how do i beat this problem?

I think you should see a psychiatrist, and also a psychologist. The psychiatrist can prescribe medication if he/she feels it's necessary. A psychologist is trained to talk about the problems you're dealing with. And don't feel bad about taking medication if it's necessary. The right one can be very effective. Remember that it's not meant as a "cure" and it's not supposed to be used permanently. It's just to help you get over the rough spot you're in now, and get you on the right track to recovery.

Why is it, and I don't just mean you blink, that practically everyone who's got some sort of problem which could be addressed through psychotherapy never wants to go see a psychotherapist? I mean, if I had a broken arm I'd get to a doctor post haste, but I see this over and over-- I'm depressed (or suffering some other mental malady) but don't want to go get treated for it.

It's just strange to me.

Because despite all the education to change the fact, there is still a stigma to mental illness.

_blink[me], you do sound depressed. if you've felt this way for a long time, then it's unlikely to change by the end of june. if you really *have* to see a psychiatrist, why not prepare for your session by finding out as much as you can about treatments for depression. medication & therapy are the two common ways, and often they're combined. therapy by itself will probably take longer, but medications don't always work and sometimes have bad side effects. good luck, and don't hesitate to post.

Blink[me}--

Welcome to A2K.

There are at least two sorts of depression. One is situational When your life heads down the tubes--whether or not you are responsible--depression is a natural reaction. The death of someone close to you, a great disappointment such as not living up to your own hopes or standards, romantic difficulties are all conditions that can bring on situational stress.

When the situation improves and the stress dwindles, so does situational depression.

Another sort of stress comes from a chemical imbalance in the brain. Suffering from this sort of depression doesn't make you weak or crazy--just dragged out and miserable.

Depression among all age groups is rising. Perhaps this is because of better diagnosis. Perhaps evironmental pollution may be in some way responsible. Whatever the cause, depression hurts. It is a condition that you didn't "cause". Some people are natural jocks. Some people are naturally bookish. Some people are prone to finding life harder than other people. These are the results of the genetic lottery--and not your fault.



Will power isn't working, any more than will power could allow you to walk on a broken leg without severe pain.

Simply walking into a psychiatrist's office, sitting down and filling out a questionaire is not going to help. Being honest with the doctor (and psychiastrists are medical doctors) isn't going to be a magic cure, but it will be a beginning.

These days therapy consists of "talk" or of medication or of both.

Hypothetical Situation (This is not you): Suppose you weigh 300 pounds, you've never had a boyfriend, your little sister is beating off guys with a stick, your older brother and his friends laugh at you and your parents never have time to listen.

In a case like this, talk therapy might be a big help. The therapist wouldn't tell you what to do. The therapist would help you figure out what to do.

If you have been depressed for a long time, you probably have a chemical imbalance and medication might be helpful. You've probably read about vitamin deficiency diseases such as scurvy. If you don't get enough Vitamin C in your diet, you become weak, your hair falls out, your teeth fall out, old wounds open, your immune system is compromised.

Cure? A pill--or fruits and vegetables high in Vitamin C.

You can't cure scurvy with will power.

Medication would correct your chemical imbalances. Quite possibly once your brain chemicals are back in balance you'd be able to go off medication. This sort of decision is why psychiatrists go to med school and have further training after med school.

Between now and the end of June, I recommend that you indulge in moderate exercise for at least 40 minutes every day. Brisk walking is ideal. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphines in the brain and endorphines tend to produce good cheer in the psyche.

The brisk walking is a stop gap measure, but it may help you lift the cloud of gloom that's been travelling over your head this year.

Good luck.

thankyou for all your advice so far
and i have taken notice believe me
you have no idea how much i appreciate it
thankyou so much
x

Speaking from experience, I can say that sometimes medicine is the answer.

Like you I began to withdraw from everything. I preferred to be alone in my misery than to be with friends or family. I didn't care about work. I didn't care about school. I didn't want to die but I didn't want to live either.

Finally, a friend of mine laid a piece of paper with the phone number of a therapist on my desk. She said she thought I could use the help. Against my better judgement, I went. The first doctor stunk. I hated him. But it felt really good to just say the things I wanted to say outloud, even if the person I was saying it to wasn't offering any help to me. So, I looked for a new therapist. I didn't like her either. Finally, on the third try I found someone who wanted me to try meditation in our sessions. IT was deep meditation that left me physically tired after session but the weight on my shoulders started to lift and I was able to refocus on positive things.

