Current Events > Remember when I used to make a bunch of topics about being depressed

(+) Yeah! (+)

Good time, good times.

It's nice being not so down all the time anymore.

It's nice to be at a point in my life where even with a lot of shit going on, I feel relatively content with myself most of the time.

If you feel down, just remember, things DO get better, just gotta keep pushing forward.
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This too will pass.

Except that's not always how depression works and that's potentially really crappy advice.
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Leanaunfurled posted...

Except that's not always how depression works and that's potentially really crappy advice.

No, it's really not. Working to change your mindset and trying to keep positive, even when you don't feel that way at all, really does help in the long run.
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WafflehouseJK posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

Except that's not always how depression works and that's potentially really crappy advice.

No, it's really not. Working to change your mindset and trying to keep positive, even when you don't feel that way at all, really does help in the long run.

Not for everyone, which is my point, and what I already said.
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Leanaunfurled posted...

WafflehouseJK posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

Except that's not always how depression works and that's potentially really crappy advice.

No, it's really not. Working to change your mindset and trying to keep positive, even when you don't feel that way at all, really does help in the long run.

Not for everyone, which is my point, and what I already said.

Can confirm. The idea of "just moving forward" never helped me nor any of my friends. >_>

Feeling sad/down and being depressed are not the same thing.
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Leanaunfurled posted...

WafflehouseJK posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

Except that's not always how depression works and that's potentially really crappy advice.

No, it's really not. Working to change your mindset and trying to keep positive, even when you don't feel that way at all, really does help in the long run.

Not for everyone, which is my point, and what I already said.

How on earth would trying to think positively not be helpful to anyone?

I'm not saying it's an end all be all fix, but it does help things for sure.
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WafflehouseJK posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

Except that's not always how depression works and that's potentially really crappy advice.

No, it's really not. Working to change your mindset and trying to keep positive, even when you don't feel that way at all, really does help in the long run.

LOL no.
Over half my life has been trying to validate that belief

WafflehouseJK posted...

How on earth would trying to think positively not be helpful to anyone?

I'm not saying it's an end all be all fix, but it does help things for sure.

How do you go to CE and be this unaware of depression as a mental illness?
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KeyBlade999 posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

WafflehouseJK posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

Except that's not always how depression works and that's potentially really crappy advice.

No, it's really not. Working to change your mindset and trying to keep positive, even when you don't feel that way at all, really does help in the long run.

Not for everyone, which is my point, and what I already said.

Can confirm. The idea of "just moving forward" never helped me nor any of my friends. >_>

Feeling sad/down and being depressed are not the same thing.

And I get that. I was most definitely depressed, and still deal with it. But overall I'm much more happy and content than I used to be.

Yes, everyone deals with depression differently, but looking ahead and trying to keep positive helped me exponentially.

Also this wasn't really meant to start an argument dudes. >_>
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Leanaunfurled posted...

WafflehouseJK posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

Except that's not always how depression works and that's potentially really crappy advice.

No, it's really not. Working to change your mindset and trying to keep positive, even when you don't feel that way at all, really does help in the long run.

Not for everyone, which is my point, and what I already said.

Technically speaking, what TC is talking about is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). That cognitive reframing of things with the end goal of turning automatic negative thoughts and perceptions to at least neutral experiences.

It's just that most people don't really have the capacity to do that for themselves, hence why professional help can be so beneficial to guide you through the process.

The other side of things is medication.

But depression is an insidious beast whose mechanism precludes you from seeking help. Which is why depression posts online always come off as empty platitudes.
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Were you diagnosed with depression

Leanaunfurled posted...

WafflehouseJK posted...

How on earth would trying to think positively not be helpful to anyone?

I'm not saying it's an end all be all fix, but it does help things for sure.

How do you go to CE and be this unaware of depression as a mental illness?

Someone's making a lot of assumptions.

It being a mental illness doesn't mean you should just give up and not make efforts to cope.
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Leanaunfurled posted...

How do you go to CE and be this unaware of depression as a mental illness?

