Hello! I'm happy to have found this site. In my experience, one of the most devastating effects of depression is the isolation that often accompanies it. Unless someone has experienced it they just don't "get it." Or, equally frustrating, they don't want to hear about it. This seems like a warm and accepting place to visit.
I'll eventually post more, but here's a brief summary: I've been diagnosed with treatment-resistant clinical depression which has basically turned my life inside out. After 10+ years of trying every anti-depressant on the market I had ECT which accomplished nothing more than wiping out my short term memory. I was forced to give up a 25-year career and go on disability. That was 14 years ago. I live on a cocktail of drugs which allow me to function most of the time, although lately I've been going through a bad patch which is probably why I'm here.
The only upside of all this is that I've had a lot of experience with depression, so in addition to seeking support I hope to be able to offer some help to others.
While I'm familiar with posting in forums, I've never been in a chat room. Do I need a hi-speed connection to participate? I live in the back of beyond and only have a glacially slow dial-up.
Another depressed newbie
Moderators: Sunlily92, windsong, BlueGobi, Moderators, Astrid
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georgiapeach
- Posts: 1729
- Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:59 pm
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Hi somanycritters! A warm welcome and a sorry for the delay in responding to your post. Yes, this is a great place and forum, and I'm very glad you found it as well!
I don't know much about the internet, but maybe if you wrote to the site itself they could give you some input into your question about the dial-up connection?
Love your nickname here, by the way... do you have some, "critters," at home? I just have my one and only furry critter - a Siberian Husky named Dakota. Both the pain and light in my life!
Again, welcome and hope you keep posting - and can get into the chat room - you'll love it!
I don't know much about the internet, but maybe if you wrote to the site itself they could give you some input into your question about the dial-up connection?
Love your nickname here, by the way... do you have some, "critters," at home? I just have my one and only furry critter - a Siberian Husky named Dakota. Both the pain and light in my life!
Again, welcome and hope you keep posting - and can get into the chat room - you'll love it!
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somanycritters
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 1:00 pm
Thanks! I managed to get into the chatroom and then couldn't figure out how to send my message! duh... Anyway, I got that solved and now am trying to get caught up on the latest. Never been in a chatroom before, so it's a bit overwhelming.
Yes, I do have lots of dear critters: 2 kitties, 2 dogs (GSD's) and 2 horses. They are the reason I get up in the morning and I think of them as my family (all my human family all managed to die within a period of 6 years). The horses have also brought me a network of friends at the stable where I board the them. While there's always lot to talk about when horsepeople get together, depression is not on the menu, so here I am.
Grok, I love your avatar. Any horses in your life?
Yes, I do have lots of dear critters: 2 kitties, 2 dogs (GSD's) and 2 horses. They are the reason I get up in the morning and I think of them as my family (all my human family all managed to die within a period of 6 years). The horses have also brought me a network of friends at the stable where I board the them. While there's always lot to talk about when horsepeople get together, depression is not on the menu, so here I am.
Grok, I love your avatar. Any horses in your life?
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georgiapeach
- Posts: 1729
- Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:59 pm
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I believe our animals are real parts of our families as well, somanycritters! My dog is my baby right now!!
I'm so sorry to hear about your family...
I'm glad you have your pets to make you feel good every day!
Horses, huh? I've only ridden a horse once... let's just say I was a very very sore girl at the end of my trip - and the day after! They are beautiful though. Do you ride?
I'm so sorry to hear about your family...
I'm glad you have your pets to make you feel good every day!
Horses, huh? I've only ridden a horse once... let's just say I was a very very sore girl at the end of my trip - and the day after! They are beautiful though. Do you ride?
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georgiapeach
- Posts: 1729
- Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:59 pm
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(((((((((((((((((((( aim ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
im sorry to hear about your horse riding expirence, but somehow i cant help but to chuckle a little bit at it. hope that doesnt offend you. i had the same expirence when i rode a horse. i would love to get into riding them more but idk if i can do it...
im sorry to hear about your horse riding expirence, but somehow i cant help but to chuckle a little bit at it. hope that doesnt offend you. i had the same expirence when i rode a horse. i would love to get into riding them more but idk if i can do it...
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somanycritters
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 1:00 pm
I ride one of my guys just about every day, but if I miss more than 2 or 3 days I get sore, so I definitely know what you mean! I love the riding but the best part is just being around them, grooming them or whatever. They have literally been a life saver. Many years ago I had severe agoraphobia. What finally pulled me out of it was my desire to be around horses and eventually have one of my own. That was nearly 30 years ago and they are still a huge motivating influence in my life.
