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.
It is really amazing how much it hurts when someone befriends you and then closes their account without a word, after you've gotten close to them. I'm sure many here isolate, and come and go, or simply just can't function periodically, but there is a certain "security blanket" in the forged friendships, where you don't want to lose touch, and you want to know those that care for you will be there.
To the person who is gone, in the event this person created a new account, I just want to express that I hope you are okay, that I miss you, and that I will not stop thinking of you.
To my other friends here, I want to say that I may be gone for periods of time as I have a long-distance move looming, and access to the internet will be interrupted, and sometimes, the depression just makes me darned anti-social and not fit for company, so I withdraw, but I WON'T disappear forever, and I thank you all, my DS family, friend to me or not, that you are here and that I can come here.
I challenge all DS members, friend or not, to do the same. Come and go. Be here when you can, and not worry or feel pressured when you aren't, but please don't delete your account without letting those friends you claim to care about know, so they can continue the friendship, because doing that does NOT help DEPRESSION at all :( They will just sit around wondering about you, if you are okay, and blaming themselves, wondering what they did or thinking it's their fault.
Thanks for letting me vent. I'm sad to find one of the only contacts I made "no longer exists" I just wanted people here to know and understand the care they show others MATTERS and affects people's lives. Linus LIKES his security blanket and wants to keep it, so please don't leave like that
To the person who is gone, in the event this person created a new account, I just want to express that I hope you are okay, that I miss you, and that I will not stop thinking of you.
To my other friends here, I want to say that I may be gone for periods of time as I have a long-distance move looming, and access to the internet will be interrupted, and sometimes, the depression just makes me darned anti-social and not fit for company, so I withdraw, but I WON'T disappear forever, and I thank you all, my DS family, friend to me or not, that you are here and that I can come here.
I challenge all DS members, friend or not, to do the same. Come and go. Be here when you can, and not worry or feel pressured when you aren't, but please don't delete your account without letting those friends you claim to care about know, so they can continue the friendship, because doing that does NOT help DEPRESSION at all :( They will just sit around wondering about you, if you are okay, and blaming themselves, wondering what they did or thinking it's their fault.
Thanks for letting me vent. I'm sad to find one of the only contacts I made "no longer exists" I just wanted people here to know and understand the care they show others MATTERS and affects people's lives. Linus LIKES his security blanket and wants to keep it, so please don't leave like that
good luck to you. hope to 'see' you again soon.
It is difficult, but, unfortunately, people feel better/ isolate and aren't thinking about others just focusing on their needs. The downside of a site like DS
*gentle hugs*
You are absolutely right in what you wrote. I would never just close my account, for any reason, unless I didn't have a computer anymore, and even then, I wouldn't close it. But I do let people know that there may be times when I am MIA for a day or two because my depression causes it. Not because I don't want to be here. In fact, when my depression gets that bad, I can make the depression worse because I'm worrying about everyone here at DS. So you are right, do not abandon your friends. Many of us have had to deal with abandonment issues our entire lives, and we have also had to deal with rejection. Those are two very hard topics to discuss, and to live through. Lets not do it to people here who need and care for us, so much. I can only speak for myself, but this is truly my lifeline.
It was one of the hardest things about joining a 12 step OA meeting, making friends, getting close, finding happiness to share a healing journey with one another, then having them drop out of sight, never to return an email, text or phone call.
I guess this hurts no matter what. Maybe the old saying "better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all" fits here, but I am with you, gramybear, I value loyalty and consideration of people's feelings.
I need to learn not to judge or assume things or take things personal when this happens. Unless someone has the courage to share why they are terminating relationships, sometimes, we will never know why,, and that is hard to accept.
hugs
I might have to be gone for periods of time, but I always come back.
I'm not mad at the person. I know, like scared said, it's a downside of a site such as this, but I do worry about the person and feel sad to have lost that friendship, which was important. I guess I failed :(
I'm glad you all posted. Thank you for making it better :) Hugs to you all