Posted by Julzzz on March 10, 1999, at 3:28:24
In reply to I need support...., posted by JennyAnn on March 8, 1999, at 20:27:16
> I just left one message, but am compelled to leave another... as a young woman who has suffered with depression for almost thirty years, I am realizing how isolated I am...there are still some parts of me that believe that I should be able to make myself better, decipher this complicated hopelessness, and understand it away.... (i work in the mental health field). I have a lot of shame about acknowledging my depression. I feel sad and alone...sounds cliche but it is so tangible....
> JAJennyAnn
I, too work in the mental health field & suffer from depression (& narcolepsy). I think there is a tendency to be your own harshest critic & especially when you are having a depressive episode. I now use the increasing presence of feelings - of shame, guilt & anything else I can drum up ... as an early warning sign of my depression getting worse. I certainly know what you mean when you say you are sad & alone - for me, 'aloneness' also means brings an overwhelming sense of desolation & somewhere in those feelings I can realise that no-one can know me like myself. My Psych. (who is also the Psych. I work with) and I have discussed this at length - for me it is also the depersonalising effect - like 'outer body' experiences. I am able to draw on these personal experiences in my work to empathise with others, aim to deliver the kind of care I would want for myself or my family - I am a very strong 'connsumer/patient/client' advocate. In my job, I deliver many talks, lectures,etc. on depression and suicide prevention! Take care & be kind to yourself. Julzzz
poster:Julzzz
thread:3499
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990301/msgs/3545.html