Depression

[KazeRin]

So um. I think I'm pretty depressed.
I only clued in when I went home Friday night, started crying on the bus (quiet tears) and over the course of an hour and a half (got home & went to bed) kept crying to the point where I started sobbing...

Umm.. I guess I need help.
But my problem with standard help for depression is to put people on a bunch of meds that deal with the symptoms and not the underlying cause. :-/

Yo, Semok. Use your psych education and help a sista' out. Wurd.  

[Aoi the Crossdresser]

I think I am going to be depressed to if I don't get a job soon. Making me wonder if I should lie on the assessment and the interview saying I do like interacting with others and dealing with people and helping people out whenever I can...

...where in reality I hate dealing with people, I don't like interaction with people, especially ones I do not know, and I only do things when people tell me to do them.  

[KazeRin]

Aoi the Crossdresser

I think I am going to be depressed to if I don't get a job soon. Making me wonder if I should lie on the assessment and the interview saying I do like interacting with others and dealing with people and helping people out whenever I can...

...where in reality I hate dealing with people, I don't like interaction with people, especially ones I do not know, and I only do things when people tell me to do them.

You shouldn't get a job doing what you hate. Like I said in your job interview thread, try to find an office type job where you're doing something easy like data entry (here's a handwritten/printed list of info.. enter it into the computer)  

[Semok]

Did somethin' trigger your cryin'? Like, did you think about sometimes that suddenly made you cry? Also, do you know what's makin' you feel down?

Nonetheless, I always have a few bits of advice for generalized sadness, mainly just from personal experience. Sometimes, what helps me, is to eat somethin' unhealthy, watch sometimes funny, and take a nap. Though a lot of people don't believe me, I've always noticed that if I start eatin' nothin' but healthy stuff (or nothin' but unhealthy stuff) I start to just feel like crap, mentally and physically. Diet plays a huge roll on moods. Sometimes, people are so obsessed with eatin' healthy that they deprive themselves of sweets and carbohydrates, which (though bad in huge amounts) does make a person feel better. Similarly, sometimes a person is just tired and it affects their moods, so a good nap can help reboot your system so you can start fresh.

Another common thing that makes me feel low is when I'm bored out of my mind. Whenever I have nothin' to do or I'm doin' the same thing over and over again, day after day, I start to zone out of life and get caught up in my own head, where I start thinkin' about things like how borin' my life is, how my life is goin' nowhere, etc. It's been found that some of the happiest people are those who are just busy all the time since they never have a chance to stop and think. If your days are starting to feel repetitive and dull, I'd try to come up with a new hobby or just try to mix your schedule up a little. Sometimes just takin' a walk or playin' video games will do.

Lastly, isolation can make a person feel low. Humans are social creatures, whether we like it or not, so we need some company every now and again. For those of us less socially inclined, or for those of us who just live in an area with no one to hang out with, I always recommend the internet. Just chattin' with people online can feel very rewardin'. Also, one thing I like to do is get on some instant messenger and then hit play on a movie at the same time with some friends online, and then we all comment back and forth on what we're watchin'. It's like watchin' a movie with people in person!

One other recommendation I have has to deal with just how you're thinkin' in general, but that needs more detail about...well...how you've been thinkin'. xd For instance, there are times where I start to get in a low mood because I feel like I'm a failure in my parent's eyes. My mind gets stuck on thinkin' about all the things I've done to make my parents ashamed, which turns into a negative spiral downwards. However, when I catch myself thinkin' like that, I then force myself to think about times where I've made them proud, or I realize that I wasn't put on this earth to please my parents. My life is my own, and I'll do whatever I want and whatever makes me happy. Once I change my thinkin' around, I start to feel better!

So yeah. That's my various advice stuff, no meds necessary.  

[Semok]

Random comment, too. Sometimes our low periods are the times where we learn the most about ourselves.

I don't know why, but last night while I was comin' home I randomly thought about what my life would be like if my cats died, and I started bawlin' for a solid hour. Once I had calmed down, I realized that I love my cats as if they were my own children, and how lucky I am to have such wonderful kitty children. whee When I got home I snuggled with them for hours and felt great.

So yeah, I learned that I'm a crazy cat person. xd  

[Aoi the Crossdresser]

KazeRin

Aoi the Crossdresser

I think I am going to be depressed to if I don't get a job soon. Making me wonder if I should lie on the assessment and the interview saying I do like interacting with others and dealing with people and helping people out whenever I can...

