YOU CAN DO IT: Recovery from major depression

goblues · ‎18-04-2016

When I had major depression I wanted to learn from people who had experienced it and recovered. I am such a person and I write this in case it will give you hope.

Let me start by telling you how sick I was before describing my current life and aspects of my journey.

When I was 26, my life was derailed my major depression. I had been a hard working and ambitious professional with a high paying job and a bright future. Depression surfaced after personal and professional disappointments and loomed as insomnia, loss of appetite and disinterest in life. Ultimately, I was so depressed I was unable to cope at work and eventually found myself in a mental health facility. During this time, I experienced psychosis, mania (that has resulted in me being diagnosed/labeled as bipolar although the mania lasted 24 hours) and OCD in spite of being medicated. Back then holistic help for a mentally unwell person like me was hard to find. I was out of work for about 6 months and when I got back to work, I realized that the work was unrewarding and that depression had stigmatized me.

Today, 30 years later I can report on having a rewarding and fulfilling life. I have a very loving wife and two wonderful children. I enjoy my work very much, believe that I do a good job and am paid quite well. I am a fundamentally different person to the one I was 30 years ago and am proud of my achievements and ability to withstand adversity. Depression caused me to develop a value system that evolves around the notions of contribution and appreciation.

It has not been easy. During these 30 years, I have had times of severe emotional, social and professional distress. I have had acute OCD symptoms that have been successfully treated with CBT. I have taken medication all these years. I drink too much. Each day I manage myself to ensure that my emotional situation is balanced and does not adversely impact my colleagues or loved ones. Because I have a genetic predisposition, my children are also predisposed -- that is a sad reality.

When I was very sick, I felt anxious and neurotic and wondered whether I had a future. Your Doctor will tell you that he knows that you will recover and he is right. If you have any questions or want me to expand on anything, I can. If I can do it, you can too!

goblues · ‎21-04-2016

Thanks Mary. Would welcome your ideas on how I can become a missionary.

White_Rose · ‎21-04-2016

It's easy. Browse the whole forum and read some posts. If you are interested in a particular topic, such as depression, click on the forum and look through the various threads posted there. Then reply to any you think your experience can help. Even if you have no experience of that particular problem, it's feels good to the person writing if you write some words of support.

Take it from there. Have a great conversation or two or three with anyone.

I name you Goblues Missionary, Second Class (soon to be first class).

Mary

albyquirky · ‎03-05-2016

Thank you for sharing your story. It really sounds like you hit rock bottom when you were younger and it's so nice to hear that you were triumphant. I really liked reading your story because I am where you once were. I'm 25 years old and a hard working professional like yourself. I feel like my depression and anxiety is getting worse and I can't see a positive future. Thanks for giving me hope that I might recover and have better things to look forward to. 🙂

goblues · ‎03-05-2016

Thanks so much for reading about my story. When I say I hit rock bottom, what I mean is that at the time I believed that my situation was hopeless and devastatingly painful. I was right about the pain and wrong about the hope.

jelly12 · ‎14-08-2016

Hi goblues,

I really liked reading your post - thanks so much for sharing your story.

I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder 21 years ago, after a psychotic episode and hospitalization. I have taken medication continually since then and have been able to work successfully.

However, although I can function adequately, I still have depression. It is still there, every day.

It is difficult for me to form relationships and maintain them - I always get "dumped" very quickly and as I find this very distressing, I now choose not to pursue relationships with men at all. I have a few good friends and I am thankful for that.

I feel that I am working to manage the depression, but that recovery may not be possible for me.

Thanks for reading.

Gabby888 · ‎17-08-2016

Hi GoBlues,

thank you for your post! i have also major depressive disorder for around 8 years and came out of it a couple of years ago, i thought that that would be the only time that something like that would happen to me in my life and given how much it broke me i knew i couldn't possibly do it again. 3 years on I'm finding myself slipping back into depression and i can't believe its happening to me again and now I'm thinking, is this what the rest of my life is going to be like? constant periods of depression followed by a few years of happiness- when i look at it like that i can't see the point of going through all that at all... when i look over my life i feel like I've have had more unhappy years than happy ones, that means half of my life has been spent being unhappy- is this worth it?

I'm also scared that i will never be able to be happy with the things in my life, even though i have a lot of good things in my life at the moment, i feel like i will always be searching for more, as well as living in constant fear of slipping back into depression.

has this been the case for you, have you had other long periods of recurring depression after the first incident, and how have you dealt with it?

white knight · ‎18-08-2016

Hi all,

Goblues has a string, caring message. And as pointed out early in the thread, every situation us unique.

Therefore remember, what the message is, is that maximum recovery for you is the goal . That might not mean full recovery as we know it.

To aspire to goals is so important. One step at a time. It might mean simply spending 10 minutes in the sun on your verandah or making an entrée for dinner...or thanking your partner for their dedication.

"Full recovery" for you might not be achievable in the literary sense....but maximum recovery for you the individual is and we are here for you throughout that journey. Be proud to reach your maximum.

A good positive thread. We rarely read such stories of inspiration.

Zonta · ‎22-03-2019

Hi there, I am being told that I may have this disorder, it has beeen three months from my psychosis and my communication and memory is really poor did you experience similar problems?