About Clinical Depression and This Page

Welcome to one of the oldest depression sites on the Web. Since 1995, Wing of Madness has been providing information and support to people trying to deal with their depression or that of someone they know.

This web page is about clinical depression. It addresses not the "down" mood which we all get from time to time and which leads us to say, "I'm depressed," but the often debilitating illness which affects one in five people, children as well as adults.

Clinical depression has many different facets, and affects not only someone's mood, but often also their ability to function normally. Many depressed people experience impaired memory, difficulty concentrating, and confused thought processes. Some people experience what seems like unbearable noise or pain in their head which is purely mental (not the product of a headache, etc.). It can become impossible to speak or smile normally. Obviously, clinical depression is much more complicated than "the blues."

Depressive disorders and companion illnesses come in many different forms and combinations, but three of the most common are major depression, dysthymia (low-level, long-term), and bipolar disorder (manic depression). Since I have suffered from the first two, I tend to concentrate on them more, as I'm very wary about giving information out on a topic that I don't know thoroughly. If you're looking for information on bipolar disorder, I recommend McMan's Depression and Bipolar Web.

If you are looking for information on diagnosing depression, you should start here. You'll find less "technical" descriptions of depression symptoms in What Does Depression Feel Like?.

Some popular articles on Wing of Madness:
What is Depression (and What is it Not?)
What Does Depression Feel Like?
Children and Depression
When Someone You Know is Depressed
What to Do (On and Off the Web) While Waiting for Your Antidepressants to Kick in

If you'd like to talk to other people with depression, visit our Depression Support Forum.

Posted: Feb 15, 2009

tags: antidepressant medication, antidepressants, coping with depression, depression, depression diagnosis, depression screening, depression symptoms, living with depression

About ten years ago, I went to a craft fair with my parents. My parents go to the type of craft fairs that have handwoven coats and custom made wood furniture. I fell in love with some custom-made leather boots. They created a mold for your feet and lower legs and made the boots from that. They cost $500 (I got the sterling silver buttons). They were definitely worth the price, but for me that was about half a month's pay. I hyperventilated the whole way home and tried to figure out how I was going to break it to my husband.

We ADHD-ers can be somewhat impulsive. In many situations it's an endearing and even desirable quality. When it comes to spending money, not so much. Around the holidays this is particularly difficult. After all, we're prone to impulses and we have to shop. Plus, it's often easier to justify buying something when it's a gift. So at this time of year it's "Danger, Will Robinson!" All those nice, shiny things beckoning to us. Before we know it we're at the register and handing over our money. And even when we make a good purchase and can afford it, sometimes we still feel badly because we didn't buy it after carefully considering the purchase, or at least counting to ten.

Read on

Posted: Nov 16, 2009

tags: add, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

I've written about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that is triggered by different seasons. A small amount of people are affected by the late spring and summer, but many more are laid low by winter. What if, however, you don't have SAD per se, but are someone with depression whose depression is exacerbated by the fall and winter darkness? Granted, when you have depression you're frequently unaware of the weather. The most brilliantly sunny day with soft breezes can leave you cold.

But the increase in hours of night that comes with fall and winter is another matter. The lack of light, the absence of color from foliage (if you live in a region where all the vegetation dies or hibernates in the winter) makes your life more emotionally colorless somehow. Since there's nothing you can do about changing the world outside, you might want to concentrate your energy on making your home more welcoming.

Read on

Posted: Nov 16, 2009

tags: seasonal affective disorder, seasonal depression

(HealthDay News) -- It is often assumed that the schoolyard is where bullies go to make other kids miserable, but a new study suggests that classrooms are another popular site.

The study, presented recently at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting in Philadelphia, is based on survey results from more than 10,000 middle-school students who anonymously answered questions online.

Read on

Posted: Nov 16, 2009

tags: bullying

Check out two good articles on Online Psychology Degrees: 10 Common Myths about Clinical Depression and Six Biggest Myths about Psychology that Everyone Believes. Even though I've been writing about mental health for fourteen years, I learned a few things.

Posted: Nov 10, 2009

tags: depression, psychology

Last November I started getting sick with a sinus headache and fever. At the end of a week, I was so sick that I ended up throwing up in a bathroom stall at work. The doctor diagnosed a sinus infection. Not unusual for someone with allergies, but I hadn't had one in years. I got a prescription for antibiotics, and thought that was the end of it.

Nope. For a few days after I started the antibiotic, my fever abated and I felt better. But even before I finished the last dose, I was feeling crummy again. I went back to the doctor. She diagnosed a viral infection and prescribed a week in bed. I spent the whole week of Thanksgiving in bed. Nothing changed except that I got a lot of knitting done.

Read on

Posted: Nov 06, 2009

tags: depression, depression and illness