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.
how do you stop, your mind from just cutting you down? I have had depressio0n, all my life, but didn't realize anything was wrong, until I was about 20 years old. I basically knew something was wrong with me, I was diagnosed with ADD, when I was young, probably around ten. I was always a dreamer, a lover, a pessemist? call it what you will. my parents had depression, my whole family had depression, in one form or another. my inability to make decisions, that don't haunt me, or do any good for me, how do you turn that off? how do you shut off thay feeling, of un worthyness? that, indecisive feeling? how do you get to that point, where you say to yourself,"I'm ok, ?? do things really get better, or can they? can you find true love and contentment, ever? can you ever get away from life's stress? I don't think so, hell I'm 61 years old, and in my mind, I'm never going to be completely right in my head, where I can live to be a ripe old age, and enjoy myself, or my life. I live in the past, because the future sucks, trust me, I see it, and it sucks.
Maybe we get good times in between. Maybe we don't notice them when we are down. Maybe we only see good when we are up and only see bad when we are down.
I don't know any answers. I wish it would stop. It will be okay again tomorrow. We just have to get from here to there.
I think sometimes we get it in our heads "Something is wrong with me." My friends and family didn't seem to be struggling in the ways I had. I was convinced that there was a biological problem with me causing me to feel so unworthy, insecure, incapable, and the list goes on. It wasn't until I went to counseling that I learned there's nothing inherently wrong with me. I had bought into lies about myself and allowed pessimism to creep in, just as SO MANY other people have. And naturally so, we live in a world that is filled with brokenness. We are all products of the experiences we have and how we interpret and learn from those experiences. It is only natural that occasionally we will have an experience and take something negative and hurtful from it. A small example of this is my sensitive nature. I am undoubtedly a sensitive person. I can recall from my childhood my mother telling me often, "Mallory, you are TOO sensitive." Naturally, I assumed that being sensitive is a bad thing. I began to hate this about myself and attempted to change it only to fail over and over. So not only was I hating a quality about myself, but I was also beating myself up for failing in my MANY attempts to change. How exhausting! My counselor challenged me to consider whether being sensitive is really a bad thing. While it can have its negative effects on me, it also allows me to be a thoughtful and considerate friend, wife, sibling, daughter. It helps me consider others' perspectives and allows me to show empathy.
Is there anything about this that rings true for you? Perhaps you are disliking qualities about yourself that have been condemned by others, but really hold some value? Or are there blatant lies you have bought into, that, when truly evaluated, aren't true of you at all? Based on your post, I am guessing you are a feeler. What an incredible thing that you can search your feelings and experience the emotions of life. Many people cannot and choose not to do that. I believe they are missing out on a vital part of the human experience. How can you use your ability to feel in a way that is positive, either bringing you or someone else happiness, comfort, or relief?