# In need of help regarding complex depression



## Pejorative (May 12, 2007)

Hello, everyone. 

Before I introduce you to my problems, I would like you to know that I am an 18 year old male. Any input from anyone here is taken seriously; I appreciate your help deeply, as long as you deal with my request for help in a serious and mature way. 

_You need background information before I introduce you to my problems in their essence, so here goes some of my late history (summarized, not detailed):_

*3-4 months ago *
In a timespan of a few days, I started feeling bad. At first, I though it was only a little "downtime" in my life. After three weeks of this, I found out I was wrong. My pain was building, and I was unsure what it was. I had not been very introspective before this event. 

I turned inward; I got really introspective, and analyzed myself. I found a lot of pain related to problems (which I will further elaborate later on.) 

At this point I was very sad, cried a lot, and felt completely hopeless. 

*3 Months ago*
My pain had not been passing. I was tired of taking this sh**, so I took some initiative; I contacted an old friend of mine (a girl). 

Why contact her? I had not kept in touch with her for a long time, but she was/is the nicest person I know, so I though that it would be logical to contact her, and see if she could help me. 

We did meet, I told her about my problems and she was very understanding. She helped me through some of my pain, more detailed: layer 1. [Note: I visualize my pain and depression as a set of layers. Let's say there are 20 different layers, where all the different layers symbolize different problems and aspects of myself. No. 1 is the utmost layer, and no. 2 is the core and last part of my problems (et al.)] 

Fast forward: I contacted my teachers, parents, friends, shrinks, etc. to help me with my problems. They all helped/help me through a lot of hard times, but when it comes to the case, I was the one cutting through my layers, they only helped and pushed me in the right (or possibly wrong) directions. 

*1-2 months ago*
Many of my problems are solved, but for every layer I cut through, another one with a hell of a lot more questions arise from beneath. 

_By now you have probably gotten what my history is about, in broad outlines. _

*The present *
I do not feel good. However, I am glad I had this depression, as I am a MUCH better person now; I am more reflected, realistic, understanding (when you experience real pain, it gives you a perspective), have more interests, blablabla... 

_Now, to my problems. _

*The problems: *
1: Existential problems: Lately, I have been reflecting on the world from a nihilistic and realistic point of view. I am having a lot of problems coping with what I see. Why live? There is, after all, no initial/given meaning in life. However, we can assign our own meanings to our lives. That thought does not brighten my mood, though. 

2: Emotional problems: No control; chaos. I am having big problems, as I can go through a day feeling joy, sorrow, suicidal thoughts (if life is not good, why live it?), etc. Basically, I am not stable. This is bad, as I take this out on my friends. However, most of them understand my problems and are tolerant. 

3: Alienation: I do not share the common values of most people in my age. That means drinking, and sports. Not that those are bad, I just believe that it is more to life than that. I just find most people to be shallow, immature, not reflected, have low intelligence quotient, etc. 

4: Angst: When I think of the future, I often tend to get angstful. Will I kill myself?, Will I feel better?, etc. 

5: Sleeping disorder: I can't get sleep. 

6: Burnt-out/no energy: Every little thing becomes a TON of work. 

7: No joy: I find no joy in life. The things which I used to enjoy are now gray. There is 1 thing that makes me happy, currently: being with a friend, called "S". I also find pleasure spending time amongst nature and animals. 

8: Interests: As I mentioned above, I feel that I have so many interests, but so little people to talk to about them. I cannot ventilate it enough, except to my good friend, which is very intelligent. My interests are (my most trivial interests are excluded from this list) psychology, anatomy, leadership (rhetoric), reading, and physical training. 

9: Overthinking: I find everything to be an affront to me, even though it is not meant to be. This is really hard, as I can think about insignificant stuff over long periods of time.

10: Restoration:
- While in my depression, I have been bleeding a lot from the nose (every day), in random instances (on the bus, at home, in the shower.) 
- My wounds tend to heal very slow; I got a cut/scratch maybe 3 months ago. It is still in it's healing process, and I have barely touched it.

