Spring RTS Engine

Do you like kids? Sometimes when I am feeling that way, the best way for me to turn my perspective around has been to run around with my nephew. Children almost always just love people no matter what. They don't follow "western rules". Life doesn't feel quite so pointless to me. just a thought.

Sangue wrote:

tombom wrote:

Day wrote:get WoW

this is good advice

:idea: :idea: :idea:

Been there and done that anyway.

I don't plan to repeat it.

Ditto. Steals your time and money.

My suggestions, based on personal experience, is that finding something physical to accomplish- whether it is mending something, cleaning something, or whatever... is one of the best cures for depression.

Physical activity, coupled with drugs and family involvement is the best way to deal with depression. All of the science done on the subject agrees with me- depression is a multifaceted problem- the chemical roots may require chemical cure, but the psychological consequences, and loss of self-esteem, require more active intervention.

The worst thing you can possibly do is to lock yourself into a realm of comfort, where it's easy to tell yourself that things are OK.

Something like WoW, which is pretty much designed to hold you enthralled and eat your time on Earth, while giving you nothing really accomplished in return, is the worst-possible solution, don't do it- your relatives have lawns that need tending, Heavy Things to move, and other worthwhile projects that will greatly aid your self-esteem- just ask if they have "anything that needs doing", roll up your sleeves, and you will be amazed at what happens! If it's impossible to go that route, because of distance or other factors... ask around your neighbors. Forget about pride, just say you're bored and looking for stuff to do. You will not regret it.

Lastly, friends who quit calling on you, simply because you've lost interest in raising hell in a bar all the time, or whatever, aren't real friends- now you know who your real friends are, which is a valuable lesson indeed

btw when i said playing wow is a great idea i was being sarcastic

wow and similar are reallyt bad

All research does agree that depression is multifaceted, but does not necessarily agree that the methods of treatment you propose are useful or effective for all cases.

Day wrote:get WoW

Worst advice ever. Never get WoW.

I thought it was general knowledge that WoW is bad.

It's always a matter of degree, of course, Neddiedrow, and there there is no perfect cure. For example, depending on the cause, talk-therapy may be a necessary part of things (severe trauma, etc.).

I'm not saying, "fix stuff, you'll be cured". I'm saying, "don't just take drugs and go to Work, and expect to become well again". Not that it sounds like Pressureline is doing so- he sounds like a good, hard-working dude, who's having a rough time right now, and is finding recovery tough to come by. And he's aware of what's going on, which is very important.

Treat all of the symptoms and causes. Depression is not an infection that you're going to take penicillin for and get better. While some people have a single depressive event, for most of us, it's a lifelong struggle, that starts in our late teens or early twenties. It's not going away. You need to see the low spots coming, and take care of things before you lose it entirely. Once you're out of a low spot, you need to watch and make sure it doesn't come back.

As an example of why a multifaceted approach is necessary, many depressed people get behind on things- they don't do the laundry, they neglect their schoolwork, they show up at their jobs late- little stuff, forgivable by the people around them, but most of us, at least in my culture (I live in the great Midwestern USA), feel guilty about it.

You can't just take drugs and expect all of the emotional burden of guilt over being "irresponsible" go away. I heartily recommend taking an active approach, and seeing your actions as something that will help you and help others- there is no more sure way of feeling like a good person than by doing good for others This may or may not apply, in Pressureline's culture, and of course there are different levels of depression, which require different levels of intervention:

1. Severe depression. This is depression where people are likely to commit suicide. Obviously, this is very, very serious! Take drugs! Make sure people are around you, and aware of what's going on- you have a potentially-fatal problem, not a minor case of the blues! Stay in well-lit places, and get proper sleep! Often, this is brought about by trauma of some kind, or by emotionally distressing moments, like getting divorced, for example. Talk about it. Don't wallow in guilt and self-pity, if you can possibly help it. Remember, you aren't a bad person, even if you've done a few things you regret, and nobody wants you to die.

2. Chronic depression. This is much more common. People with it, during the lowest parts, can and do commit suicide, or self-destruct in other ways. However, most people with this condition are still "functional", albeit not at the level they should be. The best strategy varies from person to person, but combinations of drugs, talk therapy, physical activity and constructive behavior, as well as constant awareness, is part of a good coping strategy. Most of the science on depression has repeatedly supported physical activity as a vital part of a lifetime program, but again, do whatever works for you.

3. Seasonal depression (that's me). Seasonal depression is tied to solar cycles- i.e., when it's more dark, one tends to become depressed more easily, and stay that way longer. During the worst parts of winter, all it takes for me to be low for a week is a lousy day in traffic Having read up on this topic, I use bright lights when at home, to emulate daylight, and stick to a fairly strict sleep schedule during the winter months, to prevent myself from over / under sleeping. However, it's never easy. I find, especially on weekends, that I need to peel myself out've bed, or make myself go to sleep, or I get progressively less-functional. Again, no cure fits all symptoms, but I use a variety of coping strategies- and I know what's happening, and that it will get worse, as the days get longer, so I adjust what I'm doing.

