[justfloating]

It struck me today that where depression is involved, sufferers can be doing any number of things. Off the top of my head, you can...

Manage depression.
Suffer from depression.
Live with depression.
Survive depression.

(I came up with more on my drive home from work but this is the first I've really been able to sit down and post so I can't remember the rest at the moment.)

I'm a linguistics student and a writer, so I think about these things, and today I realized that I tend to use a lot of different words to describe myself, my life with depression, or the depression itself, and that none of them really match up. One day I'm living with it, the next day I'm barely surviving it. I get irritated sometimes when I see the phrase "managing depression" because for the most part, I feel like my depression is managing me. "Managing depression" might be something to strive for but whenever I am told by the doctor that a med is going to help me "manage" my depression I just want to scream, because as soon as the depression starts getting the better of me (or I'm not "managing" it) I feel like a failure, all because of the language that was used.

So I wondered ... what are you doing with your depression (or what is it doing with you?) What verbs are you using when you have to talk about it? What does it mean to manage your depression (or live with it, or be a victim of it, or whatever other words you use to describe it)?

[Tumnus]

Overcoming the obstacle of depression (not the depression itself)
Learning from depression
Accepting depression

Accepting it's presence is key for me. Learning from the depths it takes me to. Overcoming the obstacles by learning better coping techniques and deepening by spiritual walk. I could elaborate, but it's a book.

[Pomegranate]

Today I am accepting and surviving depression. I kept hoping, over the years, that one day I would thrive and overcome depression... that has not happened for me yet.

[Rohag]

Originally Posted by Pomegranate

...accepting and surviving depression...

Pomegranate's words serve well to describe me. Also, there's a confusion of subject and object as you mentioned, Justfloating: do I have depression or does depression have me? Most of the time it's the latter.

[pegasus]

Coping

..........

[idontknow13]

Suffer from....

[Elysium]

This may sound dumb, but I am experiencing my depression.

I am taking it all in. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I'm sure some of you are wondering what good could come from experiencing depression? Well, on those particular days when I feel stronger, less vulnerable, and even a little bit, dare I say, happy, I realize that at that moment I am experiencing relief and it is a refreshing feeling to have, so I do my best to consider that a good thing. It is difficult though, because those days are often few and far between.

I often times will say that depression as an illness takes management and, yes, I have spoken of depression management. But I agree...a lot of times it is more that the depression is managing me.

Anyway, just my two cents......

Being Bipolar of which I highly am.

Is a terrible roller coaster.

The ups are crazy... When I'm this way I try to do everything at once.
I do take advantage of it, as I know what will be coming next.

But the downs are like zombie land and feel like there never going to end.
And just if it's a day. It's like the whole world is coming down.

I know this didn't answer anything but was just sharing