*Notes/Post script: *
- I have gone to several shrinks, no need to tell me to go to one, as I am currently in (ineffective) treatment. I am not taking drugs.
- I do not have low confidence. I am aware of most of my strengths and weaknesses. And I constantly work to improve myself. 
- Lately, my parents divorced and my grandfather died. However, this happened after my initial depression, so I do not believe that this is the cause. It might enhance my problems though. 
- I am still in school, but I might not make it (not because of grades, but because of a lot of absence). 

*Focus: how can I get out of this? To be honest, I kind of like my depression, as it reminds me that life is deep, and I just feel more complex and evolved in contrast to most people around me. On the other side, the cons outweighed the pros. My depression is really ****ing my life up on most of its aspects*

Thank you for taking your time to read this. I know that my problems might be very hard to decipher. I am so tired of having this depression, as I feel an urge to end it if it does not stop soon (as Necro said it: "If you have a problem, suicide solves it"). So, this is an urgent problem. I do appreciate any input on the case. Thanks again for your interest in helping me.

*Last note:* To be honest, I really would be glad to talk to someone in my real life who deeply cares about me. Someone who can show me love, and a will to help. I have talked to friends about this, but it does feel like everyone is labeling my problems as trivial (possibly because they don't know how to help). That makes it worse :-(


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## Daniel (May 12, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



> 1: Existensial problems: Lately, I have been reflecting on the world from a nihilistic and realistic point of view. I am having alot of problems coping with what I see. Why live? There is, after all, no initial/given meaning in life. However, we can assign our own meanings to our lives. That thought does not brighten my mood, though.



My depression started when I was 17 and there was a lot of existential angst.  Though existential reflections have been helpful in not taking life too seriously, e.g. not working 60 hours a week like a robot, they were mostly very unhelpful and only a symptom of depression.   Of course, in depression, existential thoughts are more paralyzing than freeing and are not realistic due to cognitive distortions like all-or-nothing thinking.   As the late Robert Solomon points out repeatedly in _The Joy of Philosophy_, modern Western existential/philosophical reflections are often superficial and are far from the "joyful wisdom" Nietzsche spoke of.


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## David Baxter PhD (May 12, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



> "If you have a problem, suicide solves it"



I beg to differ. If you have a problem, suicide doesn't *solve* anything at all. What it does is end everything. For you. In this life. 

But not for anyone and everyone left behind. And not in the next life, whatever you believe that to be.


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## Daniel (May 12, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



> Focus: how can I get out of this? To be honest, I kind of like my depression, as it reminds me that life is deep, and I just feel more complex and evolved in contrast to most people around me.
> On the other side, the cons outweight the pros. My depression is really ****ing my life up on most of its aspects



Some of the stuff that comes to mind: 

Professional Treatment: Cognitive behavior therapy, antidepressants.   

Self-Care: 

- Identifying cognitive distortions
- Socializing more (making more friends, dating)
- Behavior therapy ("fake it till you make it": doing positive things like going to school even if you don't feel like it)
- Music therapy (you may want to get an MP3 player if you don't already have one)
- Journaling (getting your thoughts on paper can help clear your mind and help you focus on the positive)
- Psychoeducation / self-help (reading books or websites about the nature of depression)
- Have an emergency plan if you feel suicidal, such as calling a suicide hotline phone number or your therapist.  In the US:  1-800-SUICIDE & 1-800-273-TALK.  International directory: http://suicidehotlines.com/international.html



> I just find most people to be shallow, immature, not reflected, have low intelligence quotient, etc.



Even if that's true where you are now (which I don't think it is), you won't have that problem at most colleges.  So I assume you are in high school.  Many people find their college years to be their best regarding friends/socialization.