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grok
- Posts: 1765
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 8:07 pm
- Location: just a bit past here, on my way to there
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For myself I am currently critterless, it's pretty much enough watching out for myself these days. Along the way tho there has been a whole menagerie of pets and such, I think at it one point we had a dog, a cat, a pidgeon, two turtles, assorted tropical fish in one tank and a pirhanna in another (and everybody except the pirhanna got along well with each other, even the cat and the pidgeon were buddies). As to horses, back in the day I rode an iron horse (the two wheel kind) for several years, close as I got.
Hang in there with the chatroom critters, like riding a horse you'll soon get the hang of it!
G.
Hang in there with the chatroom critters, like riding a horse you'll soon get the hang of it!
G.
Have been away from the computer for the weekend.
Found out after being away for a bit that I really did miss you guys.
Suppose shows how comfortable I have become learing about all of you and also being able to share.
It was kind of eerie somanycritters when I read your post. There are so many things that are common in our lives. Except the ECT experience.
For that that I have heard my story before just carry on to the next post, I know I am repeating myself.
I also suffer from drug-resistant depression, and have done for many years. I know the hope when you try something new, hoping against hope that it will work. Then the feelings that come when no, this one didn't work either.I am glad that you found this site. I have thought about trying the chat room thing but I don't think that I could handle it, at least yet. I get overstimulated very easily.
Was diagnosed with bipolarII (along with a litany of other diagnsos,am on permanent disability,cannot work again). I have experienced the manic stages only a few times (I know several people who look forward to the manic times, but I find them good at the time,for the enormous amount of work I am able to do, but when I saw the havoc that I had caused, I don't look forward to them) but mostly have had to deal with the deep depression.
I used to be one of those definite, non-animal person.I only allowed a cat in the home after much cajoling from my daughter.
That feeling was turned up-side down about 7 years ago. My son had a three dogs, but when his daughter arrived the three were too much. He really pushed me to take one.I had one of them, a week at a time, for a trial period.
It turned out that I kept the last one, Molly, the one who had been abused, but took permanent residence in my heart. She also ended up saving my life. I was in a very deep depresion at the time.I couldn't get out of bed in the morning. I really don't know what possessed me to think that I could handle a dog.
Whatever the reason, she was the difference. I had to get out of bed.
At first I could just walk to the end of the street with her. It turned out that she gave me something to live for. I had to take her out on walks each day. The one block thing advanced to 5 miles a day, walking the country roads. Actually writing about this now brings tears to my eyes because I know that some people make think that my praise of her is an exaggeration. It isn't. I very rarely used to let people and certainly not animals. in but letting Molly is one of the reasons that I am on this planet right now.
Unfortunately when I moved to a larger center she had to go with my kid's dad. It was an amicable separation between Alec and I, so Molly isn't totally out of my life. An animal that had been abused turned out not being something to fear, but someone to love. She is quite muscular so it wasn't fair for her not to be in a place where she can run. She gets two long runs a day. Alec is able to take her outside of town and just let her run, a beautiful thing to watch.
Running gives her so much joy, nothing compared to the joy that she added to my life.
This, non-animal lover, would have Molly sleep with me every night. She likes to put her paws against my chest (would be next to the wall of I would fall off the bed, it was a twin bed and she was a big dog) so often i would jsut lay there, not wanting to move in case I disturbed her, just watching, thanking someone that I had her in my life.l
Sorry that I went on so long, just thinking about Molly this morning touched a place, very deep in my heart.
Found out after being away for a bit that I really did miss you guys.
Suppose shows how comfortable I have become learing about all of you and also being able to share.
It was kind of eerie somanycritters when I read your post. There are so many things that are common in our lives. Except the ECT experience.
For that that I have heard my story before just carry on to the next post, I know I am repeating myself.
I also suffer from drug-resistant depression, and have done for many years. I know the hope when you try something new, hoping against hope that it will work. Then the feelings that come when no, this one didn't work either.I am glad that you found this site. I have thought about trying the chat room thing but I don't think that I could handle it, at least yet. I get overstimulated very easily.
