Hi Tink, I have Bipolar also, I am on medication and feel therapy could be of help, what kind of therapy are you doing, it's so good that it is helping you!!

Maureen

im not sure what category i fit in so i came here, found another introduction thread and thought i would post in here too.

Im a little lost as to where i should go on the forums and if i should make my own thread so i will porbably just idle and read other peoples.
I dont mind answering any questions if people want to ask me or IM or whatever i dont care.


Chilling somewhere,
Wolfinlied

Hi and Welcome to DF Tinkerbelle

It is great to have you here. I think its wonderful that you want to give others support!
Please make yourself feel at home.

Trace

Hi and Welcome to DF Maureen

I am glad that you are in treatment for your Bipolar. Therapy can be a great help as well, as it can help you learn how to manage your illness and give you coping mechanisms.
Please make yourself feel at home.

Trace

Hi and Welcome to DF Wolfinlied

You don't have to worry about fitting into a category at all. Members are very supportive and compassionate and you will soon find area's which suit you and you feel comfortable in.
Please make yourself feel at home.

Trace

Hello everyone! I just registered for these forums and figured that I would make a introduction for myself.
I am 24 years old, male, and graduated from college in May of this year. Currently, I am unemployed and job searching.
I have had anxiety throughout my whole life, but never as bad as now...it hurts badly. My symptoms scatter widely mainly borrowing from both GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and Depression. Please take a look at my thread titled "Help! Constant Worrying" in the Depression Central forums. I need some serious advice and help. I am also nervous about taking medications (if needed) and I am wondering if there are other methods. Thanks and nice to meet you all!

Hi and Welcome to DF dmwphin

It is great to have you here. There are so many ways of coping with depression and learning to manage it. There are various treatments too. I will take a look at your thread.
Please make yourself feel at home.

Trace

Hi,

I already made a post in the New Members area. I just wanted to say hi in here as well. If any of you take the time to read my post in that area then you'll get the lowdown. Basically i'm a very lonely person. My wife left me 8 months ago and I know that I should be over it by now, but I'm 18 and we'd been together since we were 14, so it was 12 years in all. Combined with an abusive childhood, bullying, and a general sense that I'm worth sh*t I'm at the lowest point in my life in a long time.

I'm from Brighton, England, and my family are in Bedfordshire, just north of London. I feel very isolated because I have *no* friends here and no job. I graduated in July 2005 with a 2:1 in BSc Hons Human Sciences but I feel like a complete failure. My wife was my life. Now all I have is self-medication. I used to be a moderator at a teen forum online, and I made a couple of friends there who I've since lost, and anyway, you can't ask an 18 year old or a 21 year old to support a 28 year old who's just lost an 8 year marriage.

I feel utterly hopeless and often think of taking my life. In the last week I've had two visits from the police because the one person I speak to online has felt that my safety was in danger. I self harm.

More than anyting I'm just alone. I've spent 18 months crying into a pillow every night and nothing seems to get any better despite trying medication (self-selected as a result of some studies I did in my degree) and therapy. They don't change the simple fact that I'm alone, that my life has no purpose, and that the one source of happiness I ever knew walked out the door and left me via an email.

That's enough of me. I'm sorry if this repeats my post in the New Members area, but having worked ata forum myself i know not everyone visits such places and I wanted to write a short0sih intro here as well. I hope you don't mind.

I just want to stop being alone.

~M

This post has been edited by ChrystalR: Oct 16 2009, 03:16 AM

Hi and Welcome to DF Mephistopheles

It really can take a lot of time to get over a broken marriage and 8 months is not that long. I hope that your heart heals soon.
It sounds like you are really battling at the moment because of this.
You are not alone here and you will find a lot of support and compassion.
Please make yourself feel at home.