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## ThatLady (May 12, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

Your problems certainly don't sound trivial to me, perjorative. Anyone who can find so little joy in life is certainly in need of answers! There's nothing trivial about that!

You said you are in treatment, and that you're not taking drugs. Does that mean you're not on any sort of medication? Has your therapist given you any sort of diagnosis, or talked to you about taking medication to help alleviate these feelings, and help you to get some sleep?

The nosebleeds and slowly healing wounds make me wonder if you've been to a medical doctor to have a full series of lab work done. Have you?


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## Mari (May 13, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

H! I agree that you should see a medical doctor about your physical problems. I have similar problems if I do not take the following vitamins daily: zinc 20-50mg. Vit C 500mg. iron 10-20mg. If it is cheaper and easier you can take a multivitamin that includes these. If you are patient you can and will find that special person to talk with. I am sure there are people here who will listen and talk if you want to.


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## Pejorative (May 13, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

Hello, everyone. Thank you for your will to help me. It is deeply appreciated.

*To daniel:* Thanks for your tips on self-care. I'll try it out. I already am doing/trying the following:
- Socializing more (To a certain extent, I am doing this. I'm not going to socialize with people i disslike (read: most people))
- Music therapy (hip hop is my savior. I also listen to alot of sad music like postal service and m83. I don't know if that is too wise, but it feels good, in a weird way.)
- Journaling
- Psychoeducation (have been reading a little about it)

*To david:* I know that suicide ends everything, and that it is selfish to do it. However, everyone has a limit. If mine is reached, I'm not sure what I will do.

*To ThatLady* Thanks for the care. I am not on any types of medication. This might sound weird to you, but I am afraid of meds; they seem so artificial and temproary, and I am afraid of possible bi-effects and addiction. Illusion seems as a good word to describe them.

And about my nose bleeding, I have not been to a doctor about it. 

*To Mari (norwegian name?)* Thanks for the comfort  I'm not going to take any daily meds. That's NOT happening. Sorry to sound negative about it, but I'd rather bleed than taking that stuff. I hope to find someone to talk to here, indeed.


All in all, I would prefer to have people in my real life to talk to. It's not like I don't have them, but as I said earlier, they trivialize it (I don't blame them, they are no experts on this). To be brutally honest, I don't feel like I have people showing me care and deep love. That's probably a bias, cause someone from another forum told me:

_"People has shown you love already, but you dont recognize it as such, because as you said it, you think your life is so complex so you are looking for complex love, you cant admit love is simple sometimes, like helping a friend when he calls, or just talking to him on the phone, or simply tolerating him when he becomes a pain. 

Your expectations of love are too big, you need to come down from your cloud and meet her, your friends, and family down here, where love is doing small things, being there, etc."_

I guess he is right, and I feel like an asshole for not recognizing the love people show me. Right now, I feel so unstable, chaotic, sad, and I would really appreciate someone comforting me IRL (why the hell aren't there any help groups around? Damn...) But I guess it might be too much to ask. Thanks for your care, though.


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## Into The Light (May 13, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

this is a long post, but your post brought up a lot of thoughts in me and somehow i suspect you won't mind a lengthy reply 



Pejorative said:


> *To david:* I know that suicide ends everything, and that it is selfish to do it. However, everyone has a limit. If mine is reached, I'm not sure what I will do.


i hope that you fight the urge should you reach what you think is your limit. i've had many thoughts about suicide myself and i've learned a great deal in researching possible ways, enough to stop me from going down that road. there's a problem with suicide, in that quite often attempts fail, and you may end up permanently disabled (physically, mentally, or both). i've always thought, if i screw up the attempt, then i've got REAL problems and even more reason for wanting to die. at that point i might not even be able to try again. my situation would be more hopeless to me than where i already was. in which case, i'd better make sure the first time around is successful. and in that reasoning i realised that it wasn't what i truly wanted. i did not truly want to be dead.

