Would you recognise your own depression?

I’ve watched my dad and another good friend battle with depression, Kate and I can only feel sympathy for those who experience it, especially in the workplace.

In fact I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to even try and pretend to function at work while you are going through such emotional lows. Especially trying to motivate yourself.

Raising awareness in employers of this disease can only be a good thing but it has to go hand in hand with being an approachable manager too. This is probably the hard part.

Perhaps organisations can consider bringing in a third party, like counsellors that the empioyee would feel comfortable talking to that could then relay the informaton, with permission, to the employer.

I battled serious clinical depression for many years. It was incredibly difficult for my family and friends to deal with. If you have never experienced depression it is all too easy to think that the person suffering it should just pull their socks up and get on with life. If only it was that easy. Real depression is not just feeling a bit down, it is soul deep wearieness and hopelessness. It is totally and utterly pervasive, encroaching on and influencing every aspect of your life. It is like being stuck at the bottom a big dark pit with no way to climb back out.

Fromt he point of view of these organisations workers with depression mean a significant drop in productivity and quality of work. Good on them for making an effort to address the issue rather than just tiptoeing around it.

If you know someone who is suffering depression encourage them to seek assistance - and remember, if they could just snap their fingers and make it go away, they would.

Sure I have all those things you say at some time or other in the past couple of weeks… do I consider myself suffering from depression? Of course not!

It is called life.
Everyone feels down, anxious, stressed, etc.

Calling every little thing “depression” lessens the meaning of that diagnosis for people that actually do need help.

Years ago, I had the onset...brought on by long daily hours, weekend work, 24-hour on-call support, inept management, boring role, frustrating strategic direction, etc etc. Was heightened by not seeing my newborn daughter 5 days a week given those hours. Money was great, but couldn’t justify what everything else was doing to me as a person. Suicide was even contemplated.

I took a hard decision. I studied and planned for 2 years for a new role. A completely different job, in a new town for a new start. Within the same company, a company who fully supported this life-changing decision of mine. That 2 years of transition was hard, as I was still having to perform in the role I was in, but I had renewed energy and was determined to make the change - the light was at the end of the tunnel.

And it was the best thing I ever did, and have never looked back, nor regretted the change.

I spoke at departmental meetings within the company over the next few years, and was in their internal staff bulletins. I guess I was an example of what a radical transition can achieve in the scheme of work/life/balance and retaining your sanity. I fielded calls from many staff, and nothing is more uplifting than hearing how what I did inspired others to do the same.

Yes, depression does exist - you need to be able to recognise it within yourself, and be pro-active in addressing it.

Hmmm… making me think here! Moved to Oz from the UK just under two years ago, for the usual reasons - sun, sea, surf and better lifestyle for the family.

Two years later I’m working an average 55-60 hour week and doing none of the things you say I need to and that I want to.

I don’t excercise enough or eat properly (+10kg since Xmas 2009), don’t see my wife and kids in the daytime, I’m irritable at night and at weekends, thinking about what I need to get done at work… and I’m a typical male who won’t go the doctor when I’m physically sick, never mind even consider mental health.

And I feel under pressure all the time to do more work, get more paperwork sorted, visit more clients. Guess I’m a prime candidate for depression - watch this space! 

I feel as if I have the symptoms and would probably fit the profile of someone who suffers depression. But I don’t feel there’s anything I can do about it.

I’ve mortgage payments, ever increasing bill payments (goddamn gas bill), school fees for one kid going into private senior school next year and two more kids going private in the next five years. And I get up before 6am every morning for a 80 minute commute and get home just in time for family dinner.

Depression has become a symptom of life, I would love to go to someone and say, “I’m depressed, fix me”, but what can they do, what could possibly change my situation. I have barely an hour each weekday to myself that I usually spend exhausted in front of the TV. No amount of exercise or dietary changes is going to alleviate any of my financial or occupational pressures.

I have had depression for a number of years. i visit my gp regularly and medicate. There are good days and bad days. The thing with having a boss who understands is paramount. After my work accident I needed to change paths and find a new career, which I did with some assistance from workcover. The down side turned out to be a drastic reduction in income and a new boss who had no compassion for depression. I would have expected some from his ex-nurse wife but none there either. I stuck the job for two years until the workcover subsidy dried up then I was made redundant due to lack of work, allegedly. Through those two years I had some very dark moments and I thank my family for sticking it out and helping me through. No thanks to my former boss, though I believe that Karma will get them.
Having someone close to talk to is wonderful as is having other support networks. I still have dark days but the sun shines a little more now. All I hope for now is another job with an understanding boss.