By the way I met a guy who's gotten some sort of psychosis from playing too much WoW. Hallucinations etc... he's in a therapy right now. Yes from WoW, no drug abuse or something else involved at all.

Argh wrote:Physical activity, coupled with drugs and family involvement is the best way to deal with depression.

Drugs as in antidepressants? I'd rather not... these get you addicted pretty fast and they're about as bad as an alcohol or drug addiction.

Antidepressants, as much as I dislike them, are not addictive in general. You will not crave them when they are taken from you. You will not get a high of any appreciable sort from them. However, you will suffer negative effects if you get off them suddenly rather than gradually.

I would rather people who do not know about this subject not comment on it. Depression is serious, unlike most things we discuss on the Spring forums.

I was on celexa about 4 years ago..that stuff had awesome side effects. Like remembering every detail of your dreams. I also felt like there was an electric current flowing through my arms and chest.

Argh wrote:While some people have a single depressive event, for most of us, it's a lifelong struggle, that starts in our late teens or early twenties. It's not going away. You need to see the low spots coming, and take care of things before you lose it entirely. Once you're out of a low spot, you need to watch and make sure it doesn't come back.

started a lot earlier than that for me, although its only really caused me to become 'non-functional' in the past 2-3 years. over the last 2-3 years i have experienced a fairly major depressive event every 6 months or so(usually lasting 2-3 weeks) this year however has been exceptionally crap. shortly before christmas 2006 it began, and got worse over the next 6 weeks (until my trip to hospital) at which point things got steadily worse until april, where i got to the point where i was actually unable to function as a person for a few days.

at that point i was put on medication, which lifted it a bit, and let me get on with trying to get better. from then until july i was more like half a person. being completely unable to deal with the emotional side of things, i didn't (interestingly, this actually allowed me to get on with stuff a lot better than i am able to now)

but now its catching up to me. im at the point where i simply cant ignore it anymore, and attempting to deal with everything is leaving me struggling to cope.

ITT: BAAAAAAAAAAAAW

Guys seriously, stop being so emo.

There are many, many methods out there that can be used to help deal with depression. The emotional, intellectual, and physical aspects of it should be addressed when dealing with it. It's a good idea to talk or just have someone sit near you or hang out with you when you are depressed. Physical activity is a good idea (one of my favorites is throwing people). Visualization techniques are fine. A proper diet is needed. Also, you should try to remember or do things that help you remember how it feels to be happy or having something really piss you off and creating an outlit for that anger could help too.

Also, Smoth's right, don't be so emo. You need someone who will be streight with you. If you are feeling depressed, I'm not saying that you shouldn't depend on your friends (they are there for you), but you have to remember not to use them. They are not there for your entertainment (slaps Sleska with a riding crop because it makes me feel better, even though he might like that). It is more important to teach a man how to fish than it is to give him a fish. My favorite teacher told me that. You must make the effort to learn these things. With depression it would probably be best to have someone there with you to help you get through it. Having someone there (like a good psychologist) would help you decide what to do for treatment according to your personal preferences.

but, but...

Give a man a fire and he will be warm for a day, set a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life...


(You asked for that one >___<, sorry neddie)

smoth wrote:ITT: BAAAAAAAAAAAAW

Guys seriously, stop being so emo.

Depression is actually a serious problem for some people :-/

Felix the Cat wrote:

smoth wrote:ITT: BAAAAAAAAAAAAW

Guys seriously, stop being so emo.

Depression is actually a serious problem for some people :-/

mental illnesses will directly (ie they will have one) affect 1 in 5 people during the course of their lifetime. thats a HUGE proportion. its one of the leading causes of disability (inability to work) in the US, right behind heart disease.

Getting a pet has helped me a lot.

It cheers me up a lot to go and play with my ferret, Badger.

neddiedrow wrote:Antidepressants, as much as I dislike them, are not addictive in general. You will not crave them when they are taken from you. You will not get a high of any appreciable sort from them. However, you will suffer negative effects if you get off them suddenly rather than gradually.

I would rather people who do not know about this subject not comment on it. Depression is serious, unlike most things we discuss on the Spring forums.

Well I've heard about it first hand from a guy who lived together with someone who had to take lots of different types over several years.

And I... uh... read about it on the internet too some time ago. :P


Anyway, I've had a rather difficult time for nearly 1.5 years and I lived through it day by day without getting mad or depressive or starting to slit my wrists. Internet is the best distraction I can think of, right after friends.

rattle wrote:Anyway, I've had a rather difficult time for nearly 1.5 years and I lived through it day by day without getting mad or depressive or starting to slit my wrists.

count yourself lucky then. ive had a rather easy time the past 10-12 years, and get through each day one step at a time, while dealing with my depression (for the most part without realising what it was that was affecting me)