Posted by Eddie Sylvano on September 17, 2002, at 15:42:55
In reply to hard to believe, posted by etherize on September 17, 2002, at 14:25:37
> I believe I've had depression since I was a kid. I have advanced AIDS and I've been unemployed for three years. I have no friends, or real family. My two brothers live in another town. My few friends have drifted off (they live in another town). My husband is miserable with his job and his life, and he's mildly depressed, too. Even my cat is terminally ill.
>Geez. My heart goes out to you, etherize. It's remarkable that you've shouldered such burdens in any capacity. There are plenty of people with far more trivial issues in their lives that they let overshadow their happiness.
Do you think that your depression is circumstantial, or innate? I'd gather from your statement about depression since childhood that it's the latter. Happiness can be such a slippery thing. I'm hard pressed to say if I get depressed because of my thought processes or my biology. It's kind of a chicken and egg scenario. In either case, the common thread I notice is despondancy. It's when I harbor no hope for the future that things really slide, because without hope for a future, much of the present loses its meaning and value.
I think antidepressents have an effect on depression relatively similar to weight loss pills on a diet. They can get you jump-started on a path, and provide concrete, encouraging gains, but long-term success ultimately lies in understanding what caused the problem to begin with, and being forever vigilant about staying well (through medications, realistic self evaluation, and lifestyle changes).
As a final note, make sure that whoever you wind up seeing for your mood issues is aware of whatever medications you take for HIV suppression, since various psychotrophic medications are degraded (or enhanced) through interations with antivirals.
I hope that things open up for you, though. Life's too short to be sad all the time.
poster:Eddie Sylvano
thread:120156
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020914/msgs/120162.html