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Re: assumptions » Elizabeth

Posted by sid on February 3, 2002, at 11:25:34

In reply to Re: assumptions » sid, posted by Elizabeth on February 2, 2002, at 21:12:01

> In general, depression, for me, seems to be more about core feelings than about beliefs.

That's what's left for me I think: core beliefs. Meds may help; I think they are already helping. I'm less rigid about certain things. I've had those core beliefs since adolescence, that's why I think it's only dysthymia I have left, as it started during adolescence.

> So stress can lead to depression for you? I've found that depression (including residual symptoms), if already present, makes it harder to cope with stress, but when I'm not depressed I'm generally pretty good at coping.

Yes. I have an anxiety disorder, and when stressed, I can "loose it" and become very negative. I have to watch for that, as it's a slippery slope. That's what I've observed over time. Clearly, the less depressed I am to start with, the more easily I can deal with stress, but I think that both depression and stress can affect each other in me; it's not a one-way relation.

> I've heard people being told, in relation to therapy, things like "You need to work harder," "You don't really want to get better,"

A therapist once told me that. I got up in the middle of the session, paid him and left. I had found someone better the next week. I guess being stubborn and having a strong temper have helped me during depression. I told him that he was out of ideas on how to help me and that's why he started blaming me (which I still believe) - that was the last thing I needed from him, thanked him for his services and left.

> I think they feel the need to justify it because they so often feel attacked by people who accuse them of laziness or wantint a "free lunch" (to use your words)

I'm an economist and that's a basic things for us. "No free lunch" comes back all the time in my work, that's why I used it.

> -- I don't get the impression that they need to "rationalize" it to themselves. I'm not convinced the analogy is all that great; it's just the standard one (a lot of doctors use it). It obviously refers to type I diabetes, since type II diabetics don't necessarily need insulin. AFAIK, exercise isn't really a form of treatment for type I diabetes; the important thing is to keep your diet *regular* (as opposed to dieting to lose weight) and to be especially careful to monitor glucose levels and adjust insulin dose accordingly. There's a lot of effort that needs to be put into *monitoring* diabetes: you need to check glucose levels constantly, and there are all kinds of things that can alter the need for insulin which you need to be aware of. I don't think there's anything comparable in depression.

Well, I agree that it's not a great analogy for depression. I continue to believe that any one approach used alone to heal depression is weaker than many - at once or one after the other. It's been my experience and many other people's. Again, there is unfortunately not one answer for all with depression. That would be so nice.

> (But try explaining that to some of these doctors here in NC who want to force me to stop taking buprenorphine even though it's been working for me for over a year. Jeez.)

I hope you can continue doing better and find a way to convince them that you are. Take care.

> -elizabeth


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