Growing up with a toxic parent is often at the root of depression. As children we have a need to bond with our parents or caregivers, but this need makes us vulnerable to being parented by people who are damaged, and being damaged ourselves in turn. What are toxic parents? Toxic parents are those whose [...]
“Depression is a disorder of mood, so mysteriously painful and elusive in the way it becomes known to the self…as to verge close to being beyond description.” William Styron, Darkness Visible I was reminded recently, when I told the members of my forum for people with depression that we were moving back to a previous [...]
Part 2 of 5 =========== **Causes** (cont.) – What initiates the alteration in brain chemistry? – Is a tendency to depression inherited? **Treatment** – What sorts of psychotherapy are effective for depression? **Medication** – Do certain drugs work best with certain depressive illnesses? What are the guidelines for choosing a drug? – How do you [...]
It is most tempting, when you find out someone is depressed, to attempt to immediately fix the problem. However, until the depressed person has given you permission to be their therapist (as a friend or professional), the following responses are more likely to help. The things that didn’t make me feel worse are words which [...]
Some people trivialize
depression (often unintentionally) by dropping a platitude on a
depressed person as if that is the one thing they needed to hear. While
some of these thoughts have been helpful to some people (for example,
some find that praying is very helpful), the context in which they are
often said mitigates any intended benefit to the hearer. Platitudes
don’t cure depression.
When someone you know is depressed, it’s understandable if you feel helpless. If you’ve never suffered from clinical depression, how are you going to know what to say and do, or how it feels? Ways to Help a Depressed Person Listen. Keep in mind that the depressed person isn’t communicating well right now, and is [...]
Part 4 of 5 =========== **Self-care** (cont.) – How can I help myself get through depression on a day-to-day basis? **Books** – What are some books about depression? Self-care (cont.) —————– Q. How can I help myself get through depression on a day-to-day basis? On a day-to-day basis, separate from, or concurrently with therapy or [...]
alt.support.depression FAQ Here you will find the FAQ from the alt.support.depression newsgroup. I have made no changes other than formatting. As you can see, the FAQ has not been updated since 1994, therefore some of the information, especially regarding antidepressants available, is somewhat out of date. However, this does not greatly diminish its usefulness. Archive-name: [...]
Let me tell you right away that I am uncomfortable recounting my experience with depression. Not because it’s painful to talk about (though it is), but because I created this web page about depression to help other people, not to go on and on about myself. However, I can’t forget how illuminating William Styron’s account [...]
Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life, normal functioning,
and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about him or her. Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who experience it need treatment to get better.