Would you recognise your own depression? I can confidently say no. I was diagnosed with severe clinical depression last year (however i was battling it behind closed doors for years) yet it took my team leader to point out to me that there was something wrong. I knew i wasn’t the same person i always knew, i was emotionally drained, would cry over the silliest things, was angry all the time, couldn’t sleep…
Luckily for me, my employer at the time had a councillor program so i was able to go and talk to someone who listened and confirmed i was depressed. My doctor than diagnosed me as severely depressed. Since then i have been on anti-depressants, when i will come off them i have no idea.
Having a good support network with family and friends and more importantly your employer is vital. As you spend 8+ hours a day there, you need to have that support especially on those days you don’t feel so crash hot.

Depression is a sneaky and elusive disease that can be treated, but may never be able to be cured; yes, there is a difference. I have been diagnosed with depression for a number of years and probably undiagnosed for many more. I have had 3 sets of professional counselling and am currently on my 3rd go at medication.

When I was first on medication, I let me parents know (as I was still at home), and gave them the box and leaflet to read for side affects etc. My mother had the stupidity to ask ‘so how long do you have to take these?’ I told her ‘how long was a piece of string’. My mother had the misconception that depression could be treated like a cold, one lot of antibiotics and you’re on your way; not so with depression.

Right now I’m pretty good and haven’t had a bad day in a while. The trick is to stay on the medication, even when you feel fine; and learn to recognise the signals of you about to ‘spirial down’, as I call it, and hopefully you are able to do things that will get you out of that.

I was diagnosed with depression about 10 years ago when my marriage broke up.  When my dark moods included thoughts of suicide I knew I had to do something about it.  At the time I had just started a business and felt a responsibility to those I had committed to work with so I just had to find a way to keep going.  I sought therapy and went on anti-depressants.  I only went on medication for a short time (took myself off without consulting the therapist) and also stopped the therapy after a few weeks feeling somewhat better and able to cope.  The excitement of the business and it’s increasing success, made me feel everything was now fine.  About four years later, a combination of a failed relationship and business stress lead me to suffer yet again.  This time though, I ignored the symptoms and just tried to battle on.  The consequence of this was a failed business, more failed relationships and yet again, suicidal thoughts.  I have recently sought therapy again and was advised I had never fully recovered from the initial onset all those years ago and so a relapse was likely.  I will never make the mistake again of ignoring the symptoms.  Depression is a serious condition that affects all aspects of your life.  Anyone out there who is suffering, don’t ignore it.  It doesn’t go away by itself.

I was diagnosed with depression last year and it was caused from my boss (CEO of the company) and the workplace.  It was a struggle every day to get out of bed.  My now ex-boss had me on call 24/7, every Friday he told me not to make plans for the weekend because he would need me to work.  He would often phone me around 4am if he could not sleep.  After having a mental breakdown at work, I quit and took a month off.  Although I am still dealing with the depression, I have since moved on to a much better and well paying job, my boss is brilliant and I am allowed now to have annual leave and sick leave!!!

could I recognise my own depression?  yes.

but it does kind of sneak up on you....

I’ve been struggling with a current bout for over a year although on and off for many more.

In my own situation it first gets dismissed with things like ... “oh I’m just in a bit of a mood lately” or the classic “i’m just tired”.

I find the often-used “just” interesting.  It’s like you secretly know but choose to minimise it because there’s no time to deal with it right at the minute.

Down the track you start noticing… hell it’s been a week and a half since I had a shower (ewww!), tasks that take you next to no time seem interminable and there’s zero interest in tackling them, it’s either crappy take-away or no food because you can’t be arsed making the effort to feed your body what it needs, crying here there and anywhere and having no idea why, not wanting anyone near you and certainly not wanting to be near anyone, you could easily sleep all day or alternatively, strangely become unable to sleep past 2:00am, getting out-of-control angry about things you normally don’t give a crap about, losing jobs because you can’t bring yourself to go to them anymore.....  I’m sure plenty of other posters can come up with more.

It’s that gradual disinterest in anything to do with your own life that’s so crippling.  An earlier poster referred to feeling the ever-increasing pressures of “life”.  I get that.  Ignoring the silly response to this poster… it’s really NOT about pulling your socks up and jsut getting on with it.  I’ve never understood that stupid kind of response.  It shows you aren’t listening and do not understand.

By the time depression has you in it’s grip, the possibility of pulling up socks and getting on with things has since passed.

It is the sense of utter hopelessness that makes getting free from it so hard.  The rate of male suicide is a horrible example.  Imagine being in such a place where murdering yourself seems like your best alternative.  That is heartbreaking.

Depression is a giant soul suck.  I tip my hat to anyone battling it because it is one serious struggle.

I might also add..... ironically I work in a hospital - the depression rates for those who work in these places is eye-watering.  :(

I doubt it is not much better in a lot of other industries… but I do find it a shame that one that is best place to recognise it… often does not.

