Therapy

[Prak]

well I'm treating everything as speculation until an actual therapist offers their opinion.

[Sashi]

I guess what I was saying is that if you're honestly concerned that you're bipolar, you should see a psychiatrist, and not just a therapist. Not to belittle depression, but it's very important to diagnose bipolar disorder early and correctly.

[Maj]

Here's a link to a list of clinics in Sacramento. Some are for specific things, like HIV testing or African Americans or homeless people, but there are still a few on that list that should be able to help you.

I look forward to you making progress.

[Prak]

Thanks Maj

[JonSetanta]

An ex of mine I dearly loved killed herself last year from depression and schizophrenia. It's serious business and no laughing matter.

[Prak]

I'd have to disagree. Everything can be laughed about. Now while I may not joke about your exes depression, schizophrenia or suicide to you, none of those topics are taboo for jokes in general... Joking about something robs it of some of it's power, remember that.

[The Vigilante]

A few years ago I thought I was depressed, I was getting nowhere and generally I felt like I was a failure and that I had no future. I never considered therapy because while I'm very outspoken I really don't like to talk about my personal, inner troubles.

Then something clicked inside of me, some kind of puzzle piece fell into place and I kicked myself in the ass. I left my parent's basement, got an appartment, got back in college and found a new job. I feel a lot better now, I realize that purpose for your life does not appear out of nowhere, you have to give it yourself, and purpose is the key to happiness and balance in your life.

I certainly don't know you, and I won't pretend I do, but from what I read on this board you don't seem to have much purpose in your life. You certainly seem to assign a lot of blame to the people around you. Maybe you should examine yourself, establish some goals, try to find things in yourself to work on. Always keep in mind you are, as I am, in a tiny minority of privileged white people in the world, and that millions would kill to have the chance, privileges and opportunities that you have.

Also I am definitely not a therapist or a doctor, but please take this as the honest advice and experience that I mean it to be.

[Calibron]

If your depression is more situational than purely chemical you can cure yourself even if you're really bad. After my life fell apart a few years ago I had really fucking bad depression; joint aches, fatigue, sleeping 12+ hours a day, along with, of course, a general lack of motivation, happiness, and self satisfaction.

What I did to overcome it without help was to get myself a temporary reprieve from my biggest source of continuous negativity and just focused on making myself feel better. Eventually I broke out of whatever self-destructive mental pattern I had let myself fall into and started feeling great again. Though of course since my life was still in the shitter I ended getting badly depressed twice more in the next year and a half or so; up until things got to the point where I didn't have to worry about such immediate concerns as lack of food and shelter, and I thus had no legitimate reason to be depressed anymore, and so left it behind me.

tldr: See a therapist, but don't discount your ability to make yourself get better if your life isn't a constant nightmare.

[Maj]

I forgot to mention something really obvious... I don't know how much you get outside, but sitting in sunlight actually really helps. When you're eating breakfast, park it by a window and eat while looking outside. Go sit on a bench for 20 minutes during the day and read (or whatever).