Depression is approached from a myriad of ways. There’s no real silver bullet in its diagnosis as there are a number of factors at play. Neurological, behavioral, environmental variables are all a part of it.
For me a combination of diet, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and changes in hobbies have helped stem the tide of depression but it’s not the same for everyone. The article above by Johann Hari; an extract from his book Lost Connections: Uncovering The Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutionsl delivers an interesting perspective. The notion that another factor in depression relates to a sense of self worth and how people view their work life or other unfulfilled needs. Personally I would say I have for many years been a workaholic. I enjoyed challenges and the job generally was fulfilling. As the years continued though I know my satisfaction wavered here and there. Eventually I had to depersonalize my job as I felt it was a major factor in my increasing depression. These days, while I still have the same job, I try to frame the challenges within it differently. I don’t treat the ups and downs of my job as a reflection of who I am as a person. While it’s helped, it’s still an ongoing struggle. I enjoy what I do, not always the other conditions around it.
While this is obviously not something necessarily easily changed it provides another angle with which to attack the problem. I’ve always been a proponent that any been of information is ammo in a fight and this is just another resource to be considered.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen posts regarding the ongoing research being conducted in using magic mushrooms to help treat depression but it’s interesting that it’s been cropping up more and more. Psilocybin as part of a treatment regimen sounds promising, though most studies I’ve read indicate it’s use in Major Depressive Disorder I do wonder how it may be applied to more mild forms of depression.
The main take away I’ve had from a lot of these studies tends to be that we’re still a bit of a ways off on understanding how the diff treatment courses may have to be tailored per patient and what areas of affect actually yield the best return.
For myself I’ve mainly focused on lifestyle change and supplements intended to help with general brain health and serotonin production. While not as intense as a full SSRI treatment I’ve had an easier time with emotional fortitude (for lack of a better term) than I have in the past. It would be my hope that if this treatment course gains traction that it becomes more readily available as something that HMO’s will be more apt to adding to their formularies.
Where does the time go right? It’s just a stones throw away to 2018. Found the above article and gave it a once over. It’s a good read and one that I think some people will benefit from. Rumination is something I’ve struggled with quite a bit and for some of my friends who also suffer from depression and anxiety I know it’s one of those recurrent specters that always lurks around the corner. There are maybe three times a year where I start to slide down that slippery slope and New Years is definitely the most painful.
I’ve generally found that with mental health issues there’s two fundamental approaches that are taken. Some focus on processing through the things that make you fearful, or exposing yourself to them so that you learn to face your aversion. The other is learning to steer clear of those triggers and finding a way to be mindful of it. New Years is one of those times where social interaction and gathering with friends is the norm. I’ve never liked crowds, and especially hate the idea of forced fun. New Years and New Years Eve celebrations have always been something I went to for the sake of others. Fake it till you make it types of moments. In the past, when I was dating or married I’d go along with it as it was my duty as a boyfriend or spouse. These days I don’t try to push myself out there unless I’m comfortable. Now some folks will look at that and just argue that I’m simply letting depression win, that I’m not changing things for the better. On the contrary however, just because I’m not out celebrating doesn’t mean I’m not processing through things. In the past I’d go out, have a few drinks, try to fake a smile and say all the usual platitudes. “Oh it’s an awesome year and I’m so grateful.” Regardless of how I actually felt about the state of things. These days, I stopped trying to put on that face.
The past few years I’ve spent New Years at home, curled up with a book, my journal and my tech. I know that I’m going to reminisce, I know I’ll look back at the things I’ve lost, the person I was and what’s changed. That’s bad though is what you’re thinking right? You’d be half right. I look back, I recognize that things are different, but I also try to look at how I’ve weathered the storm, how I’ve changed little by little. I focus on re-framing my replay of memories and focus on what has changed for the better, or what I know I should focus on for the next year. When you have depression and anxiety getting sucked TOO far into nostalgia is dangerous so I always have to pace myself. I don’t get so engrossed in going backwards that I stop looking ahead. I read through my journal and remember how I got through the rough times. I look at my projects and see that I finished something or I made progress. That keeps me going, that gives me ideas for the next year. I’m not out to be seen, I shun fame and attention. I don’t try to impress folks with my accolades anymore. I just try to see the good things in me that I should continue to nurture or the things I need to try and improve.