Lol, you keep ragging him on that thought process, but his post is literally how a psychologist would treat you.
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You're acting like you magically went from suicide thoughts and giving up on life to being perfectly normal through happy thoughts.

Marklar posted...

Were you diagnosed with depression

Yes.

Marklar posted...

You're acting like you magically went from suicide thoughts and giving up on life to being perfectly normal through happy thoughts.

I literally never said that. I've been dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts pretty much all my life. It took a long ass time to get to where I am now. I'm not saying it's an overnight, "magical" fix, I'm saying it's a lengthy process that DOES help in the long run.

But of course it's not gonna help if you just give up and not make any efforts to actually try to be happy.
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So you just assume that there exists only two options.

Please nobody take tcs advice.

Soviet_Poland posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

How do you go to CE and be this unaware of depression as a mental illness?

Lol, you keep ragging him on that thought process, but his post is literally how a psychologist would treat you.

Yes, an actual professional. That people with depression already struggle to see, because they struggle to care about anything. Going on a message board and giving the vague advice of "things get better, just push forward" doesn't help those I'm referring to and sounds obnoxiously similar to the type of person who goes "just be happy instead!"
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Marklar posted...

So you just assume that there exists only two options.

Please nobody take tcs advice.

Where did I say that bud.

Above all else if people can afford it they should seek professional help. This is just the process I went through to help myself as I couldn't afford to keep seeking professional help. You have to want to try to help yourself, or you're not going to make any progress.
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WafflehouseJK posted...

Above all else if people can afford it they should seek professional help. T

That's the only thing that people should listen to from you in regards to combating depression

This is why I have Leana on ignore.
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Leanaunfurled posted...

Yes, an actual professional. That people with depression already struggle to see, because they struggle to care about anything. Going on a message board and giving the vague advice of "things get better, just push forward" doesn't help those I'm referring to and sounds obnoxiously similar to the type of person who goes "just be happy instead!"

I understand your frustration. I don't think TC was trying to trivialize the whole process. I think him posting that he used to be in a darker place and now isn't, and providing this idea of positive reframing can come off as disingenuous if we run with the assumption that Point A to Point B took barely any time and that it's a failure on anyone else's part if they don't just "turn off that switch" from preventing you to helping yourself.

I don't think that's his point at all.

Depression necessarily prevents you from seeking the help needed. I akin it to wearing a 100-lbs vest all the time. You just can't will yourself to do things, let alone get out of bed. The prospect of making appointments with professionals, working hard to consciously shoot down negative thoughts, taking meds, etc, for weeks to months at a time before seeing any improvement is like climbing Mt. Everest.

But I don't think TC is meaning to trivialize the process. I just think that in the range of depression, people with milder cases can overcome it with "positive thinking" because it's just an informal way to go about cognitive behavioral therapy, which is the most evidence-based therapy modality for treating depression, next to drugs like SSRIs. They might not recognize it as a formal treatment, but some people just can carry that type of cognitive style and self reflection that it works for them.
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Leanaunfurled posted...

Soviet_Poland posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

How do you go to CE and be this unaware of depression as a mental illness?

Lol, you keep ragging him on that thought process, but his post is literally how a psychologist would treat you.

Yes, an actual professional. That people with depression already struggle to see, because they struggle to care about anything. Going on a message board and giving the vague advice of "things get better, just push forward" doesn't help those I'm referring to and sounds obnoxiously similar to the type of person who goes "just be happy instead!"

This wasn't even meant as an advice topic, it was more of a check in for those who used to be concerned about me and all the depression topics I used to make.

But as actual advice, it really is useful, and you're being way to quick to shut it down. Yeah, the advice "just be happy" is stupid, because it assumes that there's just a light switch you can flip that makes everything ok. What I'm talking about is slowly, over years, changing your mindset to look at things more positively. And it's fucking difficult and tedious and hurts like hell, but it helped me in the long run.
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So the next fucking time you act like depression ends with happy fucking thoughts say what the fuck you really fucking mean.
You're in damn CE, a fucking hivemind of people who claim to be depressed.
If one of them takes your advice and decides to ignore getting actual help, then you're at fault.
Now you'll do the thing of 'but I said I got professional help'.
No, you only said that after people took your stupid ass advice and picked it fucking apart.