also you have to consider the trauma and the mess you leave behind when other people find you. people DO love us, even if we don't love ourselves. losing someone you love is devastating, but to lose them to suicide is traumatic.

if you reach a limit, do not turn to suicide - get help. but i strongly urge you to get help before it gets to that point. i hit my limit in part because i was afraid of the meds and tried to get by without them. this could have been prevented. it was the worst, most horrendous experience of my life. don't let this happen to you, you do not want to go through that. i was extremely lucky that a friend of mine was around that day. had he not been, i cannot say what would have happened to me. i am very thankful to be here now, and incredibly grateful there is such a thing as anti-depressants. i owe my life to them.



> *To ThatLady* Thanks for the care. I am not on any types of medication. This might sound weird to you, but I am afraid of meds; they seem so artificial and temproary, and I am afraid of possible bi-effects and addiction. Illusion seems as a good word to describe them.


i'd like to point you to a link to read about anti-depressants, this article is very informative:
Top 10 Things You Should Know About Antidepressants

Also this may be helpful:
Top 10 Depression Myths Debunked



> And about my nose bleeding, I have not been to a doctor about it.
> 
> *To Mari (norwegian name?)* Thanks for the comfort  I'm not going to take any daily meds. That's NOT happening. Sorry to sound negative about it, but I'd rather bleed than taking that stuff. I hope to find someone to talk to here, indeed.


i'd say talk to your doctor about it, if he recommends meds, you may wish to discuss why you're not interested in that.



> All in all, I would prefer to have people in my real life to talk to. It's not like I don't have them, but as I said earlier, they trivialize it (I don't blame them, they are no experts on this). To be brutally honest, I don't feel like I have people showing me care and deep love. That's probably a bias, cause someone from another forum told me:
> _"People has shown you love already, but you dont recognize it as such, because as you said it, you think your life is so complex so you are looking for complex love, you cant admit love is simple sometimes, like helping a friend when he calls, or just talking to him on the phone, or simply tolerating him when he becomes a pain.
> 
> Your expectations of love are too big, you need to come down from your cloud and meet her, your friends, and family down here, where love is doing small things, being there, etc."_
> ...



i struggle with similar sorts of feelings and it's hard for others to understand. some of us are just very complex and others are just relatively simple without too much deep thought about life, the universe and everything. i think us depressive types tend to think about deep and complex issues, we get focused on it because we're not living life. others who are not depressed are just going about their daily lives for the most part. 



> To be brutally honest, I don't feel like I have people showing me care and deep love.


can it be that unless someone doesn't understand your thoughts and feelings, that you feel unloved?


i am also wondering if you are missing some form of spirituality in your life. i am not talking religion necessarily but something that makes you feel connected to the world around you, to life.

you are not the only one, so there's bound to be someone else you can meet one day with similar thoughts, feelings, attitudes for you to connect with. it may take a while, but it's something to work at finding. you are not alone, and there's hope. you're still very young too, i do not know if you'll be going off to university or college, but if so, that is a wonderful opportunity to discover yourself and to meet other people. get involved! get out there, start looking for people like you. if you sit and wait, no one is going to come knocking at your door. in the meantime try to accept that the friends and family you have right now do love you, even if they don't understand you.

one more thing, you said you were in therapy but that it is ineffective. can you explain that further?


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## ThatLady (May 13, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

You definitely need a good physical checkup to determine the cause of the nosebleeds. This type of thing is not one that medication is normally prescribed for, unless it is caused by hypertension. I'd see your doctor about this.

If you absolutely refuse to take medication, you might want to try therapy, at least. It sounds like you need some help to find the right path for yourself.


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## Pejorative (May 13, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

ugh... its late night now and im afraid of going to bed.. i feel like crap now, im afraid, i have angst, im sad, im thinking of how to kill myself... wow, nighttime definetly sucks the most.. ill try to get some sleep though. i also read this thread uncommonforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=28051 which scared me even more... what if i never feel better? im not going through life depressed

**** everything, even myself. **** all the happy people at school who grin and smile like they have never tasted pain.. whats there to be happy about?! yay i can go through one more day sticking to my routine like a robot!! woo!

sorry... not intending to be offensive. just had to write this


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## Daniel (May 14, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



> wow, nighttime definetly sucks the most..