...where in reality I hate dealing with people, I don't like interaction with people, especially ones I do not know, and I only do things when people tell me to do them.

You shouldn't get a job doing what you hate. Like I said in your job interview thread, try to find an office type job where you're doing something easy like data entry (here's a handwritten/printed list of info.. enter it into the computer)

I betcha most of those office jobs require at least 6 months of work experience or customer service experience or something.  

[KazeRin]

@ Aoi, not necessarily. My first job was in an office.

@ Semok - way to sum up everything xp

Haven't been eating well due to lack of money / time to cook. Lots of skipped meals, try to make healthy choices when I go to restaurants/fast food, way too much coffee, not having much happy food because I know I'm broke.

Though the show itself is keeping me busy, it's super easy, thus I'm bored at work. Throw in a 1.5-2hr travel time (one-way) to go visit my father with no music or book... yeah, too much boredom even though I'm "busy".

&I'm living alone for the first time, since my brother's gone on a 3-week road trip, and my dad's in the hospital.


What triggered it initially was I think hearing some kid on the bus complain about their parents. I miss having parents.
Then I tried to get my mind off that and think about work, and thought of how I kept forgetting one actor's name & almost calling him by another actor's name & feeling horrible about that... But also being aware it has to do with my progressive aphasia... and then bawling at the prospect of slowly losing my ability to form sentences other people can understand...
And just general misery over being poor, cold, hungry, and alone.  

[Semok]

Sounds like it's a bit of all of the above, then.

You should try to find a way to cook every once and a while. Not only does it give you somethin' to do, but it's fun. I made some curry soup today, which only takes like oil, onions, potatoes, and curry powder, and then whatever else you wanna add. There's a lot of fun things you can make without too many ingredients.

You should also try to find somethin' to do on your drive to your father. If you're bein' driven, try to find some book you might be able to enjoy. If you're the one drivin', you might be able to find some books on tape or some music to play. Also, and this may sound childish, but playin' games such as count-all-the-red-cars or somethin' like that can help time go by faster and can be fun. Back when I had 10 hour bus rides I created some fun little games to keep me occupied.

Bein' alone for the first time is really tough, since it's somethin' you can't really prepare for. It's a new and scary experience, and it's one of those moments where you don't realize what you had until it's gone. I would make sure to hang out with your brother once he gets back and try to go out and do stuff with friends. Even when you're broke, there are always a few fun things to do. For instance, I once went on a day trip to a zoo with my friends because it was free for one day.

As for feelin' poor, hungry, cold, and alone, I would try to think more about what you still have than what you don't. For instance, you might feel alone, but you do still have your parents and brother and probably lots of friends who care about you as well. Maybe send 'em a call or an email randomly. I can personally say that if you ever felt lonely, feel free to send me a pm. I love talkin' to people online. I also text people a lot, since I'm not online all the time. I'd be more than happy to give you my number so we could chat! I'm known to sometimes send silly picture texts. xd
If you're cold, you should totally get a fleece onsie. I just got a pajama fleece onsie that looks like a raccoon. It's so warm and makes me feel like a kid again! For bein' hungry, I again recommend that you try to cook some stuff, or change the type of food you get. Some food, such as pasta, is very cheap but very fillin'. Add some cutlets of chicken and alfredo sauce and you got a very delicious and fillin' meal! And finally, for feelin' poor, I always remind myself that things will work out eventually and that I at least have a roof over my head, food (at least some of the time), and runnin' water/electricity. There are a lot of people out there who don't even have that.

So yeah, a lot of times how we see the world can affect our moods. We tend to focus on things we don't have or things we have lost instead of all the wonderful things we still have. I mean, you still have all your limbs! It's wonderful to have all your limbs (though there's nothin' wrong for those who have happened to lose some). Sometimes we need to just take a step back and look at the big picture instead of focusin' on the little things that aren't workin' out at the moment.

Sometimes, while I'm sittin' and pettin' one of my cats, I think about how all of us all started out as a single cell, smaller than a single strand of cat hair. And yet, rather quickly, we've emerged into such complex and amazin' creatures that inhabit a beautiful and amazin' world. If the world were angled any differently or positioned closer or farther from the sun, we wouldn't even be able to survive. Not only that, but with all the sperm and eggs that your parents had, YOU were the one egg and one sperm that made it into this life! It's a miracle just to be alive! When you look at the world like that, life doesn't seem so bad at the moment, or at least not to me. 3nodding  

[KazeRin]

Semok

You should try to find a way to cook every once and a while. Not only does it give you somethin' to do, but it's fun.

