How has your depression hurt other people?

Question

Has your depression hurt other people? Has it been the cause of you saying or doing things to hurt relationships around you. Did you find a solution to these probems and did treatment help?

I had pushed my wife away. I had been verbally abusive and had rage towards her for the smallest things. Is this common?

Answer 1

Yes my depression has hurt alot of people that I love and care about. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and I tried to commit suicide many many times because of the mood swings. That's when I hurt the people that cared so much for me. I did get help and I am finally on a medication now that helps with the mood swings and I also go to therapy every week. So with those two things combined I think I was very lucky.

Answer 2

Depression hurts every part of you. Your heart, mind, soul. It numbs and freezes until it bursts with sadness... then the cycle repeats. Depression, from experience, I'd say hurts the person experiencing it the most. Not many others can empathize what you're thinking.. how you're suffering. Depression can cost you your life.

Answer 3

I think the way it most hurts people close to me is that it makes them feel helpless. It's very hard to watch someone you care about suffer and not be able to reach them or make it better.

I don't think there is much of a solution to this particular problem.

I'm bipolar and definitely have hurt people around me with actions and words, but when properly treated (therapy and meds) the symptoms are reduced and the problem is as well.

Answer 4

Yes my depression often was angry and critical. I went of meds in my late 30's and it made a world of difference. I so wish I had taken it sooner. Besides from being angry and critical I could not develop a relationship with anyone, even my family. I just went into a shell. It
hurts me now knowing I caused so much pain to people then.

Answer 5

Well usually its becasue you cant do the things you normally did (i.e. play with the kids, cook meals, have sex) you are just down all the time and have no motivation. Some people get so bad that they start to have memory problems. They may forget to pick their kids up from school or other important family events, which is harmful to others.

Answer 6

I've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. The biproducts of these disorders are instablity in thought, feelings, moods and actions. Essentially, there is no grey area of thought, you are either inherintly depressed or overwhelmingly happy - you can be overly optimistic one day and be so depressed that you can't get out of bed the next day.

The two disorders are co-morbid (exist together in seperate entities) and as a result of the inconsistency in moods, thoughts and feelings, it was difficult for me to maintain friendships and finish school, causing major depression through my adolescence. At times when I was depressed, I thought the worst of people and thought everyone was out to get me, which obviously wasn't the case. I was not pleasant to be around and when phased out of my depression and was feeling positive, there was no one around, which further increased my depression.

As I hit the corporate world, things become even worse, but not on the surface, I was heading for disaster and didn't see it coming.

As an adult, you aim to acheive a succesful career, have a close group of friends and enjoy the finer things in life. As I've struggled through my adolescence, I fended off the pain and depression, where it only manifested into greater pain and greater depression as I've gotten older. I began to drink heavily and use drugs, self medicating to avoid the pain I was feeling. I became irritable, angry, hostile and full of rage and impossible to deal with for several weeks at a time. I would be back to normal and have to pick of the pieces to the mess I've caused, but eventually the mess became to big to clean up. I've lost a lot of friends and have hurt many of my close family members as well.

While I was skating on thin ice, bearly making my way through work. I couldn't understand who I really was, I never intended to drive people away, deep inside, I thought I was a very caring and compationate guy. I never knew where these hostile thoughts and actions came from. I would be this outgoing, confident alpha male type one day, then a quiet, reserved introvert the next - for almost 13 years, I've kept this inside and it was burning.

After years and years of repeating this, I finally had enough and couldn't take it anymore. I had to quit my job and start medication and psychotherapy immediately. It took interviews with several Dr's before I found someone I was comfortable with, I was put on many different medications, before I found the right brand and dosage. Once I stabilized my moods I began psychotherapy for substance abuse and mood disorders, then attended regular one-on-one sessions and group therapy.

I've been searching for help for the past 3 years and over the past 6 months, I've made great progress. I'm no where near the place I need to be, but through the medication, therapy and support groups, I managed to obstain from substances so I could work on managing my mood disorders. Once I acheived that, I gained a lot of strength and a better sense of self, so I could consistently live my life without being ruled by my moods and have to medicate myself with substances. I understood the inner components of how my brain works, how the medication works and developed an understanding for how I was really feeling and to modulate my behaviors.

The hardest part is to acheive enough motivation to change your behaviors. Your behaviors are learned over a period of time, where your brain essentially gets trained to act and react a certain way. Changing these long learned behaviors is incredibly difficult and requires a substantial amount of strength and motivation. I slowely learned that building a support network of friends, family, doctors, support groups, etc gave me strength and eventually I developed enough strength to motivate myself to change my behaviors. I'm currently working on changing my behaviors, but am at a place where I am no longer affected by my depression and am able to build and maintain positive relationships in my life.

Answer 7

yes....sadly my mom and dad r devorced because of it ....if you have it you better get a theripist ....cus my mom went to a mental instatution 4 like 3 months ..........and shes never been the same.......and if you do DONT feel like a pansy for getting a theripist or counsler ....they help

Answer 8

I think that its makes people think that you do not like them and you can say things you do not mean but you think you do!