If you’re facing that sense of dread as the year winds down I fully understand. It’s easy to start stacking up those memories like dominoes and watching them fall. Re-framing how you view the last year is not trivial, it takes time. If you’re struggling reach out, be heard. Don’t let how everyone else celebrates dictate undue pressure on you. If you want to be around friends, that’s great, find friends you can trust and an activity that works. If you know drinking or other triggers are there, let folks know. The holidays are stressful and sad for a lot of folks but finding a safe way to navigate it pays out in the end.
The holidays can be stressful for some but for those people fighting depression the double-whammy of existing conditions and SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) can be a very difficult combo.
Came across the above news in several articles regarding the use of ketamine as a way to help reduce suicidal ideation in patients. While I found the article optimistic, I do hope folks tread cautiously. Ketamine’s addictive attributes make weaning off a frightening prospect. I do hope however that if the treatment proves fruitful that it will be another resource that people with depression can seek when stressors and their existing treatment course don’t seem to be enough.
As ever, if you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to your mental health professional or a hotline. Link to the Suicide Prevention Hotline and their website below.
I don’t have children but I cannot fathom the pain of losing a child so young to suicide. It’s a very scary commentary on where we are as a culture, where kids would rather take their own lives than try to struggle through ridicule and bullying. I think most adults don’t realize that now the torment doesn’t stop when you hop onto the bus and get home.
When adults mock everyone and use stupid reasons to prejudice it trickles down to their children. I’ve always wondered just what aspects of the power dynamic of bullying have lead us to where we are today. I dealt with my share of bullying, after all I was a typical geek in school. My biggest fear even when my ex-wife and I were trying for kids was that I was ill prepared to deal with teaching right and wrong in a way that stuck. Don’t know that I’ll have that chance, but I do hope that parents out there are imparting a sense of responsibility for actions and that teaching that trying to bully someone is not a sign of strength, it’s weakness.
(For US Residents) If you know someone who is at risk for suicide please consider sharing the National Suicide Hotline information to them.
I happened upon this earlier this month and it got me thinking about several subjects. One thing that is true of me is that my dysthymia isn’t at a severity where I cease to be able to work. On the contrary I think some of my workaholic tendencies stem from a coping mechanism which isn’t necessarily completely healthy.
Kristin Wong’s post is a good review of the need to frame your attachment to work in a mental model that is productive but not all encompassing. Losing your identity to your job is a dangerous slope. It makes set back sand challenges too personal and starts to chip away at your sense of self and self-worth. For me the idea of not complaining about work is a challenge, especially being a tech employee where it sometimes seems like a myriad of things can and do go wrong.
I’m guilty of working long hours and bulldogging problems to the point that I do think I’ve taken too much work home with me both physically and emotionally. I’m trying to fit my balance and objectivity about work so that I don’t really care when things don’t go well as long as I feel I am putting forth what is right both business wise and personally.
Today marks world mental health day and I’m glad it’s something being recognized but I hope that glib humor aside people realize what this day should be about, bringing awareness about mental health and being open to seeking help. The theme of this years Mental Health Day is actually mental health in the workplace which for me hits home pretty hard.
Clinical depression and the workplace is a touchy subject, every boss wants a happy team but you don’t always get that. Some industries are more prone to giving rise to depression. The symptoms aren’t always visible and sometimes it impacts the bottom line more than most folks may be aware. So today take a look at your work environment. See if there’s things you can do to foster morale, to help someone seek treatment, or if you feel you may be experiencing issues seek help yourself. Don’t be affraid to investigate your companies policies on things like FMLA, mental health days. Take those breaks, reset but most of all, seek help if you need it.
YouTuber, author Anna Akana had an interesting video post regarding speaking to someone with depression.
The video itself tries to espouse the idea of listening with compassion which at face value seems easy enough to do, but from personal experience I can tell you that it’s a rare thing indeed. There’s a fine line between being able to listen to your friend and relate/connect (especially for those who have never gone through clinical depression) versus just feeling like an enabler or getting inundated with the other persons pain points.
The difficulty that I have with being open about depression, even to folks who were friends got me thinking just what is it that makes the process so much of a painful slog. One of the things I realized is that there are often two competing flows of advice out there which in some ways do a disservice to everyone.