You don't tell someone dying of a fucking gunshot wound to just apply pressure and it'll be okay. You don't do the fucking same for depression.

CE is pretty fucked up. Dude came in with positivity. Gets told to fuck off.

Okay
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Soviet_Poland posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

Yes, an actual professional. That people with depression already struggle to see, because they struggle to care about anything. Going on a message board and giving the vague advice of "things get better, just push forward" doesn't help those I'm referring to and sounds obnoxiously similar to the type of person who goes "just be happy instead!"

I understand your frustration. I don't think TC was trying to trivialize the whole process. I think him posting that he used to be in a darker place and now isn't, and providing this idea of positive reframing can come off as disingenuous if we run with the assumption that Point A to Point B took barely any time and that it's a failure on anyone else's part if they don't just "turn off that switch" from preventing you to helping yourself.

I don't think that's his point at all.

Depression necessarily prevents you from seeking the help needed. I akin it to wearing a 100-lbs vest all the time. You just can't will yourself to do things, let alone get out of bed. The prospect of making appointments with professionals, working hard to consciously shoot down negative thoughts, taking meds, etc, for weeks to months at a time before seeing any improvement is like climbing Mt. Everest.

But I don't think TC is meaning to trivialize the process. I just think that in the range of depression, people with milder cases can overcome it with "positive thinking" because it's just an informal way to go about cognitive behavioral therapy, which is the most evidence-based therapy modality for treating depression, next to drugs like SSRIs. They might not recognize it as a formal treatment, but some people just can carry that type of cognitive style and self reflection that it works for them.

I can agree with that. Just the OP came off as flippant and overall the attitude and knowledge from the general populace towards mental health, like depression, is disgusting. So yeah, I'm just pretty quick to respond in this manner for things similar in the OP.



WafflehouseJK posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

Soviet_Poland posted...

Leanaunfurled posted...

How do you go to CE and be this unaware of depression as a mental illness?

Lol, you keep ragging him on that thought process, but his post is literally how a psychologist would treat you.

Yes, an actual professional. That people with depression already struggle to see, because they struggle to care about anything. Going on a message board and giving the vague advice of "things get better, just push forward" doesn't help those I'm referring to and sounds obnoxiously similar to the type of person who goes "just be happy instead!"

This wasn't even meant as an advice topic, it was more of a check in for those who used to be concerned about me and all the depression topics I used to make.

But as actual advice, it really is useful, and you're being way to quick to shut it down. Yeah, the advice "just be happy" is stupid, because it assumes that there's just a light switch you can flip that makes everything ok. What I'm talking about is slowly, over years, changing your mindset to look at things more positively. And it's fucking difficult and tedious and hurts like hell, but it helped me in the long run.

Apologies, then. And to respond in a proper manner to your OP, I'm glad you're doing better for yourself. I'm slowly in the process as well.
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Glad you're doing better TC.

I'm in the opposite stage now where I can't go a day without wanting to kill myself.
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Maze_ posted...

Glad you're doing better TC.

I'm in the opposite stage now where I can't go a day without wanting to kill myself.

Go get help.

Marklar posted...

So the next fucking time you act like depression ends with happy fucking thoughts say what the fuck you really fucking mean.
You're in damn CE, a fucking hivemind of people who claim to be depressed.
If one of them takes your advice and decides to ignore getting actual help, then you're at fault.
Now you'll do the thing of 'but I said I got professional help'.
No, you only said that after people took your stupid ass advice and picked it fucking apart.

You don't tell someone dying of a fucking gunshot wound to just apply pressure and it'll be okay. You don't do the fucking same for depression.

When the fuck did I ever imply that people shouldn't seek professional help, or that the ONLY thing they should do is be what I very vaguely said in the OP, because again, this wasn't an advice topic to begin with.

You massively jumped to conclusions and didn't even read half the things I even said properly. I literally said I couldn't afford to keep going, I only went like, 3 times total.