Was diagnosed with bipolarII (along with a litany of other diagnsos,am on permanent disability,cannot work again). I have experienced the manic stages only a few times (I know several people who look forward to the manic times, but I find them good at the time,for the enormous amount of work I am able to do, but when I saw the havoc that I had caused, I don't look forward to them) but mostly have had to deal with the deep depression.
I used to be one of those definite, non-animal person.I only allowed a cat in the home after much cajoling from my daughter.
That feeling was turned up-side down about 7 years ago. My son had a three dogs, but when his daughter arrived the three were too much. He really pushed me to take one.I had one of them, a week at a time, for a trial period.
It turned out that I kept the last one, Molly, the one who had been abused, but took permanent residence in my heart. She also ended up saving my life. I was in a very deep depresion at the time.I couldn't get out of bed in the morning. I really don't know what possessed me to think that I could handle a dog.
Whatever the reason, she was the difference. I had to get out of bed.
At first I could just walk to the end of the street with her. It turned out that she gave me something to live for. I had to take her out on walks each day. The one block thing advanced to 5 miles a day, walking the country roads. Actually writing about this now brings tears to my eyes because I know that some people make think that my praise of her is an exaggeration. It isn't. I very rarely used to let people and certainly not animals. in but letting Molly is one of the reasons that I am on this planet right now.
Unfortunately when I moved to a larger center she had to go with my kid's dad. It was an amicable separation between Alec and I, so Molly isn't totally out of my life. An animal that had been abused turned out not being something to fear, but someone to love. She is quite muscular so it wasn't fair for her not to be in a place where she can run. She gets two long runs a day. Alec is able to take her outside of town and just let her run, a beautiful thing to watch.
Running gives her so much joy, nothing compared to the joy that she added to my life.
This, non-animal lover, would have Molly sleep with me every night. She likes to put her paws against my chest (would be next to the wall of I would fall off the bed, it was a twin bed and she was a big dog) so often i would jsut lay there, not wanting to move in case I disturbed her, just watching, thanking someone that I had her in my life.l
Sorry that I went on so long, just thinking about Molly this morning touched a place, very deep in my heart.
Monty! That was a beautiful story!!! I was also not much of an animal person until I got my Dakota. 
I really think animals are incredibly theraputic. They love unconditionally, and depend on their human to care for all of their needs. Yes, a dog is the best medicine when you can't get out of bed.
My dog happens to provide me with the only exercise I get! We walk, five days a week, for about 30 minutes before I go to work. She loves it, and I've strapped on ankle weights to increase my workout!
That was not a ramble, Monty... it sounds like a Lifetime movie that would put me in tears...
By the way - has anyone seen, "Marley and Me?" I read the book and cried. I saw the movie and sobbed!!!
I really think animals are incredibly theraputic. They love unconditionally, and depend on their human to care for all of their needs. Yes, a dog is the best medicine when you can't get out of bed.
My dog happens to provide me with the only exercise I get! We walk, five days a week, for about 30 minutes before I go to work. She loves it, and I've strapped on ankle weights to increase my workout!
That was not a ramble, Monty... it sounds like a Lifetime movie that would put me in tears...
By the way - has anyone seen, "Marley and Me?" I read the book and cried. I saw the movie and sobbed!!!
Thanks for your kind words Amy.
Sometimes I feel like I cross the fine line of a story, becoming sappy.
Loved Marley and Me. I went to see it when it first came out. Towards the end of the movie you could hear people starting to sniffle a bit. Think that by the end pretty well the whole audience came close to sobbing.
I seem to have a differing view that a lot of others. It made me cry, but it wasn't a bad cry. For me it turned out to be a happy ending.
Won't go on any further, for those who might want to go out and see it.
I have a threater near me that has matinees on Tuesdays for $2. and the rest of the week $3. Marley is playing there now so I think I might pop over a couple of times before it leaves and see it again.
Definitely one to go see.
Sometimes I feel like I cross the fine line of a story, becoming sappy.
Loved Marley and Me. I went to see it when it first came out. Towards the end of the movie you could hear people starting to sniffle a bit. Think that by the end pretty well the whole audience came close to sobbing.
I seem to have a differing view that a lot of others. It made me cry, but it wasn't a bad cry. For me it turned out to be a happy ending.
Won't go on any further, for those who might want to go out and see it.
I have a threater near me that has matinees on Tuesdays for $2. and the rest of the week $3. Marley is playing there now so I think I might pop over a couple of times before it leaves and see it again.
Definitely one to go see.
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