I have suffered depression most of my life, I was abused as a child, physically beaten with wood, fists, belt, I was verbally abused if I did not excel in school and to top it all off I was sexually abused by the same man and his homosexual friends. This man was supposed to be my mentor, my role model, my father, not my destroyer.
I ran away from home at an early age and never went back, at 19 I joined the Army and served my country for 24 yrs including serving over seas. My marriage broke down in 07 and it was then that I had my first real thoughts of self harm, in fact I tried 3 times to take my life and was hospitalised. I ignored all the signs, I had an eating problem, I would exercise beyond belief, sometimes up to 5 hours a day, I worked hard and excelled, I withdrew from my friends, I gave away riding my motorbike and drawing.
Today I am on medication, I still have my very dark days, but I find it hard to talk, I do not have friends outside of work and still think I am worthless to have any woman want me. The strange thing is that nobody seems to notice that I am so quiet, that I am putting everything into my job, that I do not talk about a partner or going out. I have a routine, I get up & ride to work, and I work, ride home and then stay in my room. I go days without eating, relying on energy drinks, not sleeping well, crying myself to sleep. The hard part is, that being a male we find it hard to reach out and ask for help, we keep it to ourselves.

When I was under the cloud, I thought the symptoms were just signs of stress of having a demanding job and the other bad stuff that just happens in life from time to time.

Looking back at what I was doing and how I reacted to many things (and having talked to a councilor about it all) I was suffering depression.

Unfortunately,the majority of people around me thought the way to help me was tell me to just pull my socks up and about the work situation to “just deal with it, the situation isn’t going to change”. I don’t think they were being cruel or uncaring, but I sometimes wonder if they were going through the same thing too.

I have just finished having a serious depression which went for nine months. After all the time I spent feeling awful, crying everywhere and seeing life as pointless, I went through some particular weeks of hell where the depression was far worse than usual. I felt so bad that I stopped doing anything I was doing and just went to bed all day and night.

After a week of this, I said to myself, I hate feeling like this. I made a vow that tomorrow I would have a good day. I made tomorrow a good day by becoming more involved with it and trying to have positive thoughts (thinking of doing this for one day was easier) and have had only good days since then. Mind you, I do get enough sleep, you need proper sleep, some food and no alcohol to turn the corner. You try to “relax” your thoughts so you don’t think too hard. Tell yourself that for today, you will think about nothing at all of any importance. Only very simple, nice thoughts that are easy to think about, such as “I like the sun shining”, “that movie was cool” etc. Or just no thoughts at all.

Worked for me, no medication needed. It has now been one month since depression and haven’t had any recurrence. The key is to feel really sick and tired of being depressed, to want to do something about it and to STOP THINKING SO HARD. Make your new thoughts simple and pleasant or at least quiet. By being so worn out by the depressive thoughts, your mind leaps into the new thoughts and it’s hardly an issue to continue the practice subconsciously.

PS - make sure when you have a good day you tell yourself “today was a good day and I feel better.”

I have just finished having a serious depression which went for nine months. After all the time I spent feeling awful, crying everywhere and seeing life as pointless, I went through some particular weeks of hell where the depression was far worse than usual. I felt so bad that I stopped doing anything I was doing and just went to bed all day and night.

After a week of this, I said to myself, I hate feeling like this. I made a vow that tomorrow I would have a good day. I made tomorrow a good day by becoming more involved with it and trying to have positive thoughts (thinking of doing this for one day was easier) and have had only good days since then. Mind you, I do get enough sleep, you need proper sleep, some food and no alcohol to turn the corner. You try to “relax” your thoughts so you don’t think too hard. Tell yourself that for today, you will think about nothing at all of any importance. Only very simple, nice thoughts that are easy to think about, such as “I like the sun shining”, “that movie was cool” etc. Or just no thoughts at all.

Worked for me, no medication needed. It has now been one month since depression and haven’t had any recurrence. The key is to feel really sick and tired of being depressed, to want to do something about it and to STOP THINKING SO HARD. Make your new thoughts simple and pleasant or at least quiet. By being so worn out by the depressive thoughts, your mind leaps into the new thoughts and it’s hardly an issue to continue the practice subconsciously.

PS - make sure when you have a good day you tell yourself “today was a good day and I feel better.”

I recognised depression and anxiety early this year, but unfortunately struggled to manage it. Even though I sought help, I ended up in a worse state. Thankfully, through friends, family and work colleagues I am on the healing path, but sometimes even if you recognise the symptoms, it can be hard to heal

Believe in your healing abilities and a future and never give up!

i’ve suffered from Anxiety and depression for the last 3-4 years now and im well and truly over the worst of it.

the first two years i became a recluse, didnt really seak help or tell anyone. Its very hard to admit you have an issue or to seek medical help.

i ended up going on a mental health plan and seeing a psycologist and from there never looked back. I went to therapy for over 12 months and only found results when i really pushed my self.

durring this time i have helped others with similar issues and have really put forward to friends and the like how important it is to seek help.

i have convinced a couple to get help and that alone has made it worth while.

Andrew

Of course I recognise my own depression, her name is Sally.