Depression Support Group

Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.

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A bit of a predicament..

deleted_user
deleted_user
I've had depression and anxiety problems since I was very young. I can't remember which started first. I haven't recieved any real good care for it, infact I've only tried twice, the first was with a counselor with the mind of a duck, and the second was a clinical study. At the study, we decided that it seemed like what would help my depression is a structered schedual and planned activites. However, those are the exact things that i have anxiety about. i had a lot of attendance problems in school because of it. there we days when id consider breaking a limb on purpose just so i wouldnt have to go. is there anything you can think of that might help both?
deleted_user
deleted_user
I think the first thing you need to do is get a diagnosis. Since my guess is this is a biological condition my advice is to make an appointment with a psychiatrist to get a diagnosis and treatment suggestions.
deleted_user
deleted_user
how about schedule an activity once a week like going to a mall or somewhere there is alot of people at least for an hour until you are comfortable. It's not easy at first but the more human interaction you have the easier it gets.Hang in there.
deleted_user
deleted_user
imajen- anxiety and depression often run together. Although structured activities do help with depression, your situation seems more complicated. As a therapist, I know there are some "ducks" in my field. However, I also know a lot of "Swans." I would encourage you to try more therapists until you find one that can really address YOUR needs. Therapy like any other relationship needs to be a good match. A skilled therapist will be able to treat both your anxiety and depression.
starfish
starfish
Most people will tell you that since you've had your symptoms since you were very young that you most likely have a biological (brain imbalance) problem that needs to be treated with medication. While that is true, don't overlook the possibility of also having some issues from way back then, too. A lot of therapists know how to deal with the run-of-the-mill stuff, but when you run into "deep seated" stuff, or a dual diagnosis, (anxiety and depression) which does often occur together, it requires more skill, so you may have to look around until you find someone who can help you. By the nature of therapy, you also have to find someone who "clicks" with you. I mean, you may have a good mechanic, but you may not particularly like him personally. This won't work well in therapy. You have to find someone you like (and therefore can trust) This is partly why psycotherapy gets a bad rap, (the duckheads don't help, either) because people don't realize that not everyone will work for you.
When you have a particularly difficult situation, both medication and therapy are thought to be most effective treatments, on the average.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Thank you all very much for your help ^^
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