Really, really depressed

[Fausto]

Mostly over financial issues and not having a decent enough job to deal with them. I feel like an incredible weight is crushing me. All I feel like doing is sleeping, and I can't even do that. Clinical depression is a b***h, but compounded ten times worse when you have something to be depressed about.

How do you all cope?

[LilCerberus]

I wonder myself, sometimes...............

[Rev. Powell]

I'm on antidepressants. 

[indianasmith]

This sounds trite, but I do have faith in God that sustains me.
I also have a pretty cool, eclectic online family to rant to.
And, when I get really down, I go hit the river and look for arrowheads and shark's teeth.  I don't always find things, but it is very therapeutic.  And, for the last several months, I've managed to lose myself in my writing as well.

Channel your energies into constructive paths.  It helps.

[akiratubo]

I am on antidepressants.  They have made a huge difference in my life, for the better. 

[LilCerberus]

I was never really able to find a decent enough job, so I'm now on SSDI.

I got a lot of help from Emotions Anonymous. I had to train myself to stop thinking negative thoughts. Still hard at times.

One thing that's always helped, is stories about great people when they were not so great. For example, Harlan Sanders tried & failed numerous times in his life & was well into his 60s before KFC finally made it. And Edgar Rice Burroughs Tried & failed at everything under the sun, until sometime in his 40s, he went crazy & started talking to himself, then started writing down these conversations, which eventually became great novels like Tarzan & John Carter of Mars.

[Jack]

I'm on anti-anxiety med's, which I guess are the same thing as anti-depressants.  I know what you mean about just wanting to sleep all the time though.  As far as money, when we were young we maxed out all our credit cards (as is the custom) and ended up moving out of our nice apartment and into the basement of a friend's house (for one-third the rent) until we got everything paid off.

[The Burgomaster]

I have a great wife and a close family.  I went through a very tough period about 10 years ago.  I had taken a new job and one of my first assignments was extremely stressful.  I had trouble sleeping and ended up in the hospital one day with incredible pains in my stomach.  Things got better for awhile, but a few years later I went through another stressful period, lost a lot of sleep, and started stressing out every Sunday afternoon thinking about going to work on Monday morning.  I ended up quitting that job and going to another company for about 8 months.  I didn't like my new job, so in 2005 I went back to the company that had stressed me out so much.  For some reason, I have felt very little stress since returning to that job.  I think I caused most of the stress myself by setting unrealistic expectations and deadlines for myself.  My philosophy now is that there is only so much work I can do in a day.  If I don't finish it today, I'll finish it tomorrow.  The world will keep turning.

 

[HappyGilmore]

Depression is the worst. Me, I'm supposed to be on meds, but can't afford it.

So, I can't deal. The maybe $40 or so I have after being paid buys enough alcohol to numb myself.

I don't recommend that though.

[ChaosTheory]

I have a cat and two fish.  I have to feed them. 

I'm not being glib; that really is my only motivation to move some days.  I don't know if meds would help me or not and I cannot begin to afford them (I'm a freelance writer which is kind of a prettied-up way of saying "unemployed" and the job market in my town is mostly crap if you don't have a nursing degree).  To be honest, it does help somewhat coming here; it makes for a nice support group.

[The Gravekeeper]

From my personal experience: Medication when it's really bad, talking to someone who will just listen and not make suggestions or judge you, going for walks, meditation/deep breathing (one session won't do it, but each one relieves a little stress), reminding myself of what I've got going for me (everyone's got something going for them; heck, you're brave enough to admit that you have depression, and you've got a circle of online friends who care and understand).

Hang in there; you can get through this. Depression doesn't last forever, and neither do circumstances.

[tracy]

I'm in a nowhere job meant for a starter job that pays 25 cents above minimum wage,gives no benefits and could end at any time because there are way too many other convenience stores in our little town. I work right at full time but the pay,after bills,simply is not enough. I stay stressed,pretty depressed and feel trapped. So many people,mostly with much better paying jobs,tell me how lucky I am to have a job at all. Oddly enough that doesn't help. To deal with this I pray and lean on a wonderful husband,both of which are all that keeps me from running out into traffic at times. Unfortunately,Alan's back and legs are getting in too bad a shape to hold a job....if he could find one.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

I've never been clinically depressed, but when the poo has hit the fan in my life I found that just keeping going.  Get out, do stuff, even if its the LAST damn thing you want to do.  Its basically a  "fake it til you make it" approach, and it has worked for me.  Do not turn inward, tahst very important.

If religion is for you, definitely seek your spiritual cousel, and Indy;s idea of getting out ain teh fresh air and doing something interesting is a good one. 

You do have people, even if they are in a green box online.

Good luck.

-Ed

[alandhopewell]

     Like Indy, and my wonderful wife, my faith in Christ sustains me, not just in thinking about the world to come, but in simple things I can appreciate, like getting a friendly lick on the hand from someone's dog when I come out to their car, or lying in bed in the morning, laughingly sharing a weird dream with Trace.

[Andrew]

I have not dealt with chronic depression, but have family and friends who do.  Depression is something that will wear you down over time, and it can cloud your thinking.  There are good things in your life, but the depression makes it hard to remember or appreciate them.  Finance is something that everybody worries about, I feel you there.

For stress relief I use either exercise (mostly) or one of my hobbies (such as the reviews).