Trace

Hi Mephistopheles and welcome to DF,

I do know that you are struggling right now in trying to cope with the loss of your marriage and it does take time to come to terms with it, I do wish you the best in the healing of your heart. You will find a lot of support here and members who have been in the same situation of yours who can share in there ways of coping and there stories so you are definitely not a lone here. Keep posting and make yourself at home.

hey DF people, new to the board.

have been looking for something like this to maybe help with my depression, I feel lost and lonely. It feels like I've lost alot of my friends lately, and my job right now just seems pointless to me seeing how I don't enjoy it at all. It just feels like there's really no point to do anything. I also feel like I can't concentrate on anything, like this depressed feeling is always in the back of my mind. I can be calm and stuff, and take my mind off of it from time to time, but it's usually always just there. I just started seeing a psychiatrist so he's still in the assessment phase. I just need some help in figuring out what I'm going through and why I should keep pushing. I have a girlfriend and it seems she's the only reason why I keep pushing and dealing with this. Other than that it feels like I have nothing.

thanks for an replies/support

Hi Vocaltest,
I'm sorry that you are going through a hard time right now but it's good that you are being accessed. You will find a lot of support and understanding here at DF. Make yourself at home.

hello,

just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. i've been lurking around here for about a month or so and finally decided to join and begin posting. i've suffered from depression on and off for about the last 20+ years and have been treated on and off. the latest round really got rolling this summer. i've got a son who has suffered from emotional problems for several years (he's getting treatment, but still has a way to go) and then my wife started to crack under the strain in the spring. between all that and being in a job that i hate and can't get out of for financial reasons, the walls started crumbling down. i hit a really low point in august feeling that the only way i would get any relief would be to just die. well that kind of scared me, so i finally decided to get help again.

i'm currently seeing a therapist and am on meds (pristiq and deplin) and it's really helping. i'm still having bad days (no wishing i would die tho), mainly with work, but i'm coping.

looking forward to being able to unload here when i need to and also being able to support others.

well, that's me in a nutshell. looking forward to meeting more of you as i go along.

mallard.

Hi and Welcome to DF Mallard

I am glad that you found us and that you have sought help again, as it can be really make things a lot easier.
It sounds like you are having a lot of family stress as well. You will definitely be able to talk about your problems, be understood and gain a lot of support here.
Please make yourself feel at home.

Trace

Hi everyone, I found this site 2 nights ago when I was having a bad time in my own head and I posted in the section below before coming here first, out of desperation really to get something out of just my head and be able to look at it out in the real (or cyber) world for a bit. But finding how nice and supportive other users here are, I decided to introduce myself properly and come back more.
I'm 22 now and living with my Fiance, which is going great, and have just started University again. I haven't been diagnosed with depression, probably because I haven't been to a doctor about it, but for the past 5 years or so I've had quite a rollarcoaster ride with it. It was at its worst when I between 4 and 2 years ago when I first began Uni and that 'phase' only ended with what what I saw as a mini break down, with literally every part of my adult life crumbling around me. The only thing that made me ever be able to get out of my bed again was my mum who made me move back home and esentially slapped it out of me (not actually physically of course). Since then I can see how much better i've got, and the phases of getting down I have are slowly getting shorter, but the intensity doesn't seem to be. I still call it an improvement.
But knowing now that in the middle of them I can just remember that they end and I smile again (eventually) and when i'm getting by I can be sensib;e enough to know that they may never be gone for good, but I can prepare for them in small ways. I think this site is one way I can prepare for them.

I hope I can offer all of you some kind of support and shoulder too, coz people that really understand even a tiny bit of how you actually feel can do so much sometimes.

Lu x

Hi loopylulu and to DF! I'm really happy that you decided to join us. I'm sorry that you've been on the depression rollercoaster. There is hope, right. Once you go through a dark spell and come out, you know that there's hope. There are many things you can do to help. You'll find that we have many caring and supportive people here.
Iowa

Hi, I'm Lisa, 27 and live in England, UK. I know this forum is American so hope it's ok to be here.

I've had depression since about 2004 and ignored that I had it until November 2007 when I decided to go to the doctors and ask for help! I have no idea what triggered it and used to have really bad panic attacks for no reason! I'm on a waiting list to have CBT and have been on anti-depressants since November 2007.

Hi and Welcome to DF Lisa

We have members from all over the world. There are many members from the UK. I am from South Africa and there are members from Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the Middle east, Asia and more. Depression is unfortunately a universal illness.
I am glad that you found us.
Please make yourself feel at home.

Trace

Hi, I'm new here, first post....
just been diagnosed with depression/anxiety, started on pristiq about 3 weeks ago, but have been depressed for as long as i can remember.
i'm now 25 and just sick of feeling like this....just hoping i can finally do something about it

Hi Sarahjane and Welcome to DF,

I'm sure that you will find our community of members very supportive and understanding as you will also learn many different ways in handling depressions as we all have different ways in helping ourselves deal with it.

