awesome housemate :)

hey, i've made a bit of a breakthrough and a connection w/one of the ppl i flat with tonight! i was talking to my flatmate while cooking dinner tonight and somehow we got onto the subject of depression and she said she'd had it in high school and she said her parents and doctor didn't get it at all, they just wanted it kept a secret. and the same thing happened to me, my parents were all hush-hush about it as well...so i told her about my experiences! and it made me feel a bit vunerable but at the same time less isolated, like i wasn't alone. the same thing happened to me the last time i shared my depression with someone - it was my aunt in that same and she told me she was on prozac too! it's so reassuring to know that there are ppl i can talk to, i feel so much more supported now.

it was kinda strange reading this post- what is it with NZers that the stigma of depression and other mental health issues is so bad everything has to be kept hidden away??? Same story with me... going back to when my father had his last breakdown over 20yrs ago. Is it this bad in other places??? Great that you have established a valuable relationship with your flatmate

i don't know, it is strange b/c mental illness is so prevalent in my family, yet no one will talk about it, if u bring it up the overwhelming majority will change the subject...it was strange when i talked to my aunt b/c when she told me of her experiences with depression, she detailed a whole family history of it, that i had never even heard of - bar my late grandfather's severe depression. i think it's a vicious cycle - ppl don't talk about their problems b/c of the stigma attached and as a result they only withdrawl further into themselves. yet it's breaking the taboo and talking about my problems that has helped me the most!

Hi Zombiette,
I'm glad you have an IRL support system. That's a great thing to have. Hope all goes well.

Hi Zombie

I'm sorry I've neglected to talk to you in a while, dats cause I haven't been on dis site for a while. Had anutha melt down. I feel so crazy and so freakin insane. I wish dat I could do things better. I'm so glad dat you found a mate to have a good and understanding chat to. It really does make a difference. I made a new friend who's a mental health pharmacist and she went thru the whole drama dat I am going through right now. It feels better that I do have some sort of chance of breaking through this utter crap. I just feel so sad and so lonely and so pissed off at damn pdocs and therapists! I just feel depressed. Good on you gurl for da breakthru!

Love Sezzie

Hey Sezzie!
good to hear from u gurl, i was wondering where u'd been. sorry 2 hear u've been having a tough time recently, but i'm glad u've got a friend u can talk 2 cuz it really helps 2 have ppl like dat around. had a bit of a setback a while ago afta i went up to akld in the uni hols, and had to see my mother again (i'm sorry, i know there is a social expectation that u love and respect ur mother, but i just can't do that, she put me thru 2 much). but am back on track now...u'll get thru this crap, u might not think so now but plenty of otha ppl do so u just hafta trust urself and stay hopeful take care!
Luv,
Zombiette.

((((hugs)))) No, you aren't alone... none of us are Sigh.

Thanks peeps.

My life is one big major setback tho. I'm doing the whole b and p-ing again *sobs*. I feel like the biggest kid ever. My meds have all increased heaps and I still aint responding to them. I am so anti-the-establishment. I give my psych peeps a bit of trouble when trying to deal with me. I am a bit of a tough customer. I do it because I feel like they %#@&#! me up even more than i was %#@&#! up before! I'm so scared that I'll never get better and keep whinging and harpen and moanin on about it. It's good to hear from yas.

Catchus later

((((((Sezzie))))))
i'm so sorry u feel so bad, i wish there was something i could do to make it all go away...just trust me once u get thru this (and u will!!! nothing lasts forever!) u will be able to have the most amazing life and u'll be able to turn all the pain into smthn positive. i don't binge and purge, but self-harm from time-to-time and a strategy i use to stop myself is to put it off for an hour and go and do smthn else, and once the hour is up i don't really find i need to do it anymore so i don't. maybe it would work for binging n purging? could be worth a try.
Luv from the mainland (i.e. Chch)
Zombiette

That's great Zombiette. Support IRL is vital.

It seems so true...that family and friends want to push depression under the rug...they say things like oh snap out of it...stop pouting...I don't feel sorry for you...you feel sorry enough for yourself...They just don't get it...or sometimes they will ignor it all together...My daughter tells me, "Oh ma you are just getting old...letting things bother you." I can't explain to my family...They don't understand...