He helped me help myself. He was the first person I cried in front of in years. He prescribed me anti-depressents with the disclaimer that he didnt' know how long I'd have to take them. I didnt' want to take meds but he said that sometimes when the brain and body have been depressed for so long, it actually slows down the making of seratonin. Taking meds for a while can increase the production and bring balance back to the body. So I took them for a year. I haven't been back to a therapist or been on antidepressants since. It's been 6 years.

Therapy isn't a permanent thing. It's usually a starting block for you to learn what your triggers are and to avoid them or control them. We all have weaknesses and worries but the key to being a mentally healthy person is learning to control your mind and not let your mind control you. I still have the same worries and insecurities that I had back then. Nothing has changed except the way I react to them. I still break down now and then and have a relaps but then I pull myself together and set myself back on the path.

One thing that I really struggled with was emotions. I literally quit having them because I was tired of crying and tired of caring. I shut down and made myself numb because it was easier than dealing with them. I pushed them down and pushed them down. Most people never even knew how miserable I was. Most people had no clue that I hadn't felt much of anything in so long I couldn't remember the last time I'd cried.

That first cry with the therapist was literally the dam breaking. It broke out all these emotions I hadn't had in a long, long time and that was really hard to deal with because I wasn't equipt to handle being depressed, how was I going to handle anger, sadness, resentment, regreat... But I managed, with some help, to get all those emotions under control.

Remember that YOU are in control.

Good luck.

The best outcome is from a combination of medicine and therapy. They actually work on different parts of your brain.



Having been through depression several times myself, my advice is to seek help now.



How old are you? If you're in college, it might be a good idea to drop any classes that you are doing poorly in. That will reduce stress, and give you extra time to devote to the other classes.




And make sure you take care of yourself physically. 30 minutes of exercise a day gives the same effect as a low dose of antidepressants.

A reputable Australian organisation dedicated to assisting those with depression

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

on line checklists to identify depression and anxiety.

http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=1.4

Blink[me]--

We're glad we can help. Believe me, you're not the only person who has needed help for depression.

Keep posting. We care.

Oh depression! I have that T-shirt. If I recall it says something like "Please just leave me the f*** alone. Okay?"

I'm totally chronic with it and if I couldn't get some therapy on occassion I would just crawl in bed and pull the covers over my head permanently.

Honestly, truly, from the bottom of my heart I'm telling you -- you don't have to feel this way.

But I'm curious as to why you have to see a psychiatrist at the end of the month.

i have to see a psyciatrist at the end of this month because my mom took me to the doctor at the beginning of the month and he said to come back on the 22nd. He said if i didn't feel better i would have to have councelling.

i want to say thankyou to everyone who has replied to this so far especially to noddy24, because you seem very supportive, but to everyone else who has given me advice thankyou i appreciate it.

blink[me]--

Thanks for the kind words.

Let us know how your appointment goes. We're here to help if we can.

blink--if it's ok to call you that--when you saw this psychiatrist earlier this month, did he suggest anything you should do for your depression? and if so, did you try any of his suggestions? if he didn't suggest anything, maybe you should try to persuade your mother to see another therapist, assuming he doesn't give you any suggestions in your next appointment and you don't feel any special rapport with him.

I havn't actually been to see the psyciatrist yet. I have a doctor's appointment tommorrow and then he will tell me if I should go to see one or not. The doctor did say that it could just be an age thing and that it will pass but I've been feeling this way for quite a long time now.

Thank you.

now i get it. anticipating your first session with a shrink is making you anxious. relax, he or she won't eat you. i've seen a shrink or two, and i'm still around.

Blink--

You sound like the old Doors song:


Well, I've been down so Goddamn long
That it looks like up to me
Well, I've been down so very damn long
That it looks like up to me
Yeah, why don't one you people
C'mon and set me free

I said, warden, warden, warden
Won't you break your lock and key
I said, warden, warden, warden
Won't ya break your lock and key
Yeah, come along here, mister
C'mon and let the poor boy be

Baby, baby, baby
Won't you get down on your knees
Baby, baby, baby
Won't you get down on your knees
C'mon little darlin'
C'mon and give your love to me, oh yeah

Well, I've been down so Goddamn long
That it looks like up to me
Well, I've been down so very damn long
That it looks like up to me
Yeah, why don't one you people
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon and set me free

http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/the_doors/been_down_so_long.html

You sound as though you've been miserable for so long that you can only remember how to pretend to be happy.

Of course you're the only one with the power to change.

Let us know how it goes tomorrow. A little rain falls into everybody's life, but some people have a perpetual monsoon season and need a better umbrella.