Yes, that's very common and is another reason to take antidepressants and and/or anxiety medications since they can be very helpful with sleep.   Exercising more can also help regulate sleep (in addition to improve mood).  So you may want to do more aerobic exercise if you are getting less than 1 hour of moderate exercise a day.    Also, even if therapy _seems_ ineffective it can help providing a calming effect, mitigate symptoms, and help prevent the impulsivity inherent with young adult suicide and most suicide in general. 



> what if i never feel better? im not going through life depressed



For one thing, I've never heard of anyone who didn't get significantly better.  The nature of depression is that basically everyone gets better over time as long as they don't kill themselves. Another reason to journal is to create a mood log so that you can document the times that you felt okay or experienced pleasure.   This will help you see that you are getting better over time.  (People with depression usually have more selective memories, with negative exerperiences being easier to remember.   Books like _Stumbling on Happiness_ make the point that humans, generally, are not good at recalling how happy they were even a week ago during a certain event. With depression, this problem is magnified with a negative bias towards previous experiences.)     

Another thing is that you are just starting in adulthood and almost everyone experiences some form of "adjustment issues" while transitioning from adolescence to adulthood.    The amount of brain changes that happen from the age of 18 to the age of 30 are very significant, not to mention the changes in hormones.  Even after the age of 30, the brain is never static.


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## Pejorative (May 14, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

Hello again. When I wrote my last post I truly felt bad. I'll try to keep myself a little more in line.

*I just need to tell you about my day. It was pretty weird:*
As usual, I got little sleep and came too late for school. So when I arrive, the teacher explains the current task to me. The task is not a hard one, so I figure I can finish it in maybe 2 hours. I sit down and try to start working. Sadness strikes me; I can't focus or concentrate. Looking at nothing, I sit and ponder. This goes on for the rest of the day. In the school break, I meet my best friend. He jokes around abit, and I know it, but I still get angry at him for no reason at all. He tells me not to get angry about minor jokes, and I know I should not, but I still feel angry.

_Facts about my friend: he is basically in the same situation as me; he understands me and feel the same about things. The only thing which separate us is that he is not depressed. We have a ball together no matter the situation. Too bad he is moving soon. Another reason to kill myself._

Anyways, after school I go to work. I am stressed and sad. I try to man up and do my best at work (it's all about customer service, so I have to be happy). I basically take on a mask, and hide my true self. The two first hours of work I feel like ****, the two last hours I feel good. The last hour of work I start to bleed noseblood... again... I'm considering taking meds to fix myself. The thought of taking meds the rest of my life makes me sad.

The point of my little story here is that I am soooo unstable. One second I am unaffected by the world, the next second I am pondering about small, insignificant things. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*To ladybug:* I have no problems with lengthy posts. It just shows me that you can answer on more of my problems 
About the suicide: if I'm going to commit suicide, I'm gonna make sure it's done right. I thought about _{{Edit: potential triggering method details deleted}}_ Sounds horrible, and it makes me sad to think about how my mother and father will react when they find me like that. Wow, I'm already on good way planning it. I guess I am ****ed. It's not like anyone really care if I die or not, except my parents, and maybe my best friend, and maybe my brother.. Oh, well.

You wrote that I might need to get my spirituality up, and get my connection to the world back. I agree, I don't know how though. 

