the_alchemyst Posted June 19, 2006 Posted June 19, 2006 Is it really depression? I was thinking about stuff a little while ago, maybe way more than I should, and I started to think about post-break up depression. In a gist, when one is depressed, all motivation for everything is temporarily (at least, until treated) lost. One simply doesn't want to do anything--not even things one previously enjoyed doing because all motivation to get up and do them is simply absent. It's as if all you wanted to do was sleep, sleep, sleep, and do nothing. I find this to be very similar during the post-break up period. For example, suppose one has been with X person a year, and they break up with us: we (usually) become extremely sad, lose all drive and motivation to do many, if not all, things, acquire odd eating and sleeping patters, and so on. After a while, though, once one begin to heal, slowly but surely things begin to fall into place without the need for medication. There are some instances, though, where the person simply does not seem to progress "normaly," be it because they remain stuck in the grieving period far too long to be healty or because they take it as though the loss of their loved one means there's no further reason to keep on living. At this point, many would say that that person is no longer in the "depression/grieving" stage, which fades with time, but is actually clinically depressed. All right. But what I thought about was this: clinical depression (usually) requires medication/therapy in order to be "cured." When someone is clinically depressed, as I said above, they don't want to do anything, really. It's as if they were empty sacks. Some of these people, though, if you notice, are either married or in a relationship, that yes--is probably not going well because of their depression. From the cases I've been able to see, though, clinical depression is usually what's causing the relationship to pitfall, not the relationship causing the person to pitfall into depression (although of course there are cases where the latter is true). These people, then, whom are in relationships, well--they don't really care for them! And not because they really don't care, but because the depression affects them in such a way that they are entirely amotivated to stay in them/work on them/care for them. Now, the people who feel depressed because of the loss of their beloved: if they were given a second chance, given that they want it, it seems odd that their depression all of a sudden leaves: they are filled with renewed hopes and expectations--a type of adrenalin. While in some cases people become affected to the point where they miss someone so much that they truly end up missing them, for the most part, when someone has been left, they will become extremely sad, but were a second chance to present itself (again, granted they want one), they almost instantly switch to uber happy mode. And why wouldn't they? They are getting a chance to be with who they love dearly--a chance to make amends, a chance to take away the hurt. So, is it really depression? A lot of people I know whom have just recently suffered rupture say that they are depressed and that they want to take medication for it. In fact, they toss the word around so much that I think many people don't see the difference between being clinically/really depressed and being sad due to loss, and end up going to a psychiarist, asking to get anti-depressants, when they may not even need them. And the truth about anti-depressants is that if there truly is no chemical imbalance (you're just sad, which is normal) and take them, then after taking them, there will be a chemical imbalance (you'll probably become depressed/dependent on them). So, I wonder how many broken hearts turn to anti-depressants each day, when they may not need them at all. Is it really depression, then? Or are people simply misinformed? And if it really is depression, then I wonder how much that actually says about the power medicine versus human feeling.
miranda beverly Posted June 19, 2006 Posted June 19, 2006 Interesting thread. All I have to say is that I have always been clinically depressed. My ex always had periods of deep depression as well. I think it ultimately ended up being the main factor in our relationship ending. Not only was I not taking my medication for the past year or so and already becoming very suicidal, but my ex basically letting me know that it was permidently over and he was no longer in love with me just made my depression about ten times worse. I love life right now. Oh wait. I lied. I f***ing hate it.
Diver012 Posted June 19, 2006 Posted June 19, 2006 I find myself to be a mostly cheerful kinda guy. Except for now of course, but im dealing with that and im ok. I force myself to go out, do things, get involved with people. Luckily there are a few people around in this new place that I am hanging out with... I also like to hang out from time to time at a local coffee shop. I find a nice smile and offering a little sincerity towards others not only makes me feel better, it makes them feel appreciated too..
Pink Amulet Posted June 19, 2006 Posted June 19, 2006 Interesting thread. All I have to say is that I have always been clinically depressed. My ex always had periods of deep depression as well. I think it ultimately ended up being the main factor in our relationship ending. Not only was I not taking my medication for the past year or so and already becoming very suicidal, but my ex basically letting me know that it was permidently over and he was no longer in love with me just made my depression about ten times worse. I love life right now. Oh wait. I lied. I f***ing hate it. I am sorry to hear this Miranda. I hope things get better for you soon <3 I am eerily stable. For what I have been through in the past 6 months. I should be tied to a bed in a straight jacket. Some people are born with (or have induced through drugs, alcohol etc.) a biochemcial imbalance that affects the normal neurological activity of the brain. This makes me think your ability to recover from sadness, and everyday depression comes down to serotonin levels in individual. My levels are seemingly high
Outcast Posted June 19, 2006 Posted June 19, 2006 This makes me think your ability to recover from sadness, and everyday depression comes down to serotonin levels in individual. Exactly. And you don't become dependent on anti-depressants. Serotonin is produced in different parts of the body so it's not like insulin. In fact, the goal of antidepressant therapy is usually to get someone to a point where they aren't needed any more. Talk therapy has been shown to be able to help alter depressive brains but doesn't work for everyone and often needs to be done in conjunction with meds. And yes, someone coming back will also cure it since love can give a kick to serotonin. And the way you know that it's depression rather than just sadness is by the duration and extent. It's fairly normal to be immobilized for a short while; if it persists for a month or more (the guidelines actually say two weeks), then it's time to go get help IMHO.
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