Does anyone who suffers from depression feel like sharing their story?

Question

If you have depression, anxiety, anger, stress, bi-polar disorder, other mental health conditions or disorders...

If/when you have the time, please share your stories. It's a good chance to let go some of your feelings.

Tell us what you have and what it is like living with your condition. And whether or not you have received help yet.

If you'd rather keep it private, you can always email your story to me only...or just exclude certain details that you are not comfortable sharing.

I'll share my story at the end.

Thank you and take care!
-Rich

Answer 1

I have depression. I wasn't diagnosed until college, but I can remember symptoms of it as early as the 6th grade. There were days I just didn't want to be around my friends. I wouldn't talk to them...no reason at the time. I just didn't feel like being around people at school.

Middle school was better overall, but I did have some days again where I wouldn't talk to people and just isolate myself. High school was more of the same. My symptoms were more pronounced...I felt irritable a lot of the time, guilty for no reason, sadness. I would argue with my friends because of my irritability, but at the same time, I never wanted them to be mad at me because I was afraid they would stop being my friend. I worried constantly about people being mad at me...I would interpret every tone of voice, gesture, words from my friends for signs they were mad at me. I couldn't be calm unless I knew they weren't mad at me.

In college, I got worse. There were days I didn't want to get out of bed. I couldn't concentrate on my work. I felt paranoid because I thought people were talking about me. I felt anxious all the time and felt like I didn't belong. Although I never followed through, it was the first time I contemplated suicide. This was all my freshman year.

My sophomore year was okay. Still some anxiety, but no paranoia or suicidal thoughts. I did sleep a lot and ate a lot as well.

My junior year was bad. More suicidal thoughts, more time spent sleeping, difficulty concentrating, sadness, irritability over little things, etc. That summer I started on meds. I spent the whole summer in a fog...I didn't do anything except eat, sleep, and watch television. I saw my friends occasionally, but socializing was too much effort. I didn't care if I lived or died.

My senior year was okay. Definite periods of depression.

I had to go to college a fifth year. I didn't mind a fifth year. However, my depression would come back whenever my meds didn't work for me. I started cutting and making plans to kill myself. I also had panic attacks. I was offered a job at two places. One place, I didn't show up for (I called and said I had found another job, which was true) because I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. The second job, I worked two shifts and then quit for the same reason. I was hospitalized for depression (I had been in counseling for my depression since my freshman year of college). Putting myself in the hospital was the best choice I ever made. I still had rough days and days I was depressed afterwards, but I got better slowly.

Now I'm much better. I'm 27 now...depression started when I was 12 I think. I'm on meds still and in therapy. I work on an adolescent psychiatric unit and I'm studying to become a therapist.

Answer 2

I was diagnosed with depression at 12 after having close to 11 surgeries in about a year. 7 of the surgeries I had in 3 months and was in the hospital for an entire month at one point. After getting out of the hospital the last time I didn't want to do anything. I would sleep the entire day if people let me. I was irritable and just plain rude. I was tested for every virus and disease possible until an adolecent doctor finally diagnosed me with depression. At that point I was put on Paxil and have been on it ever since. Also at that time another doctor of mine mentioned Mono and I was tested and also diagnosed with. We then remembered that during the first surgery that started the snowball effect a girl was placed in my room with mono. So, I had gotten it from her when my immune system was low. That's basically my story. I have tried to come off of the paxil, but I just become mean again.

Answer 3

hey rich

I have been suffering from anxiety and mild depression for about a year now. in the last year, I had no job, felt lost, depressed, moved 4 times house to house, cant decide my major (i attend a community college) and had financial stress as well.

I went to get help recently and my doc put my on some meds to calm me down and an antidepressant. its helping a little bit so far but its only been two weeks so its too early to tell.
i just look for the light at the end of the tunnel, even though its really hard to get through these tough times.

Answer 4

i was depressed in 5th through 9th grade and it took a while for me to actually find out. the transition into middle school for me was primarily based on acceptance, your social status and all that b.s... i didnt fit in at all and thats when it all started. i often came home and just stared at the wall for a long time...thinking how tomorrow wasnt a day to look forward to because it would be exactly the same with nothing exciting happening. having true friendships, doing well in your classes, and being proud of whom you were seemed like what shaped my middle school experience, and i didnt succeed at any of those things. for grades 6 and 7, i couldnt express to you how joyous i was when those summers approached. however the activities i had in mind were only a fantasy, for i didnt even have the guts to ask a friend to do partake in an activity with me... heck i didnt even have friends! so over those summers i thought real hard about how my life is compared to other people (i eventually realized you should NEVER compare yourself to others) and why i was bullied so much. when i entered the eighth grade i tried to display a person way out of my comfort zone, and it attracted many people. i gained many friends but they dont truly know me, even to this day. over that following summer i did lots of things with those 'friends' of mine and soon realized i wasnt having fun and interested in gossiping, going to starbucks, watching pretty little liars, shopping in hollister, and PLENTY more internally painful activities. so i hung out with a different group of friends... the kind that are considered a 'bad influence' in a parents eyes. i had the most fun in my whole life with them. i was free. i was living! they did what 'bad influences' would do, but they completely cracked open my shell and i dont think anyone else could have done it. at the end of that summer, my parents found out what i was doing with those friends of mine and i was forbidden to spend a second with them. at that time i was going to therapy often and was almost put on meds but refused. i felt empty and was alone. i was angry at myself for a long time and felt the urge to cut so i somehow managed to see those friends again (in the beginning of 9th grade). I did bad things..felt happy..but it only lasted for the short time i had spent with them. i had to deal with having constant fear of getting caught again. eventually i did. it was even worse than the first. i was in therapy more frequently, given pills, and so many of my freedoms were taken away: contacts deleted on my phone. facebook deleted. parents check who ive been calling. entire room was investigated. etc. i put myself in the same position and in that moment i realized i couldnt have those people in my life anymore because i didnt want to repeat this terrible cycle. i changed drastically, in an extremely positive way! some days i wake up with a big smile on my face :)

right now, its the summer of 9th grade and i know for a fact that im not involving myself with those friends anymore. i am stronger because of my past experiences getting caught and knowing what and what should not be in my life. i am very mature for my age and have gained many friends for my leadership. i have a plenty of friends with a few best friends. im an A student, and even though im an introvert, im not afraid to say my own opinion and stand my ground. ive regained my parents trust with the good decisions ive been making. just know that if you feel pain, it indicates the presence of healing and recovery. it gets better. i feel great and i hope you do too.