Oxymoron

Can these two things be separated? Possibly not. Depression is always caused by chemical imbalances. It's what causes those imbalances that's interesting. Clearly, malfunctioning hardware will do it. Also, cognitive problems - what one believes about oneself and the world - can cause it. And of course, once there is an imbalance, one's cognitive problems can be compounded by all those excess chemicals, leading to a runaway process.

Drugs can help. Therapy can help. Cognitive management can help. It's also true that drugs can get you to a stable plateau where therapy and cognitive management are able to do their thang. Hopefully then, the drugs can be dispensed with (if you pardon the pun) after the other stuff has worked, otherwise you just end up with people hooked on happy pills.

Toto

At least we know that depression is caused by circumstances or brain chemicals, or both acting in concert, and not by demons.

Regent University law student accused the school of ordering him to undergo counseling after classmates labeled him possessed by a demon and cursed by God

Regent University is Pat Robertson

HelenM

Yes, hopefully, depending on the nature of the mental illness. That's not going to be possible if the person has a permanent incurable mental illness.

Well, I don't personally think any anti-depressants work that well that that's ever an accurate description of a person on them.

Nevertheless, I agree that it's best for people to be on as little medication as possible, since medication usually has side-effects and there may be long-term ones we don't yet know about, since many of these meds are very new.

Helen

emotional

Both can be true. For example, in my case a circumstance often causes me depression, but only because my brain chemicals are unstable to begin. The same circumstance usually has no effect at all on me if I'm rightly medicated.

Jackalope

Depakote is also considerably more dangerous than Neurontin or Topamax, so you takes your pick. I've only seen them used as an add on for bipolar disorder, not the primary agent. So ithey're used if lithium isn't working and Depakote has too many risky side effects for the patient.


Most of the off-label use is for migraines and chronic pain, though. It really does work for those. I have a feeling it only works for a subset of those with mental illnesses.

HelenM

Thanks for your response, Jackalope.

Badfish

Birds, I think you know where I stand now. Thanks for the communication.

For those that don't know I also have severe depression and anxiety disorder.

Birds, like me I see that you may be in serious need of understanding this dabilitating disease.

I don't know what else to say, but I will be there to to help, I need help too.

Smilin

Howdy Cat...
Your poste caught my eye.. and If I may:

I have a high interest in Psychology, specifically Personality Disorders. Bi-Polar is the most common mis-diagnosis there is.
If what you say is true, you are one rare bird indeed. Forgive my curiosity, but you know my e-mail... shoot me a line if you wanna chat. Say howdy to 'please don't bless me' Sampo too while your at it... LMAO

errr... need any more kittens? I've got 5 new ones.. lol

Bree

This doesn't really have anything to do with religion - I'm going to move this to Misc Disc.

Solsticin

Well, speaking from the perspective of one who has a family history of mental illness, I can say that depression, to me, seems to be more complex an issue than it appears.

Certainly attitudes can effect the brain. This is not in dispute. Depressed individuals will typically have some factor that starts the depression (a death, job loss, a person that belittles them, etc). The problem is that they don't "snap out of it" for some unknown factor. Once your are in a state of depression your mind is not firing on all cylinders. The "Vicious Cycle" that starts from this can be brutal to overcome. You essentially become a slave to your depression.

In short, it's a combination of both. I do think that people can be genetically predisposed to "not snapping out of it" (if that makes sense) though.

--- Slightly off topic ----

I've suffered my entire life (as far as I can remember) with depression/anxiety disorder. Meds do nothing for me for whatever reason (well, there are a few things that help, but they are too destructive for me since they make me a zombie that can't concentrate ). I have to live with it (sadly, it's not much of a life at this point, though I have moments where I feel ...decent at times). I had a nervous breakdown 2 years ago and I haven't been the same since. It got REALLY bad then (and I didn't think it could get worse).

I have a question for depression "sufferers" out there though. When is the last time you "suffered" from depression? I can't remember the last time I felt more than "nothing" about anything. It's like I'm emotionless. I never cry now (even at funerals). Am I unique in this? It seems to always stump doctors when I mention that. The nervous breakdown really amplified this symptom to the point where I literally care about nothing anymore (including my own health, mental or otherwise).

(the quotes around suffering were not ment to be condescending, just to point out that I don't "suffer" from it ... I think everyone else does, but not me )