Made spaghetti and baked cookies yesterday.

Semok

You should also try to find somethin' to do on your drive to your father.

It's bus-metro-bus-bus... but yeah, I should get headphones or find a book small enough to fit in my purse (generic paperbacks are OK but I tend to choose 1,000 page novels sweatdrop )

Semok

As for feelin' poor, hungry, cold, and alone, I would try to think more about what you still have than what you don't. For instance, you might feel alone, but you do still have your parents

My mom's dead and my dad's incapacitated... has barely spoken in 9 months and when he has it's been near-unintelligible. He's bed-ridden and keeps getting sick because of negligence.

Semok

... and brother and probably lots of friends who care about you as well.

Brother's outta town, but we get along well when he's here. As for friends... nope. I have a ton of acquaintances from school/shows but none who'd actually hang out randomly...

Semok

If you're cold, you should totally get a fleece onsie. I just got a pajama fleece onsie that looks like a raccoon. It's so warm and makes me feel like a kid again!

Costs money! But yeah, a friend has one. I just grab extra blankets, but sometimes I can't lose the chill...

Semok

And finally, for feelin' poor, I always remind myself that things will work out eventually and that I at least have a roof over my head, food (at least some of the time), and runnin' water/electricity. There are a lot of people out there who don't even have that.

Yep.

Semok

So yeah, a lot of times how we see the world can affect our moods. We tend to focus on things we don't have or things we have lost instead of all the wonderful things we still have. I mean, you still have all your limbs! It's wonderful to have all your limbs (though there's nothin' wrong for those who have happened to lose some). Sometimes we need to just take a step back and look at the big picture instead of focusin' on the little things that aren't workin' out at the moment.

Limbs are great.

Semok

Sometimes, while I'm sittin' and pettin' one of my cats, I think about how all of us all started out as a single cell, smaller than a single strand of cat hair. And yet, rather quickly, we've emerged into such complex and amazin' creatures that inhabit a beautiful and amazin' world. If the world were angled any differently or positioned closer or farther from the sun, we wouldn't even be able to survive. Not only that, but with all the sperm and eggs that your parents had, YOU were the one egg and one sperm that made it into this life! It's a miracle just to be alive! When you look at the world like that, life doesn't seem so bad at the moment, or at least not to me. 3nodding

Eh.. just reminds me how pointless it all is actually. We exist due to random chance and everyone thinks there's some greater meaning. Nope... we just exist.  

[Semok]

Also, as a random comment for everyone, I feel as though people ALWAYS want to hang out, acquaintance or not. Everyone just seems to wait around for someone else to ask them to hang.

There have been SO many times where I text someone, askin' if they want to hang out, and they're like "Yeah, OMG, I've been SO BORED!" and I'm like "...then why didn't you text me?!" I tell people over and over again that I have a lot of free time and always want to hang, but no one initiates.

JUST INITIATE PEOPLE!!!  

[Semok]

Oh ********, did I really accidentally edit my post instead of making a new one?  

[Semok]

Ugh, ok, gonna retype my rant, but make it shorter.

1. I never understood the difference between acquaintances and friends. Everyone I talk to online, even if it was for a day and I never saw them again, I see as a friend. Also, you should never assume that people don't want to hang out with you. Let them decide for themselves. It would annoy me so bad if someone told me that they just thought I wouldn't want to hang out with them. I think I speak for most people, as mentioned earlier, when I say I ALWAYS want to hang out with people.

2. If you're still cold when wearin' a blanket, you should try takin' a hot shower first or drinkin' some hot chocolate/tea with lemon and honey.

3. Ok, my main point. I agree that there's no higher meanin' to life, besides just livin'. Some people think that such a way of thinkin' is horrible, and a lot of people scramble to make meanin' out of their existence. However, thinkin' that there's no meanin' to life takes all the pressure off of life. There is no wrong or right, just different perspectives. You can do whatever you want simply because there is no meanin' to life, and that's wonderful!
If some meanin' was discovered, everyone would be pressured to perform a certain way and do certain things, and that would suck. We should all just enjoy life and be nice to one another. Simple as that.  

[Aoi the Crossdresser]

I hate life. Suicide booth now. crying  

[Semok]

Aoi the Crossdresser

I hate life. Suicide booth now. crying

Come to my house. I'll help a gurl out.