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Vibe · Jun 20, 2011, 04:45 AM

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While it is impossible to stop being depressed or stop having mood swings, I learned it is possible to stop having those to rule your life... It *is* possible to push through and go on with life, even if you are in a bad place at the moment. I like to believe that one can learn to live with the symptoms.... not because I believe people are fakers.... but because I believe in people. And I believe in myself..

This is a good point. Sometimes it’s not a matter of reducing symptoms, but learning how to cope with them. People should be empowered in these areas – especially because sometimes there is no other choice but to live with symptoms. Plus effective coping mechanisms can actually help reduce the impact, duration, and severity of episodes. By structuring my life in an extremely organized fashion and sticking to schedule, I managed to live for some time with extremely mild symptoms. There was a lot of specific stuff involved in this though – including forcing myself to get out and function even when I didn’t feel like it. The impact of will should not be undermined.

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It is also possible to learn to appreciate some of those emotions, instead of just trying to get rid of them. They can be channeled into something. Because look at it this way, you are never gonna get rid of it, even if you go by what modern science says. One still has episodes. It is still life long thing... so maybe one needs to change their attitude to wanting to be normal and than they have chance for living better, more fullfilling lifes.

I am just saying what worked for me. If you are gonna call me a faker, go ahead. But I would think it would be unfair... and hypocritical.

And there’s where philosophy and spirituality come in. Learning to accept what can not be changed allows one to focus on other aspects of life which provide meaning. It probably reduces the impact and prevalence of depression as well. If I sit around moping about how bad I feel, it’s probably going to make me feel a lot worse. Although to be fair, I still haven’t mastered a lot of areas here. Always room for improvement, right?

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There was article on PC newsfeed about a pill to erase bad memories. But if it worked... would it be moral to give such pill to a person coming from combat?

Science provides many things. Nuclear energy, antibiotics, etc. It is up to humanity to decide how to utilize these things. I’m still amazed that people still have trouble realizing that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do this thing. Or that maybe certain things need to be done conservatively and responsibly. I swear humanity as a whole lacks impulse control.

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Look, I don't think it matters here if the brain changes or not. Meds can only help this much.... and is not that much at all. Pill will not help you deal with the past. There is not chemical that would learn you to come to terms with it, let you move on and learn from your experience without it haunting you.

I find it funny how people are so quick to look at changes in the brain caused by traumatic events. But so rarely do we hear about the changes in the brain which can take place by learning to positively cope with events. Structuring thought and behavior in an appropriate fashion probably changes the brain too. There is a back and forth there which we do not understand yet. I’m personally hesitant to mess with brain chemistry using chemicals given the current state of knowledge regarding the brain.

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I think this is what Coelho adresses in his essay and in Veronika... some people fall into trap of "madness" of not wanting to deal with the world...

Getting into psychward is seeing as lifesaver....but when you are there the world does not stop and wait foryou to come back... if the external life falls appart while are you dealing with your inner struggle... it is not gonna help... mortage and bills still need to be paid.... maybe sometimes one has to tough it out, as there is not other choice for the moment.
if you let your jobs, friends and all this slip to deal with your issues.... how are you gonna come back?

Yes, I’ve considered it myself. ‘Can I manage to function anyways? What if I fail? Should I bother? There are other options available to me – professionally sick. Do I really want that? Can I avoid it?’ It still kind of haunts me, but sometimes when I’m really out of it, the idea seems enticing.

This bit about the psych ward is true, although sometimes it is a necessary evil. I personally avoid it unless I’m so suicidal I won’t live otherwise. Because mortgage, bills, friends, and job don’t mean a damn thing if I’m dead. However, if I’m not in that desperate a position, then it’s important to consider the pros and cons of going. Even when I felt bad recently, I knew I couldn’t afford to miss school. So it just wasn’t an option unless I reached that point of desperation. Managing the illness should only be one part of managing life.