Depression Support Group

Hi everyone, I'm new to the depression forum and wanted to share some things.

I'm 33 years old and I've been suffering from depression since I was 12/13 years old. I received some counseling when I was younger but at the time the Dr I was sent to just didn't fit well with me. She was patronizing and down-talked me a bit, since then I've been hesitant to return to any kind of psychotherapy. For one, I don't want to be exposed to that kind of environment again (it almost did more harm than good) and two I don't have the money.

I have tried to talk to the people in my life about the way I'm feeling. One of my friends has been in my life for over 20 years. In her mind I have never been depressed and I don't know if its just cause I was so good at masking my feelings or if the depression is just in my head.

I try to talk about my feelings with her but I get blown off sometimes - if I hear the phrase "I just don't get it, what's so bad" one more time...hearing someone so close to me say that really hurts. I feel brushed aside and blown off.

The problem is that when people say they don't get it, I interpret it as they don't get me, for me the feelings I have and myself are one in the same...maybe its because I've lived with it for so long.

Right now I am feeling more and more anxious, depressed, you name it especially concerning my family and friends. Strangers aren't a problem, I don't expect THEM to get me.

because of this I find myself withdrawing more and more, I'm almost to the point where I am about to write off this 20 year friendship. Is that me or the depression talking?

People have a difficutly understanding mental illness because it can't be seen. It's not like a broken leg but i hurts really much. That's why it's good to talk to people who understand. I can't tell you what to do with your friendship but if you need to talk. I'll listen

DeepBlue, Welcome to the group. It is hard for those who don't have depression to really get it or understand it. I find it hard to know how people who wake of feeling good, happy or at peace feel that way too. I want so desperately to feel and be a non depressed person. I have chronic depression which gets worse in the winter months like now. It's hard to explain what it feels like and yet it's also hard to find a way out of the depression. I have been in therapy helps to let out some feelings. Take meds and they too only help so much. The hardest thing with depression is the feeling of being alone and like people don't understand. I assure you we here do understand. I tend to think of what I can do to get help even though I've been down this road before. Withdrawing is the worst thing you can do and yet it is one of the symptoms that many of us do when depressed. Keep posting. Hope we can be a support to you. Rachele

I think what I'm really looking for is empathy or honesty. If someone just stepped back and said, you know what I don't understand but I want to try. Truly dark and "icky" feelings really seem to put some people off, why is that?

Hey there, I think there's a lot of 'There but for the grace of god...' involved. Even somewhat educated people realize they could be where we are in a blink, and they don't want to be reminded. The only thing I can think of to sort of explain probably won't. But there's nothing else I can think of. I lost a number of jobs for doing them,and doing them well. Only everybody else (included bosses) played around, didn't return calls, and worked if they had a notion. So looking at me doing what I thought I was being paid to do, and by looking at me they were reminded that they should be working.

So if people have too much info about whatever mental diseases, it reminds them, as I said, that they could be next. Some people simply don't know what to say so they avoid us. Ironically, the only thing they CAN say w/o being hurtful is that they are sorry we are suffering.

Hope that helps a bit.

Cheers,

Sylvia

Its sad but true alot of people don't get it especially close family and friends. I have experienced this to I finally quit denying that I have a mental illness and just recently admitted to my parents that am bipolar something I've been dealing with alone and hidding from everyone even myself until recently. My own mom doesn't want to believe it and she doesn't get why am so depressed to the point of ending my life. When I was hospitalized for 2weeks for trying to kill myself my parents didn't come and see me or talk to me. I finally started talking to them in nov since 2009. And since I told my mom everything to be honest and looking for some advice and try to find out if anyone in the family has ever suffered from mental illness she just laughed at me and told me she doesn't understand why am being like this and I haven't talked to her since then. I have found alot of peole on this site who do understand and know what am thinking and going through. I hope you find that too here! Wish u the best!

HELLO MY NAME IS JUSTIN I KIND FEEL LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOUR DEPRESSED YOU WANNA REACH OUT TO PEOPLE TELL THEM HOW I FEEL AND I GET LAUGHED AT AND NOT TAKIN SERIOUSLY SOMEDAYS I FEEL ALONE BECAUSE I HAVE NOONE THAT UNDERSTANDES ME WHEN YOUR CRYING ALLDAY YOU WANT SUPPORT AND SOMEDAY IVE EVEN TRYED TO TALK TO MY WIFE AND IM MADE TO FEEL STUPID AND BRINGS ME IN DEEPER IN DEPRESSION JUS FEEL SO ALONE

People get frightened when there is something they can't see and can't understand. It isn't your fault they have these limitations. They are human, too. Mental issues still have such a stigma about them.

My family accepts that I and my doctors think I have depression, PTSD, anxiety, etc., but they don't want to talk about it.

So I come here and I am not judged.