[Ludi]

I know if I had to live a "normal" life (city, job) I would be much more ill and would have to take a lot more medication.

[PolestaR]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PrairieMule', 'A') simple life in the country in many ways has much less anxiety. Last week we finished our 8ft deer proof fence for our vegetable garden. Also, I spent Thanksgiving morning digging out a clogged drainage pipe under a creek crossing.

That kind of work is simple, clean, and required almost no talking-just work. Replaces artificial enviroments with fresh air and sunshine. I'd rather have that over a Xanax.

[dohboi]

Not for some time, but it's getting pretty hard to stay cheery on a rainy New Year's Eve in Minnesota. Scarily bizarre.

Everyone I know is or has been on antidepressants at some point. While they are obvoiusly important for some, their widespread use should give us pause.

If someone kept a large kennel of dogs, and the only way to keep many of them from being totally depressed and nonfunctioning was to inject them with drugs, we would all recognze that either something was wrong with that group of dogs genetically, or something was wrong with how they were being kept.

This is our situation, in fact. Many of us dogs need drugs to function. We need to ask--Is it because of our genes in every case? Or is it our kennel--our society--that is making us sick?

[dohboi]

One more point, if I may.

Is it actually sane to respond to our multiple converging crises with perfect, unruffled aplomb? Anyone who doesn't occasionally fall into some pretty deep despair on occasion probably is not paying attention or is lying to themselves.

If this world doesn't drive you crazy once in a while, there is probably something seriously wrong with you.

[Ludi]

It's pretty well accepted that most depression is situational, not genetic, dohboi. Situational depression is that caused by stressful life events. Even some people with potential genetically-based depressive illness may not manifest the illness unless they experience unusual stress.

[vision-master]

"Green Prozac" works the best. Really. The other stuff made me worse.............

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')s much as I've been around and been envolved with mentally ill people, drugs, gangs, etc... I will say there's some people that are truely mentally ill, but it's the minority.

Most of these people just venture too far into the dark side (which lies in all of us), form some very bad mental habits, have bad childhoods, etc... But what keeps them trapped is making the outside world responsible for their condition, all the labels, drug concoctions and such do more harm than good to many of these people. In any case the only way out the mess is the hard road of taking full responsibility for yourself. I only can say this with any certainty because it's how I got out of my horrid state of being and made something of myself.

[seven]

Hey Ludi,

As a bipolar, I know exactly what you are talking about.

I was taking Effexor, but found that good quality fish oil supplements (as mentioned by another poster) seemed to help me much more in several ways - I originally got them to help with post-concussive syndrome (memory problems, etc) and found that they also improved my moods, and mood stability....without the dreaded mental dulling effect of rx drugs. I am off the Effexor now, with no 'descent into madness' like I used to experience off medication. It's as if you get to keep all the 'good things' about being bipolar without the down side. (I'm assuming you know what the good things are...) *I had to take the fish oil for several weeks before the benefits became apparent, so keep that in mind. Also, you can try fish oil without stopping your Effexor - see how you feel after about three weeks, and then consider lowering your Effexor dose and tapering off - that worked for me. You can always go back on the Effexor, if the fish oil doesn't make enough of a difference for you. Of course, you might want to take a bit higher dose than is considered 'normal' - not absurdly high, but 50 to 100% higher is safe, and makes more of a difference.

You might consider giving this a try...some scientists postulate that a diet high in fish oil is one of the main reasons that certain populations substantially & repeatedly outscore all other tested groups on 'intelligence' and scholastic achievement tests. With the marvelous cognitive results I've experienced with fish oil in just 3 or 4 months, I wouldn't be suprised if they are eventually proven correct. For years I avoided rx drugs because of the dulling effect; with terrible consequences - now I can both feel better AND not be a zombie - all from fish oil supplements.

It makes me kind of angry and sad that my 'mental illness' could be helped so much (much more than by rx drugs) by such a simple, natural thing - and 'medical science' hasn't a clue. If I had known about fish oil years ago, my life could have been a lot better; with many weird fiascos averted.

Better late than never.

[firestarter]

Google psuedo science and save your brains.

[Aaron]

This just in... scientists suspect water connected to wetness. Details @ 10.

Just in time for my new sig as well... sweet. Irony is so ironic.

The above poll was originated by a poster other than Aaron

[Ludi]

That theory has been around since the 80s at least....


Really old news....

[cynicalheretic]

Anyway depression is for losers. Real men don't cry they join congress and hunt up young male pages to have nice deep conversations with. By conversations I mean anal intercourse, and by real men, I mean pedophiles.

[gw]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'B')ut still I think we knew all along that child sexual abuse can be depressing a long time after it stops.

[davep]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gw', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'B')ut still I think we knew all along that child sexual abuse can be depressing a long time after it stops.

[firestarter]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('davep', '
')
Depression can be caused by many things. Simplistic causality is too easy IMO. Mixing abused and neglected children seems sloppy and non-scientific to me.

[davep]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('firestarter', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('davep', '
')
Depression can be caused by many things. Simplistic causality is too easy IMO. Mixing abused and neglected children seems sloppy and non-scientific to me.

[gw]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'M')any child abusers have an illusion that the child is not harmed.

[davep]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'I') think that alot of folks won't want to admit this because it means that they have to see their victims as having been harmed by them. Many child abusers have an illusion that the child is not harmed.