make a lick of difference. I'm often in and out of hospital changing medications, a place I can't stand. In fact I'm supposed to have been re-admitted a month ago but can't see the point. If someone knows how to to be rid of this curse, please let me know.

Time. And if it has been caused by the chemicals, it will, unfortunately, be a lot longer, because there's no underlying psychological issues (unless there are that you haven't mentioned), that can be worked out with an appropriate psych.

I'd say once the claim is settled, life will get phenomenally easier, that ways on your mind more than anything. Then the next step is to find a couple of things that give you some relief (and no, I'm not talking about drugs or alcohol), hobbies are usually a good one.

Since my "depression" is a symptom of CFS and not a diagnosis, I find that when I get to that point, I'm already off work because I'm bed ridden. The first thing I aim to do is shower every day. Then I work up to shower + a bit of piano or guitar practice. Then Shower + music practice + a bit of reading. These are my main coping mechanisms, other than throwing screwed up bits of paper at the cats. I do have the option of medication for my specific depression, but I'd rather battle it without it.

For the sleep, try melatonin half an hour before bed. It helps me (you'd think someone who is tired all the time could sleep properly ), and if that doesn't then there's something I'm stewing over in my brain I'm not aware of and I have to then work that out.

As for your claim, surely if you don't have a history of depression yourself, and there's little to no history of it in your family, then that more or less is proof in and of itself. It's a really difficult process, and it sucks. Big time. But you'll get through it, you have someone there supporting you, which is a lot more than some people have these days.

[GasoLane]

This thread is already on thin Ice.
Can you please keep it to discussing the subject and not resort to derogatory or argumentative posts.

Think before you write, then re-read it before you post please.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by Nova 8

Rapid_axe maybe you should at least discuss it with your misses, it's obviously eating at you that you can't. Maybe try it in the company of a trained professional, again seeking help is what's important, from doctors and from loved ones.

Yes I did the doctor thing and was referred to a psych and I ended up two days out before going to him cancelling the whole appointment set cause I did not want to talk to a man about my issues. Don't ask me why, I just don't feel right talking to guys about my problems (or anything personal at all in fact).

I found a female not far from work and the first time I went I felt good cause alot of things that had happened to me I could talk about and get off my chest. The next two times I felt that I was rehashing old ground already covered and get a flippin move on so I stopped again after those visits (at $120 a pop)

[Smoke Pursuit]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Yes I did the doctor thing and was referred to a psych and I ended up two days out before going to him cancelling the whole appointment set cause I did not want to talk to a man about my issues. Don't ask me why, I just don't feel right talking to guys about my problems (or anything personal at all in fact).

I found a female not far from work and the first time I went I felt good cause alot of things that had happened to me I could talk about and get off my chest. The next two times I felt that I was rehashing old ground already covered and get a flippin move on so I stopped again after those visits (at $120 a pop)

You need to get onto a mental health care plan. Your GP will organise this. Should cut the cost in about half.

If you have private health i know of a good place in Brisbane to spend some time (if you can).

[Nova 8]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Yes I did the doctor thing and was referred to a psych and I ended up two days out before going to him cancelling the whole appointment set cause I did not want to talk to a man about my issues. Don't ask me why, I just don't feel right talking to guys about my problems (or anything personal at all in fact).

I found a female not far from work and the first time I went I felt good cause alot of things that had happened to me I could talk about and get off my chest. The next two times I felt that I was rehashing old ground already covered and get a flippin move on so I stopped again after those visits (at $120 a pop)

When I went with my x girlfriend she found the pace to be frustrating, the recap made her annoyed and then getting annoyed upset her which added to the cycle. I explained to the doc that she didn't like the slow pace and the recap from the last session. He seemed to speed up the rate of conversations and move from topic to topic quicker which really worked for her, also like you she wasn't comfortable with a person of her gender and felt better with a male. For most things they put you with a same sex doctor (not just mental health) but I myself would prefer a woman.