Motivational advice and suggestions for ‘leading a good life’ often talk about ‘dumping the negative people’ in your life. Again, at first blush that makes total sense right? You want to keep a positive attitude, so you surround yourself with positive people… Except what happens when you ARE that negative person? You sort of find yourself an emotional leper on No-Frown island where all the shiny-happy people suddenly can’t connect, can’t engage you and your isolation becomes worse.
People always seem to have the same flip-in-script however when someone suffers from depression and takes things all the way to the most painful recourse of ending their lives. They always ask “I wish they would have talked to me.” I’ve found that sudden “Oh gosh I want the negative people to reach out to me” thing to be the big paradoxical twist to the advice. If you want to live your life by pushing away people who are negative, that’s one thing, but don’t suddenly be surprised when some of those people turn out to not be negative but suffering from depression.
Here’s where that middle ground is just so difficult to come by. You can certainly try to be selective about the people whom you choose to include in your life. Some may indeed be negative in nature, they may have beliefs that conflict, but in the end you have to decide are there enough redeeming things about your friendship/relationship with them that they still have a place. For those people in your life who face the challenge of depression, being that compassionate listener for them isn’t easy, the process is a slippery slope that I don’t really feel anyone has a good answer for. For what it’s worth here’s my take, I have circles of friends that I can, to varying degrees unload onto when my depression gets too high. Some are better than others at being able to process that, objectively say something and refocus the conversation to other things in a tactful way. Others fall into what I call the mono-trap. Which is the one word response to anything I say the ‘hmm’, ‘yeah’, ‘uh huh’ type of situation. It’s mean to think it but I do place my friends into categorical buckets of how much raw unfiltered me I sense they can take. Some I trust enough to tell all the painful parts of what’s swirling around in my head, while others will only get a minimal of who am I before I feel my own toxicity requires me to get some distance.
When you are faced with battling depression, the hardest thing in the world is combating that feeling like nobody wants to talk to you. I prefer to think that depression makes you reassess how you communicate to friends/loved ones and puts a bit more onus on you to decide how to reach out. No one is magically going to know all the right things to say but you can let people in to try and ease the burden. While for some people therapists aren’t helpful, my own experiences have been positive. They offer a sounding board and nudge you in a more productive direction. No therapist is perfect but if you find a good rapport with one keep at it. So many problems are created by imperfect communication but learning to navigate your social circles and knowing when to create space versus when to let folks in is a powerful coping tool that I hope everyone tries to work on.
The news article itself is several days old but I thought it would be good to comment on it. Mental health awareness and access are definitely hot topics as of late. We’ve seen a significant amount of news relating to celebrity suicides, bullying and a general uptick in issues relating to mental health. While I’m glad that Google is trying to do something to raise awareness it’s just sort of the first step in a long process and I worry that some of that message is lost.
The survey itself is not new but it’s been crafted to provide a starting off point to seeking help. Personally I usually approach these types of online surveys with a grain of salt. It’s possible to be very much on the borderline and sometimes the range of answers doesn’t quite capture the experiences for everyone. As daunting as the process is though I do think it’s a good idea to seek out a therapist or psychologist if you suspect you may be on the bubble. I can only hope that the stigma continues to be removed from seeking mental health services and that something is done to make help more accessible.
I came across the above article and it was interesting read, especially given my own perspective that I have been at many varying points a workaholic. Several of the patterns discussed were interesting to me as I’ve often wondered what correlations may existing between people who are driven to push at work or have a tendency to bulldog problems.
The uptick in symptoms in various areas including ADHD, OCD, anxiety and depression were eye opening. I typically split my time working remotely and working onsite with clients and one of the main aspects for me has been an ability to focus without being distracted. My background was initially as a programmer and later as a systems admin/analyst. As a result I’m used to having my head down to solve a problem. It’s possible the same characteristics that make me good at deep dive analysis unfortunately make me susceptible to other conditions such as anxiety and depression.
The mind works in so many different ways that I’d hardly call these findings conclusive but the pattern and potential implications may lead to better ways to head-off dangerous mental illness before it becomes too severe. I know my chosen profession is full of stress, turn over and requires a very distinct mindset to survive. Hopefully as HR and psychological processes improve resources will be available to help folks who may be on the bubble as I was in getting help.