Like, bro, chill the fuck out. You don;t need to be so antagonistic and rant-y that you don;t even read the damn topic.
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Sada_Pop posted...

CE is pretty fucked up. Dude came in with positivity. Gets told to fuck off.

Okay

I mean, to me it certainly felt like he was trivializing/demeaning those who suffer from depression and their struggles.

I'll accept that it wasn't his intent to do so but someone actually doing something like that really does come off as rather insulting to me.
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WafflehouseJK posted...

I very vaguely said in the OP,

So stop that with medical advice. It was an advice topic. You know it was. Don't give half assed advice.

WafflehouseJK posted...

When the fuck did I ever imply that people shouldn't seek professional help, or that the ONLY thing they should do is be what I very vaguely said in the OP, because again, this wasn't an advice topic to begin with.

You massively jumped to conclusions and didn't even read half the things I even said properly. I literally said I couldn't afford to keep going, I only went like, 3 times total.

Like, bro, chill the fuck out. You don;t need to be so antagonistic and rant-y that you don;t even read the damn topic.

To be fair TC, depression will make people perceive positive or neutral things as negative. I'm really not surprised Marklar responded in the way he did. It's necessarily a part of depression. I'd show some empathy here. I know you meant no harm in your comments, but it's a very low threshhold for someone who is going through it to hear something like that, because it can be taken as trivializing.

Perception is finicky.
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Nah I'm like that because if I had said what he did to several people they'd most likely be dumb enough to believe, never get help and be dead.

Sada_Pop posted...

CE is pretty fucked up. Dude came in with positivity. Gets told to fuck off.

Okay

It's mostly just Brutal. I get where Leana and KeyBlade are coming from, but this was never meant to be some advice topic to try and fix things, it was just meant as a general "I'm not as fucked up as I used to be, here's a vague explanation as to how I got through it." This wasn't supposed to be a long ass topic with my life story of how I fought through it.

Maze_ posted...

Glad you're doing better TC.

I'm in the opposite stage now where I can't go a day without wanting to kill myself.

Despite Brutal being annoying as fuck right now, he is right, if at all possible try to seek professional help if you can afford it. I wish I could have afforded to stick with it, probably would have made things much better overall.
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Soviet_Poland posted...

WafflehouseJK posted...

When the fuck did I ever imply that people shouldn't seek professional help, or that the ONLY thing they should do is be what I very vaguely said in the OP, because again, this wasn't an advice topic to begin with.

You massively jumped to conclusions and didn't even read half the things I even said properly. I literally said I couldn't afford to keep going, I only went like, 3 times total.

Like, bro, chill the fuck out. You don;t need to be so antagonistic and rant-y that you don;t even read the damn topic.

To be fair TC, depression will make people perceive positive or neutral things as negative. I'm really not surprised Marklar responded in the way he did. It's necessarily a part of depression. I'd show some empathy here. I know you meant no harm in your comments, but it's a very low threshhold for someone who is going through it to hear something like that, because it can be taken as trivializing.

Perception is finicky.

It's hard when it's with Brutal who feels the need to jump to conclusions and antagonize in every topic I see him in. >_>

I get what you're saying though.

Marklar posted...

Nah I'm like that because if I had said what he did to several people they'd most likely be dumb enough to believe, never get help and be dead.

Again, never said people shouldn;t get help.
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WafflehouseJK posted...

If you feel down, just remember, things DO get better, just gotta keep pushing forward.

WHY THE FUCK IS THIS IN THE FIRST POST?

explain to me, all of us what the fuck the point of this is? Seriously because unless you were going for sarcasm, then that is advice. Terrible fucking advice. You should have added at least you got fucking help. Not left the part out that makes people think they can just fix their fucking problems.

Also being right and calling you out for giving fucked up advice isn't being annoying.

TC isn't wrong. But the issue is, and TC should know this more than anyone if he suffered from depression, is that as simple as "Cheer up, lad!" is, the mind isn't that simple. It will grip you to the point of helplessness, and only after intense suffering and a feeling of being hopeless, does the mind start to improve again. You gotta go through the lows to get back to stabilization again.