*About the ineffective therapy:* I went to some unpaid teen doctor/psychiatrist (on of my girl friends (just friends) got me in touch with him). He did not help me alot. So, I asked my teachers to give aid, they contacted the school counselor, she connected me with another shrink, which got me an appointment with an emergency doctor in the local hospital (only after 15 minutes of me talking to her). I am going to him tomorrow. I don't have my hopes up for him (but he is still my last hope). If he can't help me, I think I might give up, but I am not sure. If there is one thing I need right now, it is a person with a damn hard backbone who knows what he does. Just to tell me what to do and pull me through this. Wishful thinking, unfortunately.

*To ThatLady:* I'm pretty sure my bleeding is caused by tension/stress. I've only bled after I got my depression. Before that it was maximum once a year, now it is every day.

You say I need some guidance to find my right path. I agree, that's why I am here. I hope nice people like you can help me. 

*To Daniel:* I do physical excercise atleast two times a week (with friends), for an hour in the gym. It helps. 
About biased memories; I agree. I try to keep my journal up, when I have the power to write.
Thanks for the comfort, though.

I hope you guys are still interested in helping. I feel like I am writing too much insignificant **** here. Atleast it helps me get my thoughts out.
Right now I feel stable (funny how it sways). To be honest, I find it exiting to observe myself in my depressed state. I am, after all, interested in psycholgy.

Anyways, I'm soooo goddamn excited to meet mr.psychiatrist! Ahh, can't wait. Hope he is good.

*Edit:* Upon reading alot of what I have written, I notice alot of whine. I can do nothing else but appoligize about it; I know how annoying it can be to try to help whiners.
*Edit 2* Just had to mention that I really appreciate you guys. Your feedback and help are some of the few things that keep me going.


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## Daniel (May 14, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



> The thought of taking meds the rest of my life makes me sad.


 The vast majority of people who currently have moderate-to-severe depression don't need to take medication for the rest of their lives.



> if I'm going to commit suicide, I'm gonna make sure it's done right.


 The fact is that every suicide attempt always carry a signficant risk for surviving with brain damage, paralysis, etc.   If I remember correctly, something like 30,000 people in the United States survive a suicide attempt each year with a disabling injury. That's about the same number of people in the US who die from suicide.


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## Halo (May 14, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

Pejorative,

I just wanted to wish you good luck with your appt. tomorrow and I hope that you are as honest with him/her as you have been with us.  You genuinely sound like you want help and to get better and if you are honest with your psych tomorrow and lay all your cards on the table that is the only way for him/her to truly be able to help you.

Again, good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Take care


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## Daniel (May 14, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



> Sounds horrible, and it makes me sad to think about how my mother and father will react when they find me like that.



And that is an understatement. Parents are never the same after losing a child to suicide.   Their reaction spans _decades_. Honestly, most young adults don't have a clue about the grief that is involved or the risks involving brain/organ damage and so continue to have idealized notions about suicide, and such notions of an easy exit can certainly exacerbate one's current state of depression.    Also, people tend to think their depression is unique (rather than generic), and, therefore, tend to falsely see their depression as a permanent, hopeless condition.  In reality, most people who attempt suicide don't re-attempt suicide any time soon because they get better even without the advantage of professional treatment.



> The point of my little story here is that I am soooo unstable. One second I am unaffected by the world, the next second I am pondering about small, insignificant things.



Such ups and downs throughout the day are common with depression.  As your depression gets better, your performance will certainly get better and be more stable.    The fact that you are both working and going to school while having depression is a good sign.   Of course, I would think if you didn't have to work you may have more ability/energy to focus on school.


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## Pejorative (May 15, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

Hello everyone.

Thanks for clearing that up, Daniel. I'm trying to work as little as possible (2-3 times a week), so I can conserve my energy for school, especially now when we have exams.

Thanks for your kind wishes, Nancy. I was at the psychiatrist today, here is what happened:
I arrived at the hospital too late for the appointment, the shrink didn't seem aggrevated about it. We sat down and recapped everything I have told you people. I had a realization: when I told him about my suicidal thoughts and planning, I sunk together in a pond of tears. I really don't want to do it. It's a horrible thing, and I don't know why I am even considering it. 

