Posted by pat123 on March 17, 2001, at 19:17:50
In reply to Re: What DOES one do?, posted by Dr. Bob on March 17, 2001, at 16:37:42
> However, the idea wasn't that brushing your teeth makes you less depressed, but that brushing your teeth -- if you can -- is part of having a life despite being depressed. The more of a life you can have, the better, right?
For me, I can deal with a significant level of depression and still be involved with my life. It
is an effort but I can force myself. Normal daily interactions that are no effort normally become painful in a nails on chalkboard way. Depression is a part of me so I have developed skills to cope, how ever painful it is, so depression is a part of me but does not define me. However, if the depression becomes more than significant at some point I shut down. I challenge any normie to function with depression so severe.That said, things like work, a routine, and a life are of great benifit to fighting my depression. Esp. with the right job I find work as thearpy. Routine, friends, and work keep my mind occupied so I don't have time to start up
the cognative processes that I have learned are bad for me. Without the meds I cannot stop the negative thoughts that are always there, not matter what I do. CBT and psycothearpy, with excellent doc's at great cost could not make a dent in this issue. Then I started meds, and wham, most of the negative thoughts and cognative
loops I was used to getting stuck in stopped. All the talk thearpy was useful now. If I felt myself slipping the things I learned in thearpy really worked to most pull me up.I have normie bashed here; it is important to remember they really don't know what it is like or what to say or do. I tell my normie friends what they need to do or say, and the feedback I get is that they are more comfortable if I do this. It might go like this:
1) No comments about my lack of grooming, not leaving the house, ect. I know about these things.
2) Be a friend, I have a thearipist.
3) Engage me in normal conversation, esp. about what you are doing. Glimises of normal life are nice.
4) I don't want to hear your helpful ideas about things I could do to be less depressed.
5) If I want to talk about the depression, meds, or threary I will bring it up; I just need you to listen.
6) If you are able to run to the store, take a kitty to the vet, ect this is great. It really helps if you take the lead in offering to do this
because I will not ask.
7) Most important is I need you to listen and be a friend. No big heroics needed.This is why this board is so great. I value my friends who know first hand what mental illness is like.
Pat
poster:pat123
thread:5149
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010209/msgs/5153.html