Hello everyone,

I've probably been thinking about writing my first post here a dozen of times but have previously always refrained from doing so. What finally prompted me to take this step was the passing away of my grandmother this week. I realized that I have become utterly emotionally numb, to the point where I haven't even felt a tinge of emotion as result of her passing. I'm 24 and have now been depressed for roughly 4 years.

Anyway, I am looking forward to interacting with others on these forums.

Winston

Hi Winston Smith and Welcome to DF,

I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your grandmother. You will find a lot of interaction and support here. I'm glad that you have taken the big step in posting here.

Hi All, I'm Mark from Australia and have had Major Depression for I dont know how long, seems like years. Ive been on meds for 6 months or more with zoloft giving me chronic diharrea daily for 3 months. Now on 60ml Lovan which is same as Prozac and is helping a little, although today ive done F all just soooo unmotivated. I have been reading these forums since my diagnosis and just registered today to thank everyone here for their support through posts helping me understand the demons. Thanks, Mark.

Hi and to DF, Mark73,
Glad you joined our supportive community. You are among kindred people who understand depression well. You'll not be alone with us. There's also information about depression on the Portal (first page as you enter the forums) that may help you understand it more.

Is the Prozac helping to lift your mood? That is the purpose of AD's. They're not a "cure" per se but they do allow you to function at a higher level. Check out the Prozac room further down the menu for others' experiences.

Pull up a chair and make yourself comfortable. Looking forward to see you on the boards.
Sheepwoman

My second post: I live in California in the same town as my two sons and my grandchildren. I am married (third time) to a wonderful and supportive woman. I recognize that I have a great life and I should be grateful all the time. Knowing this however and living this are two different things. I am consistently trying to overcome depression and pain through natural efforts but I also recognize that without the medication I am taking I am not in control enough to fight the problems that arise. It is an effort to stay aware and joining this forum is part of that effort for me.

I have been dealing with depression most of my life although I didn't know it until about fifteen years ago. Since then I have tried so many remedies both medicinal and homeopathic that I can't remember most of them. What I do remember is that most of them did not work. Meditation and yoga, which I still do, help. Acupressure and puncture didn't help me. Now, after fighting and losing as much as winning I seem to have found some balance.

Going back some I give my depression and my lack of understanding most of the credit for two failed marriages, many failed careers, much dangerous and high risk activity, acting out disorders mostly around sex addiction and so many negative situations and occurrences I am profoundly thankful to be alive and happy at 58 years old. I am not cured, that's a punch line, nor am I unaffected, that's a dream, but I am adjusted and most of the time I am happy.

I finally accept my diagnosis as having Bipolar II disorder. I am taking 120 mg of Cymbalta and 5mg of Abilify. I have also been using a 100 mcg/hr Fentanyl pain patch every two days for five years. I have finally been able to reduce the strength of the pain patch to 50 mcg/hr. I guess this is as much as is useful as an introduction. Thanks for being receptive.

Hi Depressionable and Welcome to DF,

It sounds like you have been through a lot. I hope that you will find DF helpful in your struggles with depression.

Hi Depressionable, It's great that you've realized that you knew you needed medication. Depression is a physical illness like any other. It is a dysfunction of the chemicals in your brain. Sometimes other remedies will help and sometimes they won't, it just depends on how severe your depression is. You probably carried a propensity for depression that may have been low during your early years or only triggered from you situations.
I would highly recommend seeking a therapist who specializes in sex addiction. The only real solution to this addiction that I know of is to get therapy from an experienced therapist. Of course there are medications that work for OCD and you could discuss that with your psychiatrist.
I wish you well!
Iowa

Hi All,

I'm new here from Australia. I've had depression off and on for many many years.

Hi and Welcome to DF Missklew

It is wonderful to have you here. I hope that you will find a lot of support and information here at DF. There are a lot of wonderful compassionate members.
Please make yourself feel at home.

Trace

Iowa, I appreciate the welcome. I have been dealing with sex addiction in a therapeutic sense for over fifteen years now including a month at Sierra Tucson, a recover center in Arizona. Finding out that I wasn't alone in my acting out behavior saved my life. Not only from the behavior itself but from becoming more and more unwilling to go through the shame produced in the spiral after a period of acting out. May time see us all happy.