*His summary:* I seem to be in the heat on an individualization process. The reason I feel and react the way I do, is because my ego is separating me (temproarily) from society and forcing me to think through things in an overly critical way. He tells me this is necessary for me to do, becuase my mind is on a crossroad; I can either take the way to the left, and meet a stop, or take the harsh road to the right, which will test my mental capacity/strength, etc. If I make it through the harsh road, I will come through as a better person. I agree with this. He also told me that this happened prematurely; most people get to this sort of crossroad only after their twenties, IF they ever experience this sort of thing. Obviously, not everyone does. 

We also talked a lot about my ambitions and future. I told him I won't just go through life as a normal/mediocre person. To me, this got clear in my depression. I guess I will have to test out alot of different routes, etc. but I will make damn sure I don't end up in a 9-5 cubicle.
Do you guys have any tips from experience here? I'd be grateful. Besides, I'd rather learn from your mistakes, than my own (not always possible, though). 

*The tasks he gave me:*
- Take omega 3 and vitamin pills.
- Fill out a form with 500 questions and hand it in on our next appointment.

To be utterly honest, our meeting really did help me. I feel better because I'm only in this phase, which will pass in not too long (at least, that's what he told me.) I'll try to pop some of the pills, and keep my hopes up for college. It's all about the mental attitude. However, even though I feel good now, I might feel like crap later. That thought scares me...

So long. Hoping for some nice responses.


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## Daniel (May 15, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



> His summary: I seem to be in the heat on an individualization process. The reason I feel and react the way I do, is because my ego is separating me (temproarily) from society and forcing me to think through things in an overly critical way.



Some people would refer to this as "adjustment issues." Anyway, I do know that at least a few therapists and psychiatrists will not even give a diagnosis of anything unless they are convinced the client is experiencing something more than "adjustment issues."   That doesn't mean they don't treat them.  They just don't want to "label" the person.   

For example, during college, when I saw the chief of psychiatry at a large research hospital, he said even though I was depressed for several years with OCD-like symptoms, he still thought I was at partially experiencing "adjustment issues" regarding the transition to adulthood.


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## Pejorative (May 15, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



Daniel said:


> How long have you had feelings of depression, anyway?



Circa 4 months.


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## Daniel (May 15, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*



> Circa 4 months.



OK.  Not that it may matter much regarding treatment, but that's still considered acute depression since it's been less than six months.  



> most people get to this sort of crossroad only after their twenties, IF they ever experience this sort of thing.



A related point:



			
				David Baxter said:
			
		

> I have said frequently that the traits and personality characteristics that make one vulnerable to depression are often the same as those that make you a sensitive, considerate human being and attract other people to you as a good friend and romantic partner...
> 
> Pyschology gives out the msg that 'normality' doesn't exist?



Along similar lines, a popular thread on this forum was:

The Highly Sensitive Person - Psychlinks


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## Halo (May 15, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

Pejorative,

I am glad to hear that your appt. seemed to go well and that you have a follow up appt. scheduled.  I have done the same sort of questionnaire that you are speaking of and although long, it really is helpful to answer as honestly as possible and hopefully it will give him some further insight.

Again, I am happy to hear that you think that it helped.


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## Pejorative (May 15, 2007)

*Re: In need of help regarding complex depression.*

Hello, Nancy and Daniel.

*Just to clear up a few possible missunderstandings:*
1: I'm not hypersensitive.
2: I'm not shy.

Yeah, the questionnaire is long, Nancy. And most of the questions are angled towards a possible paranoid guy. E.G. Do you feel like someone is following you?, Are someone plotting evil deeds toward you?. Made me laugh.

Hope this helps me out further, indeed. I feel so-so, now. Going to go to the gym to work myself a little.

Oh, and by now, all my teachers know what's up with me. They all said they are going to go easy on me, and they all seem to care. Very helpful people. Makes me jolly.


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