Marklar posted...

WafflehouseJK posted...

If you feel down, just remember, things DO get better, just gotta keep pushing forward.

WHY THE FUCK IS THIS IN THE FIRST POST?

explain to me, all of us what the fuck the point of this is? Seriously because unless you were going for sarcasm, then that is advice. Terrible fucking advice. You should have added at least you got fucking help. Not left the part out that makes people think they can just fix their fucking problems.

Also being right and calling you out for giving fucked up advice isn't being annoying.

"push forward" is incredibly vague and can mean a million things. It includes getting help if you can, reaching out to friends and family when possible, and overall working your ass off to try and turn your life around. Just because you and I have different definitions of what "push forward" is doesn't make it bad advice. If this actually had been an advice topic, I would have gone into much further detail, but again, it wasn't. This was just me checking in.

Also love that you never once came into my old topics about being depressed with words of encouragement, but now that I'm like "Hey, I'm actually somewhat happy!" you come in and jump my ass and make a fuck ton of assumptions.

DoctorPiranha3 posted...

TC isn't wrong. But the issue is, and TC should know this more than anyone if he suffered from depression, is that as simple as "Cheer up, lad!" is, the mind isn't that simple. It will grip you to the point of helplessness, and only after intense suffering and a feeling of being hopeless, does the mind start to improve again. You gotta go through the lows to get back to stabilization again.

That's all pretty accurate. Again ,I am sorry if my statement offended people. It was vague, yes, but I still don't think it's inherently bad advice, because at the end of the day it is what helped me get through it. Again, this wasn't me trying to fix anyone's problems, and maybe I should have gone into more detail as to what I meant, but that's not what this was topic was about.
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WafflehouseJK posted...

"push forward" is incredibly vague and can mean a million things.

Great. Now that we've cleared up that you didn't mean to post it, topic over.

What's Marklars problem?
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Regardless of how offended we are or not, @Marklar, can't you at least give him words of praise and encouragement on his own life? People really underestimate that.
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WafflehouseJK posted...

Also love that you never once came into my old topics about being depressed with words of encouragement, but now that I'm like "Hey, I'm actually somewhat happy!" you come in and jump my ass and make a f*** ton of assumptions.

I mean, it's Brutal, do you really take him seriously? >_>
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I know TC is has good intentions with his OP, but as someone who actually has clinical depression, I can tell you that it just isn't gonna work for everyone. For some people, medicine is the only way and changing the mindset is either impossible, or takes years of consistent work.
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It is good you're not suicidal anymore, tc.

KeyBlade999 posted...

WafflehouseJK posted...

Also love that you never once came into my old topics about being depressed with words of encouragement, but now that I'm like "Hey, I'm actually somewhat happy!" you come in and jump my ass and make a f*** ton of assumptions.

I mean, it's Brutal, do you really take him seriously? >_>

True. It just gets annoying, dude loves to pick and choose statements instead of actually addressing someone's entire point.

The Eternal Flame posted...

I know TC is has good intentions with his OP, but as someone who actually has clinical depression, I can tell you that it just isn't gonna work for everyone. For some people, medicine is the only way and changing the mindset is either impossible, or takes years of consistent work.

Fair enough. At the end of the day, I'm not a professional, and only know my own experiences. I still think that line of thinking cant hurt, but I'm fully aware that medicine and other factors often can and do need to take place for some people, and some people straight up may not be able to adopt that line of thinking on their own.

Marklar posted...

It is good you're not suicidal anymore, tc.

Yes, it is. Thanks.
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Man CE is just vicious...

Regardless of how offended people became in this topic.

He wasn't giving sage advice he was simply saying that he is in a better place and CE went after him.
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I never considered your advice offensive, but I know that at my lowest, it'd have been unhelpful. At best I would have spurned it and deemed it impossible for someone like me, and at worst, I'd probably have lashed out and defended my current mindset.

It's definitely a good thing that it worked for you, though, as it did for me over the course of a decade.
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