My Support Forums - View Single Post - what do you think about these thoughts I'm having?

bronzeowl · Mar 30, 2014, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomicc

Speaking for someone who DOES just go out and do those things, like go out with a friend, say positive things to myself, be proud of my accomplishments...yeah
it doesn't work. Maybe for normal people it might, but the whole point is we don't function like every one else so it will still piss me off if someone says that me. I do do the things they tell me and guess what, I'm still in the same spot.

This is why we get frustrated.

Everyone is different. No one person is exactly like another. What works for one person, isn't going to work for someone else. The problem is, these ideas are always touted as 'cures'. Which is dangerous. Dangerous because the depressed individual (as I'm sure we all know) is already.. well, depressed. If he or she tries something that they were told would 'cure' their depression, and it doesn't, it could lead them into an even deeper depression. Causing them to wonder why it didn't work. And since self blame is common in depression, they may even blame themselves (convince themselves they weren't trying hard enough, for example) which could lead to an even deeper depression.

Am I denying they work? Not exactly. Yoga has helped me somewhat. For about an hour after yoga, I feel a bit more energized and a bit less depressed. Is it a cure? Not even close. It is a temporary bandaid for a much more complicated problem. Saying it cures my depression would be like saying a band-aid can cure a bullet wound. I walk for at least 30 minutes a day. I do yoga for about 30-60 minutes a day. If I can muster the energy, I even do cardio. But it has not cured me. Has it helped some people? I'm sure it has! And awesome for them! It just irks me that I often have people assuming I don't do these things, assuming I want to be isolated and depressed, and expecting me to suddenly be cured when I start running every day as if it's some magic pill. And then when I point out that I have, telling me I'm just not 'trying hard enough'.

Mental illness is complex. I could talk about serotonin and norepinephrine and dopamine and all those other neurotransmitters that are related to the various psychological disorders, but I don't know if I have the energy to even think about them as I'm currently deep in a depressive episode. Nevertheless, there is no catch all. Everyone is different. Exercise works for some. Socializing works for others. Still, some people only respond to therapy. And some only respond to pills. Some, even, respond only to specific types of therapy. I am not trying to be a negative Nancy, please don't think I am! I'm just trying to explain my perspective.

If you want to try it out, I encourage you to do so. All the best.